On October 23, 1983, Hizballah killed 241 U.S. military personnel, including 220 Marines, 18 sailors, and three soldiers in a terrorist bombing of the Marine Corps barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. Minutes later, a second suicide bomber killed 58 French paratroopers. Six innocent Lebanese civilians also lost their lives. The abhorrent and shocking attack on the Beirut barracks remains to this day the single deadliest day for the U.S. Marine Corps since the Battle of Iwo Jima. Today, forty years later, we mourn those service members of the Multinational Force in Lebanon lost in both attacks and we honor their legacy. We think of their families and friends, who continue to feel the painful absence of loved ones.
As we reflect on this day, and in light of the ongoing challenges in Lebanon and the region, we remain committed to building a brighter future for Lebanon, the Lebanese people, and the broader Middle East.