Beirut. Touchy subject for me. October 23rd, 1983, 220 Marines from 1st Battalion, 8th Marines died. I was a senior in High School. One of the guys that survived was an older brother of one of my friends. My little hometown was on pins and needles for 2 weeks before we found out that he had survived the blast. Probably the main reason I joined the USMC along with 9 other guys I graduated with. We were pissed as we considered it an attack on us.
Less than 2 years later, I was aboard the USS Austin off the coast of Beirut as a member of 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines. All we wanted to do was go in and kill every member of Hezzbollah, with VENGEANCE.