Philly Memorials: Beirut Memorial

The Beirut Memorial

Move
Close



Print This Page

Click on photo for a high res printable image

The Memorial, installed in the Duty & Sacrifice Plaza in the Waterfront District of Philadelphia, was erected by the families of Philadelphia Marine casualties of the Beirut Peace Keeping Mission and dedicated on October 20, 1985 honoring the nine marine casualties of the Beirut Peace Keeping Mission who died in the bombing on October, 23, 1983.

Cpl. Moses Arnold, Jr.
Sgt. John J. Bonk, Jr.
Cpl. Thomas A Hairston
Sgt. Gilbert Hanton
Cpl. John F. Muffler
Sgt. Raphael Pomades-Torres
PFC. Rui Manuel A Reivas
Cpl. Louis G. Rotondo
Sgt. Allen D. Wesley

The Memorial is inscribed, “If you forget my death, then I die in vain.’

The History Behind the Memorial

In 1981 the U.S. brokered a ceasefire between the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel to end their involvement in the conflict between Lebanon's pro-government and pro-Syrian factions. The ceasefire held until June 3, 1982.Three days later, Israel reentered the PLO-controlled West Beirut and blockaded the city in order to contain insurgency. In August 1982 an international peacekeeping force was created following the the besieged PLO acceded to a new agreement for their withdrawal. The agreement provided for the deployment of a Multinational Force to assist the Lebanese Armed Forces in evacuating the PLO, Syrian forces and other foreign combatants involved in Lebanon's civil war.

The four-nation Multinational Force (MNF) was created as an interposition force meant to oversee the peaceful withdrawal of the PLO. The participants included the U.S. Multinational Force (USMNF), which consisted of four different Marine Amphibious Units (MAUs); British 1st Dragoon Guards cavalry regiment; the 1st inter-arm Foreign and French Brigade, 4 Foreign Legion Regiments, 28 French Armed Forces regiments including French and Foreign paratroopers, units of the National Gendarmerie, Italian paratroopers from the Folgore Brigade, infantry units from the Bersaglieri regiments and Marines of the San Marco Regiment.

Click on the Google map for directions to the Memorial from any location.

Click on photo for a high res printable image

Move
Close



Print This Page

The relatively benign environment at the beginning of the mission gave way to chaos as the civil war re-escalated following the assassination of President-elect Bashir Gemayel in September 1982. Subsequent political and military developments on the ground caused the MNF to be viewed not as a peacekeeper, but as a belligerent.

On Sunday morning, October 23, 1983, a thick, black cloud rises from the shattered headquarters of Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 8th Marines — the ground combat element of the 22d Marine Amphibious Unit – in Beirut, Lebanon. Seconds before, a suicide bomber drove an explosive-laden truck into the building killing 220 Marines, 18 Sailors, and three soldiers.

Click on photo for a high res printable image

Move
Close



Print This Page

In early 1984, after it became apparent that the government of Lebanon was no longer able to impose its will on warring factions as they entered Beirut and hostilities renewed, the MNF ended its presence mission in Beirut and went offshore before completely leaving Lebanon in July of the same year in the aftermath of the October 1983 barracks truck bombing by terrorists that killed 241 U.S. and 58 French servicemen.For the U.S. Marines, it was the largest loss of life in a single action since Vietnam; for the nation, it was the worst act of terrorism against Americans up to that time.

Click above for video of ceremony

Philly Memorials: Beirut Memorial