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Sheil William Richard

Monuments

Beirut Memorial

 

Name:
William Richard Sheil
Rank:
Serial Number:
Unit:
Date of Death:
1983-04-18
State:
Illinois
Cemetery:
Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia
Plot:
Section 68
Row:
Grave:
1925
Decoration:
Comments:

William Richard Sheil was born on March 26, 1924 in Illinois. He was working with the CIA and was a retired Army First Lieutenant who had served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. William was one of 63 victims of the bombing of the American Embassy, which took place on April 18, 1983. At approximately 1:05 PM, a truck loaded with nearly 2,000 pounds of explosives careened through the driveway of the American embassy and crashed into the building. A massive explosion ripped through all seven levels of the embassy, sending debris flying hundreds of feet into the air and causing the burning building to collapse on itself. In addition to those who lost their lives, at least 120 people were injured. At the time, it was the deadliest attack on an American diplomatic mission since World War II. He is now buried in the Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA.