Ceremony remembers lives lost in Beirut 35 years ago

JACKSONVILLE , NC, UNITED STATES

10.15.2018

Story by Cpl. Nikki Morales 

Marine Corps Installations East       

LEJEUNE MEMORIAL GARDENS, JACKSONVILLE, NC – “They came in peace” is engraved into the Beirut Memorial wall along with the names of 273 service members from the Jacksonville community who were killed from 1982-1984 while overseas defending their country.
A majority of the names on the wall are from service members who died in the terrorist attack in Beirut, Lebanon on Oct. 23, 1983.
In 1982, the Lebanese government requested the presence of the United States military to serve as peacekeepers in the conflict beginning between opposing factions. In support of this mission the 24th Marine Amphibious Unit was sent to Beirut on March 24, 1983.
French and Italian Forces along with the United States Forces were able to provide stability for a period of time until the Muslim Forces began to perceive them as enemies.
The morning of Oct. 23, 1983 a truck, full of compressed gas-enhanced explosives, was driven into the 1st Battalion, 8th Marines Headquarters building by a terrorist. 241 Marines, Sailors and Soldiers were killed by the impact of the explosion and the building debris.
Since many victims were residents of the Jacksonville community, the City of Jacksonville Beautification and Appearance Commission began a memorial tree project; one tree would be planted along Lejeune Boulevard for every life lost.
“The Beirut Memorial is the largest publicly-funded memorial,” said Dan Joy. “There were no government funds used in the construction of this memorial; it was sort of a gift from the citizens of the United States and more importantly, Jacksonville, the community, to the Marines, Sailors and Soldiers as a remembrance.”
With the help of students from Northwoods Parks Middle School, funds were raised to complete the project and the final tree was planted on March 24, 1984.
Following the memorial tree dedication, students from the School of Design at North Carolina State University designed the Beirut Memorial Wall. After facing a number of challenges, the City of Jacksonville’s Beautification and Appearance Commission was able to begin building the wall in May, 1986 with the help of many people and organizations. The complete memorial was dedicated on Oct. 23 1986, three years after the tragedy.
Each year a ceremony is held at the Beirut Memorial Wall in remembrance of all the names engraved in the wall.
Oct. 23rd marks the 35th Anniversary of the Beirut Memorial Observance Ceremony. The ceremony will take place at the Beirut Memorial in Lejeune Memorial Gardens at 10:30 a.m., followed by a Beirut Memorial wreath-laying ceremony on Camp Geiger which will commence at 2 p.m.
Every single death represents a human being, father, husband and brother, so even one death is too many according to the Beirut Veterans of America.
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• Date Taken: 10.15.2018
• Date Posted: 10.16.2018 09:51
• Story ID: 296574
• Location: JACKSONVILLE , NC, US