Targeted: Beirut

I was 7 when the bombing occurred at the BLT. So, I didn’t know much about the details. It was such an honor to learn about these amazing men from the Marine Corps, Navy, and Army. Carr & Scott told the stories of these men with grace. I feel like I knew each of them in some way. It also provided me a better understanding of the extreme hate these terrorists have for the US and the difficulty in stopping this tremendous evil. This work is timely and disturbing in light of what is happening today in the Middle East.

I served in the Marine Corps from 1979 to 1985, so the Beirut terrorist bombing occurred while I was on active duty as a member of 1st Recon Battalion in Oct 1983. Since that dreadful day I’ve had so many questions as to how our Marines were put in such a vulnerable situation, with stifling rules of engagement and no clear definition of the desired end state. Authors Jack Carr and James M. Scott have produced a compelling work that not only clears up the majority of my questions, but honors those who “gave all” in the action that produced the greatest loss of Marine Corps lives since WWII. Written with parallel tracks of strategic, geopolitical perspectives paired with the “boots on the ground” view from the grunts, “Targeted Beirut” guides the reader through the roots of what has become the Global War on Terror or GWOT. Meticulously researched, the Carr and Scott have made a significant contribution to GWOT history, packaged in a fast paced set of storylines.