The courageous final moments of the retired Navy SEAL who defended against 150 militants in Benghazi

Photo Credit: Palmer Public / Provided
Photo Credit: Palmer Public / Provided

On the evening of September 11, 2012, militants carried out a coordinated attack on the US State Department mission in Benghazi, Libya. The assault, which later extended to the CIA’s regional base, continued into the next day and resulted in the deaths of four Americans. Among those killed was retired US Navy SEAL Glen Doherty, who gave his life defending American values.

Glen Doherty’s early life

Glen Doherty at the helm of a boat
Glen Doherty. (Photo Credit: Michael Shannon / Glen Doherty Memorial Foundation / Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0)

Glen Anthony “BUB” Doherty was one of three children. Raised in Winchester, Massachusetts, Doherty left home after high school to attend Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona, where he discovered his passion for adventure.

It was no surprise to those who knew him that Doherty became a US Navy SEAL. Known for his love of living on the edge, he was an avid mountain biker, skier and surfer, and he also held a private pilot’s license. Continusously improve himself, Doherty spent his spare time studying aviation and medical techniques, further fueling his drive for personal growth.

Enlistment in the US Navy

Glen Doherty standing in front of the Tower of Babel
Glen Doherty. (Photo Credit: Palmer Public / Provided)

Glen Doherty decided to become a Navy SEAL in October 1995. He completed basic training, then was sent to Naval Hospital Corpsman School at Naval Station Great Lakes. This was followed by Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training at Naval Base Coronado and the Basic Airborne Course (BAC) at Fort Benning (now Fort Moore), Georgia.

To complete his extensive training, Doherty attended the John F. Kennedy Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg (now Fort Liberty), North Carolina.

Doherty became a parademic and sniper, serving with SEAL Teams 3 and 7 over the course of his career as a SEAL. His primary area of operations was the Middle East, with his team being among those to respond to the USS Cole bombing in October 2000, which saw the deaths of 17 American sailors.

Serving in Afghanistan and Iraq

Glen Doherty wearing a tactical vest and holding a weapon
Glen Doherty. (Photo Credit: Palmer Public / Provided)

By 2001, Glen Doherty was prepared to retire from the military after undergoing reconstructive knee surgery. However, the 9/11 attacks altered his plans, leading him to serve combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq.

During two of his deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Navy SEAL worked to secure oil fields in Kuwait and helped guide US Marine contingents toward Baghdad. He also participated in the capture of Saddam Hussein‘s palaces.

For his service in the Navy, Doherty earned the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with a “V” Device, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Iraq Campaign Medal. He retired from the Navy as a petty officer first class.

Joining the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

Glen Doherty wearing skis and winter clothing atop a mountain
Glen Doherty. (Photo Credit: Palmer Public / Provided)

Glen Doherty joined the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) after his military service. Beginning in 2005, he was deployed to Libya, Israel, Kenya, Afghanistan and Iraq, with his missions including the ’03 rescue of Pfc. Jessica Lynch in Iraq and the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips from Somali pirates in ’09.

In the summer of 2012, Doherty was in Libya working to collect weapons that had been looted during the country’s civil war the year prior.

2012 Benghazi attack

Exterior of the US Ambassador's residence in the US consulate compound in Benghazi
US Ambassador’s residence in Benghazi following the attack, 2012. (Photo Credit: GIANLUIGI GUERCIA / AFP / Getty Images)

At 9:42 PM on September 11, 2012, 150 militants launched an attack on the Department of State’s mission facility in Benghazi, Libya. Armed with firearms, rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), and automatic weapons, they targeted the compound. Inside, personnel, including the US Ambassador to Libya, J. Christopher Stevens, sought cover.

A Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agent quickly escorted Stevens and US Foreign Service Information Management Officer Sean Smith to a secure room within the building. The militants tried to breach the room but were unsuccessful, so they drenched the entrance in diesel and set it on fire.

Although the DSS agent managed to escape, both Smith and Stevens tragically lost their lives.

A dangerous mission

Burnt-out interior of a large room
Interior of one of the American buildings attacked in Benghazi, 2012. (Photo Credit: GIANLUIGI GUERCIA / AFP / Getty Images)

Aware that an attack was underway, the CIA’s Global Response Staff (GRS) moved quickly to the scene. Among the responders was Glen Doherty.

Upon reaching the facility, the team could not locate J. Christopher Stevens, their primary rescue target. With uncertainty about his location, they decided to proceed to the CIA base in Benghazi to evacuate personnel there and reinforce the perimeter, anticipating that militants might target the base next.

Once they reached the base, Doherty and the GRS found it already under siege. Those inside had taken defensive positions as militants assaul

Glen Doherty gave his life to defend the CIA base

US Marines saluting a hearse with a flag-draped casket within
US Marines salute during the dignified transfer of the remains of US Ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stevens, US Foreign Service Information Management Officer Sean Smith, and CIA security officers Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, 2012. (Photo Credit: Courtesy Photo / Defense Imagery Management Operations Center / DVIDS / Public Domain)

The fight between the militants and the Global Response Team continued into the next day, with the former raining down on the CIA base with mortar fire. Learning that former Navy SEAL and fellow CIA officer Tyrone Woods was manning a defensive position on the roof, Glen Doherty ran to his aid.

While defending the location, the pair were killed when a mortar round landed nearby. They were among the four Americans killed in the engagement, along with J. Christopher Stevens and Sean Smith.

Following the firefight, the bodies of the deceased were transported to Benina International Airport and flown to Tripoli, before being transported to Ramstein Air Base, Germany. They were then returned to the US, where a service was held at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.

US response to the 2012 Benghazi attack

Thomas Nides and William Burns speaking before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee
US Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing about the Benghazi attack, 2012. (Photo Credit: Ken Cedeno / CORBIS / Getty Images)

Security was immediately increased at American diplomatic centers following the Benghazi attack, with then-US President Barack Obama condemning what had occurred. Several government investigations were also launched, which found the attack had been planned and that bureaucratic failures had led the US to be ill-prepared for such an assault.

Just under a year later, criminal charges were filed against those involved. Upon entering office, current President Joe Biden also signed into law H.R. 310, which posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to those who lost their lives in the attack, including Glen Doherty.

Glen Doherty’s legacy

Toby Stephens as Glen Doherty in '13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi'
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, 2016. (Photo Credit: rosethornbird / MovieStillsDB)

Glen Doherty was 42 years old when he lost his life in Benghazi. He was interred at Arlington National Cemetery. His heroics and those of everyone else on the Global Response Team were memorialized in the 2016 film, 13 Hours. The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi.

To keep Doherty’s memory alive, his family established the Glen Doherty Memorial Foundation (GDMF), which provides scholarships to members of the special operations community to help them transition back into civilian life.

Doherty’s friend, Sean Lake, also founded BUBS Naturals in the late Navy SEAL’s memory. The company helps fund veterans’ transition back into civilian life, with 10 percent of all profits donated to veterans charities.

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Clare Fitzgerald

Clare Fitzgerald is a Writer and Editor with eight years of experience in the online content sphere. Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from King’s University College at Western University, her portfolio includes coverage of digital media, current affairs, history and true crime.

Among her accomplishments are being the Founder of the true crime blog, Stories of the Unsolved, which garners between 400,000 and 500,000 views annually, and a contributor for John Lordan’s Seriously Mysterious podcast. Prior to its hiatus, she also served as the Head of Content for UK YouTube publication, TenEighty Magazine.

In her spare time, Clare likes to play Pokemon GO and re-watch Heartland over and over (and over) again. She’ll also rave about her three Maltese dogs whenever she gets the chance.

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