I remember when the ABC NEWS SPECIAL REPORT came on… talking about what happened… I was in the hospital having surgery on my ears and it was on my television.
I had a few nurses who sat on my bed and was watching it with me… and I remember them covering their open mouths in disbelief.

I was trying to comprehend what was going on because I was only 13 at the time… but I do remember it.
It’s an absolute shame that a majority of Americans have forgotten about it.

Do you guys remember it? Where was you when you first heard about it??

I was also 13 and remember it well.

I remember it. I was a sophomore then.
That's when I decided I wanted to go into the military. Ended up not happening because I had to many knee issues and couldn't pass the physical.
Iran was responsible for the bombing.
It killed over 200 Marines plus Navy Seals and several soldiers from the French military IIRC.
This is just one of the many terroristic attacks on the United States that Iran has been solely responsible for and or linked to over the last 40 years. We should have made a sheet of glass out of Iran when it happened instead of walking on egg shells.

My Uncle Alan, my mom's brother, was the chief security officer there at the time and he was in the blast. He heard gunfire and was going out the door when the bomb detonated. I was at Indian Head, MD at the time and went to visit him in the hospital. He was a mess, but is doing well now.

Washington Post Article....

The chief security officer for the U.S. Embassy in Beirut who was injured in the bombing there 10 days ago was in fair condition yesterday at Fairfax Hospital.

Alan O. Bigler, a Reston resident who was severely wounded in the Oct. 20 suicide bombing that claimed two American lives, arrived at Andrews Air Force Base late Friday after being flown from a U.S military hospital in West Germany. He was taken directly to Fairfax Hospital where he is still unable to speak because of facial swelling, hospital officials said.

Bigler, 35, had expresed "unease" about the move of American personnel to new quarters in an East Beirut Annex. Bigler had indicated that he considered it unwise to move into the annex until all security measures had been completed, according to sources in Lebanon.

Dr. Steven Larson said yesterday that Bigler has multiple facial lacerations and a broken nose. He is also suffering a partial hearing loss and slight paralysis of the right side of his face, Larson said.

"The doctors say he is really happy to be home and lucky to be alive, he's lucky to even have his sight," said spokesman Lon Walls. Blast Victim Is Treated In Fairfax

The chief security officer for the U.S. Embassy in Beirut who was injured in the bombing there 10 days ago was in fair condition yesterday at Fairfax Hospital.

Something he’ll never forget for sure Wowzer.

Our embassy bombing in Beirut was carried out by Hezbollah, with the guidance and financial support of Iran. It's taken a long time to pay them back properly for that. Hezbollah and the Islamists in Iran have need exterminated for a very long time.

Keith

I thought we paid them back by shooting down an Iranian Civilian airliner flight 655 in 1988….. No love loss here for Iran, but yes , the USA did shoot down a civilian airliner with women and children

Just 2 days after Beruit, lots of young guys made a combat jump into Grenada

That was my first birthday. Don't remember it but good we're getting them back finally.

Rest in Peace brothers of 1st Battalion 8th Marine Regiment 2nd Marine Division including the 35 of 40 Medical Personnel attached. You think things are tough try being a Casuality Asstistance Calls Officer having to notify the NOK.

I'm confused by that article. Why does it say "claimed two American lives"? I was only 2 years old then, but I thought it was over 200 Americans killed?

Aw, what a shame.....

That is odd. It also cites the attack was on Oct 20, when it was actually Oct 23. I'll have to ask Alan for more details the next time I talk to him.

This is interesting. It also mentions two Americans being killed. https://cases.justia.com/federal/di...016cv01625/180947/42/0.pdf?ts=1567685760

I found this interesting and something Alan never mentioned being presumed dead.

"Mr. Bigler and Mr. Zeikel were meeting in the Annex’s cafeteria when the bomb
denotated. Pls.’ Mot. Default J. 5; Bigler Decl. ¶ 6; Zeikel Decl. ¶ 7. Mr. Bigler was injured so
severely that he was initially presumed dead, placed in a body bag, and loaded onto a truck to be
taken to the morgue. Bigler Decl. ¶ 7. His physical recovery required extensive medical
treatment and surgeries over the following year, id., and his physical and psychological suffering
were ongoing"

I googled it, Paul... and this is what AI had to say about it. No idea how accurate it is.......



What happened on October 20, 1983
Target:

The U.S. Embassy East Beirut Annex (not the main embassy, and not the Marine barracks)

Attack type:

Suicide bombing using an explosive‑laden vehicle

Casualties:

2 Americans killed

Several wounded, including Alan O. Bigler, the embassy’s chief security officer (as in your article)

Context:

U.S. personnel had recently moved into the new annex

Security officers (including Bigler) had expressed concern that the site was not fully secured yet

Source confirmation:

The Washington Post article you quoted

Additional reporting from the period confirms a smaller attack on the annex days before the barracks bombing

✔️ How it fits into the 1983 timeline
There were three major attacks involving U.S. facilities in Beirut that year:

April 18, 1983 — U.S. Embassy bombing

63 killed

October 20, 1983 — East Beirut Annex bombing

2 Americans killed

Injured: Alan O. Bigler (your article)

October 23, 1983 — Marine barracks bombing

241 Americans killed

58 French paratroopers killed

The Oct. 20 attack is often overshadowed because it happened just three days before the catastrophic barracks bombing.

✔️ Why most sources don’t mention October 20
Because:

It caused far fewer casualties

It targeted a smaller facility

It was immediately eclipsed by the Oct. 23 attack

Many modern summaries compress the timeline and skip the annex bombing entirely

But contemporaneous reporting absolutely documents it, and your Washington Post excerpt is a primary source.

Thanks, I didn't recall there being two bombings in October.
Alan is three months younger than I am. He's my young uncle Alan - lol. Up until we were twelve, we did everything together. Then Dad got the job in Virginia trapping foxes for the Dept. of Health. He initially applied to be an Ohio Highway Patrolman, but he was about a half inch too short. He worked in the Secret Service for awhile, the FBI, then Foreign Service with the State Dept. He's had quite the life.

I missed that part above about them thinking he was dead and putting him in a body bag... geez! Sounds like he's led quite an interesting life!