October 23, 1983 · Beirut International Airport Theater
October 23, 1983
On October 23, 1983, a Mercedes truck carrying 12,000 pounds of explosives drove into the US Marine headquarters at Beirut International Airport and detonated in what was then the deadliest terrorist attack against Americans in history. 241 US service members were killed. Simultaneously, a second truck bomb destroyed the French paratroopers' headquarters, killing 58. The attacks were carried out by an Islamic Jihad Organization, later linked to Hezbollah and Iranian intelligence.
Commanders