Ohler, Michael John, Capt

Captain Michael J. Ohler, USMC. Born 1955 - Died October 16, 1983, Beirut, Lebanon

Capt. Ohler was a 1977 graduate of the United States Naval Academy. He was from Huntington, New York on Long Island.

Ohler was killed by sniper fire in the U.S. Marines' barracks at the Beirut International Airport one week before the barracks were bombed, killing another 241 American servicemen.

Colonel Geraghty would later testify that "The support that was provided at Suq el-Gharb was, in my opinion, a departure from our neutral peacekeeping role to direct support of the Lebanese Armed Forces." We anticipated some form of hostile response and knew that a sustained artillery barrage could easily pound our positions into dust. A series of grenade fraggings, car bombings, and sniping events that followed resulted in only minor injuries. Then, on 14 October Staff Sergeant Allen Soifert was killed by sniper fire as he drove a jeep on the airport perimeter road.

Staff meetings held the next day stressed increased security as the 24th MAU's deployment drew to a close. On the 16th, helmeted, heavily armed men wearing Syrian camouflaged uniforms and red headbands appeared across from where Soifert had been killed. That evening belligerents probed Alpha Company positions at the Lebanese Science and Technical University building, wounding three and killing Captain Michael J. Ohler.


Capt. Ohler was married to Mrs Marian Gail Ohler.

REST IN PEACE SKIPPER


Semper Fidelis

Rick Abdallah (Former Arabic Interrogator / Translator) with the MAU