#NDAA 2012

October 23, 1983. A date forever etched in the hearts of United States Marines. Forty-three years ago, a terrorist drove a truck loaded with explosives into the Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 241 American service members, including 220 Marines, 18 sailors, and 3 soldiers. They were sons, brothers, husbands, fathers, and friends. Young Americans who had answered their country’s call, never knowing they would never see home again. For those of us who have worn the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor, Beirut is not just another tragic event in American history. Those were our brothers. We may never have met them, but we share a bond that neither time nor death can break. Forty-three years have passed. Families have grown older, children have grown up without their fathers, and parents have gone to their graves still mourning their sons. But I promise you one thing. The United States Marine Corps has not forgotten them, and we never will. Rest peacefully, brothers. Your sacrifice will never be forgotten. Semper Fidelis. Always Faithful.