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Peacekeepers At War: Beirut 1983- The Marine Commander Tells His Story
On October 23, 1983, nearly simultaneous suicide truck bombings killed 241 U.S. peacekeepers in their barracks at the Beirut International Airport (BIA) and 58 French paratroopers at their headquarters two miles north of BIA. In this long-awaited book, the Marine Corps commander of the U.S. Multi-National Peacekeeping Force that was destroyed by terrorists in Lebanon tells his story for the first time. Together, these suicide bombings comprised the largest nonnuclear explosion ever recorded and are now recognized as a seminal event leading to the current war on terrorism. Such acts of war revealed a new, highly effective tactic, which complemented the terrorist’s strategic goals—the withdrawal of the peacekeepers and Western influence from Lebanon and a change in U.S. policy. Peacekeepers at War lays out, in detail, a sequence of events leading up to the suicide truck bombings from which one can extrapolate the rationale, motives, and perpetrators behind it. Geraghty argues that the absence of any retribution against the perpetrators emboldened the terrorists to assume they could attack Americans and Western interests with impunity. This led to kidnappings, torture, and the murders of Americans and other Westerners. Peacekeepers at War will be of interest to general readers who want to learn more about this seminal event and its effects on the current global war on terrorism.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 30, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 5, 2025
I don’t know Geraghty personally, but my unit, the 22nd MAU, relieved his 24th MAU in Beirut after the bombing. By the time we got there the mission had changed - no longer “peacekeeping” and helping the Lebanese military to just digging in and waiting to leave as to not embarrass the Reagan administration. We were also shelled by the various Druse, Shia, and Sunni militia groups, but we had far fewer restrictive rules of engagement. We also lost Marines. Geraghty was fired as soon as his MAU got back to the States as was his Navy counterpart- were they responsible for the bombing? That is the burden commanders have to face, but it is worth noting that none of the senior commanders nor the policy makers in the White House or the Pentagon were fired!
April 29, 2021
In 1982, many Marines, and many American citizens didn’t know exactly where Beirut, Lebanon was geographically located, let alone what strategic importance it might have held for the United States. This capital city was badly damaged by the Lebanese civil war of 1975-1989.
Spending a little more than a minute on station, I remember filling thousands of sandbags, the numerous hours hunkered down in bunkers wearing 782 gear, the daily foot patrols, and being surrounded by thousands of feet of twisted braid wire to seal off our hilltop artillery compound.
This Mediterranean town was a place where gastrointestinal distress was rampant. Living conditions were a bit primitive, and 2 out of 3 meals consisted of canned rations opened with P-38 can openers, eventually substituted by new packaging called MREs (“meals, ready-to-eat”).
Marines and Sailors were exposed to intense heat and choking fine reddish-brown dust. Temperatures frequently approached black flag conditions, the flies, mosquitoes, and occasional rodents were everywhere. Burning trash, burning fecal matter in diesel fuel-filled drums, super-chlorinated water, along with cold-water showers was the only standard for field hygiene and field sanitation.
But, getting down to the nitty gritty of the Colonels manuscript, this is a serious account of conflict, commitment, mistakes, violence, and valor about hard corps Marines and Sailors. In 1982 a series of events and counteractions in Lebanon led to the introduction of the multinational peacekeeping force to Lebanon to assist the war-torn country. It is the story of the awakening of Islamic fanaticism, fanned and supported by ruthless external forces seeking power and influence.
On a mission to establish an environment which would permit Lebanese forces to carry out their responsibilities in Beirut and as a member of the Multinational Peacekeeping Force, the United States maintained a cordial but separate relationship with British, French, Italian, and Lebanese forces all caught between a multitude of functions and long standing conflicts.
The Beirut bombings are considered the seeds of modern day terrorism sown in Lebanon in 1983, and the first shots fired in the war on Global Terrorism.
In April 1983, a suicide terrorist driving a stolen embassy van loaded with high explosives floored his vehicle into the lobby of the seven-story embassy killing 63 (U.S, Lebanese, CIA and dozens others.)
On Oct. 23 1983, a 19-ton construction truck loaded with fuel-enhanced explosives attacked the Battalion Landing Team headquarters killing 241 Marines and Sailors. (The highest loss of life for U.S. Marines in any single day since D-DAY.)
Also recognized as “The largest non-nuclear blast ever detonated on the face of the earth” leveled the 1st Battalion 8th Marines Headquarters. (An explosion reported as a 21,000-pound bomb, six times more powerful than the American Embassy bomb just months earlier.)
The Colonel tells the story of stunned survivors who thought they had been hit by tactical nuclear weapons. And, moans from within the rubble heap giving the impression that “the ground was crying.”
This day also resulted in synchronized suicide attacks causing the deaths of French peacekeepers and scores of additional wounded.
Read Peacekeepers at War to learn about the history of U.S. Marines in Beirut Lebanon and understand this Marine Amphibious Unit Commanders level of knowledge of terrorism, his understanding of the various cultures and multitude of religious denominations in the area of operations. Read about post traumatic lessons learned, and many other takeaways that turned this international playground into a battleground.
Thank you to all the military Veterans out there for your service and sacrifice. If it weren’t for U, there would be no US.
Spending a little more than a minute on station, I remember filling thousands of sandbags, the numerous hours hunkered down in bunkers wearing 782 gear, the daily foot patrols, and being surrounded by thousands of feet of twisted braid wire to seal off our hilltop artillery compound.
This Mediterranean town was a place where gastrointestinal distress was rampant. Living conditions were a bit primitive, and 2 out of 3 meals consisted of canned rations opened with P-38 can openers, eventually substituted by new packaging called MREs (“meals, ready-to-eat”).
Marines and Sailors were exposed to intense heat and choking fine reddish-brown dust. Temperatures frequently approached black flag conditions, the flies, mosquitoes, and occasional rodents were everywhere. Burning trash, burning fecal matter in diesel fuel-filled drums, super-chlorinated water, along with cold-water showers was the only standard for field hygiene and field sanitation.
But, getting down to the nitty gritty of the Colonels manuscript, this is a serious account of conflict, commitment, mistakes, violence, and valor about hard corps Marines and Sailors. In 1982 a series of events and counteractions in Lebanon led to the introduction of the multinational peacekeeping force to Lebanon to assist the war-torn country. It is the story of the awakening of Islamic fanaticism, fanned and supported by ruthless external forces seeking power and influence.
On a mission to establish an environment which would permit Lebanese forces to carry out their responsibilities in Beirut and as a member of the Multinational Peacekeeping Force, the United States maintained a cordial but separate relationship with British, French, Italian, and Lebanese forces all caught between a multitude of functions and long standing conflicts.
The Beirut bombings are considered the seeds of modern day terrorism sown in Lebanon in 1983, and the first shots fired in the war on Global Terrorism.
In April 1983, a suicide terrorist driving a stolen embassy van loaded with high explosives floored his vehicle into the lobby of the seven-story embassy killing 63 (U.S, Lebanese, CIA and dozens others.)
On Oct. 23 1983, a 19-ton construction truck loaded with fuel-enhanced explosives attacked the Battalion Landing Team headquarters killing 241 Marines and Sailors. (The highest loss of life for U.S. Marines in any single day since D-DAY.)
Also recognized as “The largest non-nuclear blast ever detonated on the face of the earth” leveled the 1st Battalion 8th Marines Headquarters. (An explosion reported as a 21,000-pound bomb, six times more powerful than the American Embassy bomb just months earlier.)
The Colonel tells the story of stunned survivors who thought they had been hit by tactical nuclear weapons. And, moans from within the rubble heap giving the impression that “the ground was crying.”
This day also resulted in synchronized suicide attacks causing the deaths of French peacekeepers and scores of additional wounded.
Read Peacekeepers at War to learn about the history of U.S. Marines in Beirut Lebanon and understand this Marine Amphibious Unit Commanders level of knowledge of terrorism, his understanding of the various cultures and multitude of religious denominations in the area of operations. Read about post traumatic lessons learned, and many other takeaways that turned this international playground into a battleground.
Thank you to all the military Veterans out there for your service and sacrifice. If it weren’t for U, there would be no US.
March 16, 2020
First reviewed here: https://belovedgraceful-carissasbooks...
Title: Peackeepers at War: Beirut 1983-The Marine Commander Tells His story
Author: Timothy J Geraghty, Alfred M. Gray Jr. (Contributor)
Pages:272
Genre: Nonfiction/memoir
Rating: 4 stars
Publisher: Potomac Books
Peackeepers at War: Beirut 1983-The Marine Commander Tells His story by Timothy J Geraghty is a first-hand account from the Commander who was on the ground in Beirut leading the Marines when the bombing occurred. This is an account of what happened before, during and immediately after. As well as months and even years later.
It was until the 2000s that he was able to tell his story his side of what happened. As he was pretty made to be the scapegoat. How looking back the Beirut bombing was one of the first terrorist attacks against the US because our Marines won't in Beirut as an act of war they were part of a peacekeeping force sent to help prevent Lebanese citizens from Syria and Iran. And because there was no retribution for the people behind it, it shaped not just the US but the world and lead to the current war on terrorism because no retribution was given for the bombing.
This was a hard book for me to read, but to me, it was worth it, because even though it happened before I was born the events in this book shaped my life. The actions of the military commanders and the President at the time or lack of actions. Of the Marines killed five were from my home state, two from my home city, one of whom my dad had gone through basic training with and another that was a distant cousin on my mom's side of the family. This is one of the first nonfiction books that I've read in a while that's actually caused me to cry. As well as it being a little personal for me.
Title: Peackeepers at War: Beirut 1983-The Marine Commander Tells His story
Author: Timothy J Geraghty, Alfred M. Gray Jr. (Contributor)
Pages:272
Genre: Nonfiction/memoir
Rating: 4 stars
Publisher: Potomac Books
Peackeepers at War: Beirut 1983-The Marine Commander Tells His story by Timothy J Geraghty is a first-hand account from the Commander who was on the ground in Beirut leading the Marines when the bombing occurred. This is an account of what happened before, during and immediately after. As well as months and even years later.
It was until the 2000s that he was able to tell his story his side of what happened. As he was pretty made to be the scapegoat. How looking back the Beirut bombing was one of the first terrorist attacks against the US because our Marines won't in Beirut as an act of war they were part of a peacekeeping force sent to help prevent Lebanese citizens from Syria and Iran. And because there was no retribution for the people behind it, it shaped not just the US but the world and lead to the current war on terrorism because no retribution was given for the bombing.
This was a hard book for me to read, but to me, it was worth it, because even though it happened before I was born the events in this book shaped my life. The actions of the military commanders and the President at the time or lack of actions. Of the Marines killed five were from my home state, two from my home city, one of whom my dad had gone through basic training with and another that was a distant cousin on my mom's side of the family. This is one of the first nonfiction books that I've read in a while that's actually caused me to cry. As well as it being a little personal for me.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews