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CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - On Oct. 23, 1983, a terrorist organization bombed the Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 241 Marines, sailors and soldiers and wounding more than 100 more.
The Marines were with 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.
The City of Jacksonville was forever changed as the event had a devastating effect on the local community, said Glen Hargett, assistant city manager of Jacksonville.
In response, the community rallied around those who were so greatly affected.
A middle school class in Jacksonville decided to raise money for a memorial for the Marines. The money they raised was used to purchase the trees that were planted along Highway 24 in 1983 to honor the fallen.
The Callery Pear Trees, also known as Bradford Pears, are currently blooming across the city, but the trees mean more to the people of the city than just pretty flowers.
“I feel a great sense of pride,” Hargett said. “I grew up in this community. My friends had parents in the military when I was a kid, and I have adult military friends now.
“This community took action and wanted to fund the memorial and has funded other memorials including the Vietnam and Montford Point Memorials.”
Unfortunately, the Bradford Pear Tree is not a strong tree, Hargett said. The weather and time have taken a toll on the trees and many of them have died or needed to be moved.
The city council is taking action to make changes to improve the memorial for those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
The decision has been made to plant Chinese Pistacia, a stronger tree which blooms during the fall when the bombing took place.
The new trees will be centrally located in a memorial grove near Camp Geiger aboard Camp Lejeune.
The city’s horticulturalist will be traveling to Tennessee to hand select each tree, which can withstand harsh weather and has brightly-colored leaves.
“These trees are part of the commitment of the city to never forget. It is appropriate for the city to take over this project and forever maintain the grove,” said Sammy Phillips, Jacksonville mayor. “The city has been, and will be forever, the stewards of the memory of Oct. 23, 1983. We will share the pride of the families when they see the bright orange leaves in the fall remembering their loved ones.”
While you can still go out and see the Bradford Pear Trees over the next few weeks, the city is focused on purchasing the new trees and planting them to honor the Marines.
“This really shows the maturity of our community and the intertwining of the military community,” Hargett said. “We want to honor the heroes who live among us for a short period of time.”
| Date Taken: | 03.26.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 05.21.2015 16:44 |
| Story ID: | 164140 |
| Location: | CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 183 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Bradford Pear Trees memorialize Beirut bombing victims, by Sgt Ned Johnson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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