Editor’s Note: I did not write this and will not try to take any credit for it. It came in the snail mail as a six-page printed document. As I read it, my eyes widened. I wasn’t quite sure what Ms Miller wanted me to do with the plain unadorned black-and-white pages, so I just did what I do. I scanned it, converted into a Word Document, formatted, found illustrative pictures from the period and place, and put it together. So, while I have nothing other than that to do with it, I think it is a hell of a read about what happens to ordinary people caught up in events over which they have no control- and about the men and women of our Armed Forces who do what they can.

In this case, they saved Rose and her son. I am proud to have been one of that long tradition.

-Vic

Escape from Beirut

By Rose Hovsepian

Transcribed by Ann Renee Miller

My name is Rose Hovsepian. I went to Lebanon on June 16, 2006, to attend my baby sister’s wedding in Beirut. I left the capital of that battered city on July 21st and arrived back in the United States on July 24th. When Hezbollah abducted two Israeli soldiers that first night, I went to where the wedding was going to take place and pay the deposit. Prior to that night we were having fun with family and friends. That morning, the Israelis began bombing the international airport.

I knew then that I was in huge trouble! After that, every day and night was pure hell. Planes flew over, dropped bombs, then made U-turns and came back for more. When they bombed the Muslim side, our house shook.

There was a gasoline storage depot nearby – the gasoline was removed because it was too near the houses. The day after the gasoline was removed, the Israeli’s bombed the depot. My five year-old son Haig was scared and I told him that it was fireworks.

One night, the bombing was really bad. My son woke up and he did not believe me when I told him it was fireworks. He said “NO MOMMY! They are bombing us!”

The second week I started going to the American Embassy, twice and sometimes three times a day, with the wait each time being 3 to 5 hours a day in 120 degree weather. All the information the Embassy would tell us was the direction to

“Go home and we will call you.”

No one ever called. Then they told us “go home and listen to the news.” Other countries had announcements on the news but nothing from the American Embassy. The third day, there were thousands of people outside the Embassy. There was one employee of the Embassy who was Lebanese. He told the assembled crowd that all the Americans had gone and we (those of use with Green Cards) were left and considered “trash” by the Americans. The crowd almost attacked him after he made these remarks. Then they sent people from the State Department to come out and talk to us. I told them that if I can’t go because I only have a green card at least take my son because he is a citizen of the United States and get him home to his father in Fairfax, Virginia.

He told me because my son is so young that we would go together. My sister was with me the entire time. We had spent two days and nights in front of the Embassy until finally this pronouncement.

We were told to go to the Dubai Bridge. When we arrived there several thousand people were already waiting. My sister, son and I spent another two days and nights sleeping outside in the line at the bridge in extreme heat with Israeli planes flying over us. We knew they were bombing bridges and we feared they would also bomb the Dubai Bridge.

Navy personnel came to the bridge and assured us that they knew we were there and that they were going to get us out. Finally, it was our turn and I had to say goodbye to my sister – I left for the Navy ship USS TRENTON (LPD 14) not knowing if I would ever see my family again. Not knowing if they would survive the bombings that were now taking place on the Christian side. I was sick – dehydrated, elevated blood pressure, frantic with worry and my son Haig was also dehydrated and sick.

FINALLY- we were onboard the USS TRENTON for the eight hour trip to Cyprus – the Navy personnel gave us their bunks to sleep in, fed us and, doctors were taking care of everyone. We felt safe for the first time in weeks.

I told my friend Ann (who is typing this narrative) “I LOVE THOSE SAILORS!” We went to Nicosia where the State Department had rented space and the Navy took care of us. Pizza Hut was charging $8 a slice for pizza and the Cyprus Greek Restaurant was feeding us for free. The Greeks gave us free phone cards, towels to wash with and food.

We spent two days in Cyprus and then boarded a military cargo/transport plane that took us to Germany to a military base. We stayed about 8 hours and were fed and checked over by doctors before leaving then we re-boarded the cargo/transport plane that flew us to a New Jersey military base. They made sure that we had a way home. The State Police kept the roads open and we went to the civilian airport where the American Red Cross was waiting for us to help us make arrangements for transportation home. An older gentleman and I rented a car and we drove the seven hours down to Virginia. I arrived home at 3 AM, and was finally reunited with my family!

As Annie, the transcriptionist notes: “I re-read this, and I need to add more of what Rose said:

“I love those sailors!

“I love the doctors!”

“I love the American Navy!”

All I can say is: Amen to that, ‘Rosie!”

Copyright 2017 Rosie Hovsepian