We All Knew the Hazards

At daybreak, exactly 72 hours before the terrorist explosion killed scores of his comrades at Marine headquarters, First Sergeant William Creech had just awakened and shuffled outside with his mirror and canteen of hot water to shave. And talk. "There's no comparison with Viet Nam," said the Georgian, at 34 older than most of his fellows. "We're here for high visibility, not to engage in combat." Life in any war zone is both tedious and desperately anxious. But for the 1,600 U.S.

Marines in Lebanon, the inability to fight back has created a particular...

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