TARGETED BEIRUT SURVIVOR: DON HOWELL
09/06/24 • 89 min
1 Listener
Don Howell’s life took a profound turn on October 23, 1983, when he survived the devastating Beirut barracks bombing. As a young Navy corpsman, Don was stationed in Beirut where his close friend, Bryan Earle, tragically lost his life. The night before the attack that would take the lives of 241 U.S. servicemen in one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history, Don said the Lord’s Prayer before transferring to the basement of the BLT building, where he narrowly escaped death. Buried under the rubble, a chunk of concrete hit Don in the right eye, leaving him blind in that eye to this day. Despite the darkness and chaos, he followed a beam of light and dug himself out. He was evacuated to Germany where he was awarded a Purple Heart by General Paul Kelly. Don’s story of survival is a testament to resilience and faith, and today, he shares that powerful journey with us as part of our limited series: Beirut Survivors.
Don Howell is a retired U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman, Chief Petty Officer, who served 22 years in the U.S. Navy, with postings in various critical medical roles across the globe. After retiring as a critical care nurse, he continues to pursue his passions, including music and fitness, while maintaining strong ties with those he served alongside, demonstrating a life marked by service, resilience, and dedication.
SPONSORS
TARGETED: BEIRUT – The first in Jack’s new non-fiction series https://www.officialjackcarr.com/books/targeted-beirut/
Bravo Company Manufacturing: Visit us on the web at http://jackcarr.co/bcm and on Instagram @BravoCompanyUSA.com
SIG: Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the legendary SIG SAUER P226. Learn more here - https://jackcarr.co/SIG40thP226
Jack Carr Gear: Explore the gear here - https://jackcarr.co/gear
Don Howell’s life took a profound turn on October 23, 1983, when he survived the devastating Beirut barracks bombing. As a young Navy corpsman, Don was stationed in Beirut where his close friend, Bryan Earle, tragically lost his life. The night before the attack that would take the lives of 241 U.S. servicemen in one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history, Don said the Lord’s Prayer before transferring to the basement of the BLT building, where he narrowly escaped death. Buried under the rubble, a chunk of concrete hit Don in the right eye, leaving him blind in that eye to this day. Despite the darkness and chaos, he followed a beam of light and dug himself out. He was evacuated to Germany where he was awarded a Purple Heart by General Paul Kelly. Don’s story of survival is a testament to resilience and faith, and today, he shares that powerful journey with us as part of our limited series: Beirut Survivors.
Don Howell is a retired U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman, Chief Petty Officer, who served 22 years in the U.S. Navy, with postings in various critical medical roles across the globe. After retiring as a critical care nurse, he continues to pursue his passions, including music and fitness, while maintaining strong ties with those he served alongside, demonstrating a life marked by service, resilience, and dedication.
SPONSORS
TARGETED: BEIRUT – The first in Jack’s new non-fiction series https://www.officialjackcarr.com/books/targeted-beirut/
Bravo Company Manufacturing: Visit us on the web at http://jackcarr.co/bcm and on Instagram @BravoCompanyUSA.com
SIG: Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the legendary SIG SAUER P226. Learn more here - https://jackcarr.co/SIG40thP226
Jack Carr Gear: Explore the gear here - https://jackcarr.co/gear
Previous Episode
TARGETED BEIRUT SURVIVOR: RANDY GADDO
Randy Gaddo’s life was forever changed on October 23, 1983, when a truck bomb destroyed
the barracks where he would have been working had he not stopped for a cup of coffee. The
blast claimed the lives of 241 U.S. servicemen in one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in
history. Today, Randy joins us to share his powerful story in the first of a limited series: Beirut
Survivors.
Randy is a retired U.S. Marine Chief Warrant Officer-4 who served from 1976 to 1996. As a
Marine, he spent nearly ten years as a combat correspondent before transitioning to a public
affairs and media officer role for the remainder of his 20-year career. Randy is a seasoned
journalist, photojournalist, editor, and media relations expert. After his military service, he served
as the Director of Leisure Services for Peachtree City, GA, for nearly 15 years, overseeing
parks, recreation, and special events. Today, Randy runs his own business,
RGCommunications©, offering freelance writing services and performing music as Boomerang
Music.
SPONSORS
TARGETED: BEIRUT – The first in Jack’s new non-fiction series
https://www.officialjackcarr.com/books/targeted-beirut/
Bravo Company Manufacturing: Visit us on the web at http://jackcarr.co/bcm and on
Instagram @BravoCompanyUSA.com
SIG: Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the legendary SIG SAUER P226. Learn more here -
https://jackcarr.co/SIG40thP226
Jack Carr Gear: Explore the gear here - https://jackcarr.co/gear
Next Episode
TARGETED: BEIRUT Chapter One Sneak Peek
TARGETED: BEIRUT Chapter One Sneak Peek
On September 24, the first in Jack’s new non-fiction series, TARGETED, will be released. This is the first in a new series written with Pulitzer Prize finalist James M. Scott exploring history’s most devastating terrorist attacks and their enduring global impacts.
This inaugural installment of TARGETED delves into the tragic events of October 23, 1983, when terrorists struck the U.S. Marine Corps barracks and headquarters building in Beirut, Lebanon. The blast was one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history and resulted in the Marines greatest single-day loss of life since the battle of Iwo Jima in World War II.
Join Jack in reflecting on the lessons of this pivotal moment in American history by listening to Chapter 1 of TARGETED: BERUIT - THE 1983 MARINE BARRACKS BOMBING AND THE UNTOLD ORIGIN STORY OF THE WAR ON TERROR, narrated by Ray Porter.
There are lessons in the pages of history.
Order your copy of TARGETED: BEIRUT HERE.
Buy the audiobook https://bit.ly/TargetedBeirutAudio
Audio excerpt courtesy of Simon & Schuster Audio from TARGETED: BEIRUT by Jack Carr and James M. Scott, read by Ray Porter. Copyright © 2024 by Rainsford Consulting LLC. Used with permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
SPONSORS:
TARGETED: BERUIT The 1983 Marine Barracks Bombing and the Untold Origin Story of the War on Terror – https://www.officialjackcarr.com/books/targeted-beirut/
Bravo Company Manufacturing: Visit us on the web at http://jackcarr.co/bcm and on Instagram @BravoCompanyUSA.com
SIG: Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the legendary SIG SAUER P226. Learn more here - https://jackcarr.co/SIG40thP226
Jack Carr Gear: Explore the gear here - https://shop.officialjackcarr.com/
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/the-jack-carr-channel-321006/targeted-beirut-survivor-don-howell-73336409"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to targeted beirut survivor: don howell on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy