The 1983 Beirut Barracks Bombing
At 6:22 a.m. on October 23, 1983, a truck loaded with 12,000 pounds of explosives rammed the US Marine barracks at Beirut airport, killing 241 servicemen, the deadliest day for the Marine Corps since Iwo Jima. Minutes later, a bomber struck French paratroopers, killing 58. Six Lebanese civilians died too. Islamic Jihad, later tied to Iranian-backed Hezbollah, claimed responsibility. Within four months, Reagan withdrew US forces from Lebanon. #beirutbombing