On Oct. 25, 1983, in Beirut,

Lebanon, then-Vice-President George W. Bush Sr. walked the perimeter of

what was at the time called the worst terrorist attack on Americans ever.

Two days earlier, Oct. 23,

a dump truck loaded with 2,000 pounds of dynamite strapped around gas

cylinders was driven into a four-story barracks filled with sleeping Marines

and sailors. The ensuing explosion would topple the building into a one-and-a-half-story

pile of rubble, twisted metal and concrete. After weeks of digging through

the rubble, the final death toll was 241 men.

Vice President Bush was the

highest-ranking government official to personally tour the aftermath.

I was a Marine Corps photojournalist who, by chance, happened to be the

only person with a camera when he did it. I stayed very close to him,

and got some very tight shots. I saw something in his eyes that day, and

captured it on film, that has stayed with me over the span of 18 years

that has passed since then.

What I saw was that he really,

deeply understood what terrorism is. It hurt him to the soul, and I could

see it coming through his eyes. I also think he understood the awesome

responsibility to be the commander in chief of the United States armed

forces and send men and women into harms way.

I gained a lifetime of respect

for Mr. Bush that day. He dared to put himself in the line of fire to

come and see for himself the carnage that terrorism can bring. I personally

believe that, when he became president, his actions during Desert Shield/Storm

were directly affected by his visit to Beirut. He ensured that his military

was given clear guidance, authority to carry out their mission, and the

weapons and equipment support that ensured overwhelming superiority on

the battlefield. The results speak for themselves.

It is interesting and ironic

that now, 18 years later, his son is waging a war on terrorism that probably

involves many of the same terrorists who were involved in the Beirut bombing.

As an American, I have great confidence in George W. Bush Jr. because

I believe his father is in the background, giving guidance. And I choose

to believe that as George Jr. was growing up, he absorbed a healthy respect

for the duties as commander in chief.

From 1982 to 1984, thousands

of service members, mostly Marines and sailors, were assigned to Beirut

as part of a multinational peacekeeping force. They were sent there as

"peacekeepers," a dubious title in a land that had not seen

much peace for centuries. For two years they attempted to carry out their

peacekeeping mission of maintaining a forceful presence, but not look

too offensive in nature; a dubious mission for a force that trains to

engage in offensive military actions. Interestingly, in 1958 Marines also

went into Beirut with a similar mission, but with much less disastrous

results.

The full story of the military

mission in Beirut is worthy of a book, but the point here is that on Oct.

23, 1983, terrorism touched the lives of hundreds of families, friends

and fellow service members. In taking the lives of 241 brothers, sons,

fathers and friends, terrorists created a cell of people who have sworn

never to forget.

In 1992, a small group was

formed, called the Beirut Veterans of America, whose members included

servicemen and women who had served in Beirut either in 1958 or 1982-84.

A related group had also formed prior to that, called the Beirut Connection,

whose members are families and friends of those killed in action on that

day.

The groups have grown to a

combined membership of over 600 people. Their motto: "The First Duty

Is To Remember," has been the glue to hold them together through

the years. Each year, on Oct. 23, a memorial service is held at Camp Lejeune,

N.C., at the Beirut Memorial there. Families and friends of those killed

in action on that day go to remember, to honor their memory. This year,

as they once again honor their dead, they will also mourn the loss of

more terrorist victims; and they will also pledge anew their resolve to

not let the lives of their heroes go in vain.

Make no mistake: all those

men who died at the hands of a terrorist in 1983 are heroes, just as all

those who died on Sept. 11, 2001, are heroes. The fact that they died

at the hands of a cowardly foe makes it no less so.

The difference is that in 1983,

the Marines, sailors and soldiers were on duty, in a war zone, and the

risk of death or injury was an accepted possibility. On Sept. 11, 2001,

the people who died were civilians from 80 different countries who were

carrying out their lives in a free and open society. They weren't combatants;

but we all are now, because America and the rest of the civilized world

is at war with terrorists.

BVA and Beirut Connection members

have girded for this battle since 1983. In their hearts, I think members

knew that terrorism would one day hit home for the rest of America as

it did for us in 1983. For them, the event in 1983, though smaller in

scale, was no less horrendous than what occurred in 2001. They have been

fighting their own war on terrorism since Oct. 23, 1983, when terrorism

became a personal issue.

Now it's a personal issue for

the rest of the world too. President Bush continues his strong leadership

in this crisis with a 92 percent approval rate from the American public.

Personally, it comforts me to know that the president's father is behind

him as well, providing him guidance based on personal experience in these

matters.

I believe I can speak for all

BVA members in saying that we stand behind his efforts too. Operation

Enduring Freedom will be a long and arduous war, and will require the

prolonged dedication and support of the American public. We will have

to sacrifice some personal freedoms and conveniences, but it is a small

contribution to make if terrorism can be squashed.

"The First Duty Is To

Remember."

[Randy Gaddo is a retired

Marine officer who was assigned to Beirut, Lebanon in 1983, and was on

site when the truck bomb hit the barracks. He is the founding vice president

of the Beirut Veterans of America. Gaddo serves as director of leisure

services for Peachtree City.]