The bombing and invasion occurred two days apart. He could not have participated in both events.
Correct, he may have been on Grenada THEN went to Beirut afterwards. It was still a mess in Beirut for a good while.
One of my dad’s friends was with the BLT S2 shop and in a different part of Beirut. According to him it was a mess into 84. The things he said (and still says) are quite damning to senior leadership, and generally unflattering to Reagan and the DOD’s expectations in Beirut. Ironically my dad was in Beirut in the 60s, loved it…“Paris of the Middle East” and all.
I too have heard and read that.
The conditions the Marines were under in Beirut eventually became combat conditions, with firefights and shellings taking place. There were several guys KIA before and after the bombing. Hell, the only Army personnel killed in the blast (3 of them) were part of a counter-battery radar unit attached to the Marines because of all the incoming. The bombing was obviously the worst part of it, but IIRC anyone who served in one of those rotations got a Combat Action Ribbon.
As Reagan was leaving office he gave an interview with someone who asked him what his worst mistake as POTUS was. His answer? Beirut.
Quite possibly, or was at neither and was just trying to impress a young kid, I have no idea, I just remember him talking about not being able to sleep and going outside to a guard shack in Beirut, and that he shot a dude in the face practically point-blank range with an M79 while in Grenada, said he was so close that the round didn’t arm and just crushed the dude’s face, killing him.
Don’t know, I was like 17 or 18 years old at the time.
From a document I read online, the following had occurred within a month after the bombing:
“General Joy also reduced access to the roads leading into the Marine perimeter with what amounted to a three-tiered system. The innermost tier was armed with direct fire weapons, such as Dragon, LAAW, and .50-caliber machine guns, manned and fully ready 24 hours a day. Each Marine position was issued special rules of engagement based on specific triggering situations that were most likely to occur.”
Too late unfortunately. Hindsight is always 20/20.
Interesting read: https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/AMH/XX/MidEast/Lebanon-1982-1984/USMC-Lebanon82/USMC-Lebanon82-9.html Apparently it has nine chapters to it, pretty detailed information.
Lebanon in the 1980’s had more war lords and militias, Islamic, Druze, Christians, and the baddest of them all gay clowns.
Let’s not forgot the 16 inch guns of the USS New Jersey were used several times while the Marines were in Beirut. US Navy A6 Intruders also bombed targets within the country on many occassions.
Double post
That’s right…one was shot down, December '83…
Isn’t that the one Jesse Jackson negotiated for the pilot’s release (because he was black)?
Yep, looked it up. On a raid into the Bekaa Valley their A-7 was shot down. Pilot died but Goodman, the navigator, was released by the Syrians ostensibly because of Jackson’s requests.
I had to look it up, too. Apparently the pilot’s chute released too close to the ground and he had what became fatal injuries, a point the booger-eaters were quick to point out so everyone knew they did not kill him.
I had to look it up, too. Apparently the pilot’s chute released too close to the ground and he had what became fatal injuries, a point the booger-eaters were quick to point out so everyone knew they did not kill him.
He was running for POTUS at about that time also.
We had dinner.