Oct 23, 1983greenspun.com : LUSENET : Unk's Wild Wild West : One Thread |
On Oct 23, 1983, 241 US Marines were killed by a suicide bomb truck while they slept in their Beirut barracks. They were in Beirut as "peace-keepers", not as part of a military campaign. They were under politically inspired orders to not be on high-alert (lest we ruffle any Arab feathers). As a result, the guards could not even get off a shot as the truck crashed the gate.I recall my anger and frustration at the terrorists and at the American pols who had so cavalierly put our men in harm's way. I was a Reagan guy, but this occurred on his watch, so IMO, he is responsible. Two days later (Oct 25, 1983) the US invaded Grenada. Talk about "wagging the dog".
I wrote the poem below at the time of the bombing. I intentionally made it metrically "tight", trying to simulate a military tattoo. In the intervening 18 years, I forgot the bombing and the poem. Life goes on (for some of us). The came Sept 11.
I cannot write a mere poem about Sept 11. It is too big to psychologically get my arms around. Maybe some day.
Here are some links for the Beirut bombing---
Arlington National Cemetary link
Beirut Memorial link
-- Lars (lars@indy.net), October 22, 2001
Semper Fi, Beirut--
They slept with ease as young men do
Their bodies strong, their questions few
With trust in Corps they did repose
The mission theirs, the life they chose
--
From country folk and ghetto masses
came these men of 'lesser' classes
Brawling, brash, ingenuous
In many ways, the best of us
--
But as they slept the zealots hated
and leaders weak equivocated
"Show good faith, don't shoot at trucks"
dear peace-keep sleeping sitting ducks
--
With smiling mullah metal madness
careened the truck of dreadful sadness
into their dream-filled foreign night
STUNBLAST BLINDING SAVAGELIGHT
--
Bodies broken, screams hung in air
Faces frozen in bloody stare
Praise God from Whom all blessings flow
Two hundred and fifty Marines ago
--
Lars 10/83
-- (lars@indy.net), October 22, 2001.
God save us from the "true-believers".
-- Lars (lars@indy.net), October 22, 2001.
Great piece, Lars. Too bad you had reason to blink it into existence. I'd rather it had remained unbirthed. And so it goes...
-- Rich (living_in_interesting_times@hotmail.com), October 22, 2001.
Lars, your poem is beautiful, and sad.
-- David L (bumpkin@dnet.net), October 22, 2001.
That poem sucks, and the fact that you wrote it explains why you insist on being such a gung-ho meathead. Gotta stay "true to your guns" no matter how stupid. Grow up boy, that was 18 years ago.
-- (get@brain.now), October 22, 2001.
You are right, 18 years ago tomorrow. That's why I posted it, douchebag.Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose. Shall I translate for you? Naaaa, you wouldn't get it in English either.
-- Lars (lars@indy.net), October 22, 2001.
Hey!!! Lars used the meme word!I bet he's got that nasty creepy crawly in his head like Chekov did in Star Trek: Wrath of Khan. Didn't know Doc would go to such extremes to acquire meme recruits.
-- Rich (living_in_interesting_times@hotmail.com), October 23, 2001.
Wake the fuck up!. Lars is so out of it he doesn't know "meme" from "phlegm". He doen't know that Dubya and Osama are collaborating.
-- (sniggering@you.idiots), October 23, 2001.