I believe you are correct about Tehran. It would have been a bloodbath, and the State employees would later need the Marines to keep them in shape, and focused. I think you mistook the .38s for model 19 S&W .357 magnums: that was what they were carrying at the time; and they soon after changed to the M9 standard issue 9mm. A mistake in my opinion. And yes, we had a lot more toys to play with; but they were less visible. I will say that this event has less to do about the acts of the Marines, and more towards the inaction of the host government. Good discussion.
I just assumed they were .38s. Thanks for setting me straight. I could never understand why the U.S. military opted for the 9mm to replace the .45. Must’ve been to accommodate the NATO allies. We changed from the old U.S. phonetic alphabet (able, baker, Charlie, dog, etc) to the NATO phonetics (alpha, bravo, Charlie, delta) to integrate with them. For many years, the first guy I saw every morning was an MSG, and the last guy I saw when I was leaving was an MSG. And if my phone rang at 0330, it would be Post One informing me that my presence was required at the embassy. Can’t tell you how much time I’ve spent in Marine Houses.