 I know there are no words that can express our sorrow and grief over the loss of those splendid young men and the injury to so many others. When I thought about speaking here today, I reflected on the events of October 23, 1983. And it didn't take me long to think what I wanted to say because that event had really such a profound impact on me. I was a young 2nd Lieutenant in 1983 before Donna and I had even our first son. We just finished our time at 29 Palms and I was the 81's platoon commander with 3rd battalion's 7th Marines. It was a month long combined arms exercise and I thought I knew everything. There wasn't any ongoing war, so for my little window of the world, if it did well at a cax, that was everything there was to know, or at least that's what I thought. Though we heard from the Vietnam vets in our ranks that there was so much more to war, all we knew was running around the desert for training. The bombing in Beirut quickly disavowed me and everyone else of any such thought. We knew the 24th Marine Amphibious Unit was in Beirut conducting a peacekeeping mission, but most of us thought it was fairly routine work they were doing. We didn't know about the ongoing attacks the 24th Marine Amphibious Unit was dealing with on a near daily basis. Marines who were conducting a supposedly peaceful security patrol who were harassed and attacked in the streets by protestors. Those of us whose only experience was cack didn't understand the complexities of interacting with a hostile population that we weren't at war with. The situation was so confusing, the Marines in the ground reported enemy firing in all of the Russians from several different locations. Despite the chaos, the Marines performed exceptionally. They only returned fire within their authorized to do so, and the protected civilian populations supported the Lebanese Armed Forces and they stayed alert and ready to handle new situations. Throughout September and October 1983, the situation rapidly deteriorated. The Marines received a string of visitors to gain a first-hand account. Visitors ranged from congressional delegations, the commandant of the Marine Corps General P.X. Kelly, the Chief of Naval Operations Admiral James Watkins, and Marine Generals like General Gray and Navy Flag Officers like the Commander of the Sixth Fleet. All we saw was that it couldn't be that bad because all those senior leaders were visiting. Although senior leaders recognized the precarious situation, the rest of us were unaware of much that was happening. When we heard the news from 622 AM on Sunday the 23rd of October 1983, our illusion of an easy deployment came crashing down. I suddenly realized the challenges of war, even on seemingly simple or routine missions. There was so much more that we could ever learn at CACS, and there was the human toll. I had yet to know death and service, but here lay 273 Marines, sailors, and soldiers killed by an unknown enemy. Even just like me, same age, background, training, everything. The events of that day changed me. They changed me to forever challenge myself even more to be ready. There was always something extra I could do better to prepare myself and my Marines. These were all things that many others already knew in practice, but the bombing changed me in an instant from the other side of the world. The impact of Beirut still shapes us today. Marines today remember the incredible acts of selflessness and sacrifice. You and Marine Corps in this community continue to pay homage and commemorate the lives lost, the families of the fallen, and the legacy left. We will never forget that their sacrifice was not in vain. Legacy matters. Every member who was present that day contributed to that legacy. We will always remember you and your families. And our Marines today carry on that legacy as they continue to train and deploy around the world to defend our nation and protect our freedoms just like they did in 1983. And we remain Sembra Fidelis, always faithful.