Peachtree City resident Randy Gaddo has been named presidents of the Beirut Veterans of America.

The organization began in 1992 with one mission: to remember the 1983 terrorist attack on a U.S. barracks in Beirut that killed 220 Marines, 18 sailors and three soldiers, injuring hundreds more.

Gaddo started the BVA in 1992 with retired Marine Maj. Bob Jordan, the founding president. Both served in Beirut when the attacks occurred.

“The Marines, sailors and soldiers who made this ultimate sacrifice in Beirut were as dedicated and valiant as any in the history of our military,” said Gaddo.

Gaddo points out that Beirut veterans and their families consider the barracks bombing in 1983 to have been a harbinger of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Many of the same terrorist groups and individuals were involved in both.

“We knew if this could happen to American military forces in Beirut, it could happen anywhere,” he recalls. “If America had paid closer attention to the lessons we learned in 1983, perhaps we would not be fighting the current War on Terror.”

An annual remembrance of the event is held each October at the Beirut Memorial in Jacksonville, N.C.

The 220 Marines killed in the bombing represented the largest single-day loss for Marines since Iwo Jima. At the time, the military was there on a peacekeeping mission, which had restrictive and rigid rules of engagement.

In spite of these limitations placed on the peacekeepers, says Gaddo, “They performed magnificently. Their discipline under intense fire and adherence to the rules of engagement were flawless. There are examples of heroism in battle that would rival any in history.”

“It is a special honor to be chosen as president at this particular time,” Gaddo said. “We are preparing for the 25th Remembrance of the Beirut Bombing in October, 2008 and we will have a lot to do to ensure it is a fitting occasion.”

Gaddo is also director of parks and recreation for Peachtree City.

login to post comments