Phantom Blooper
06-11-04, 06:31 AM
An important day in area's history
June 11,2004
STAFF REPORTS
DAILY NEWS STAFF
As the country comes together to honor the late President Ronald Reagan, it's fitting to remember that during Reagan's only visit to Onslow County, he came to honor the men who died during one of this area's most defining moments: the October 1983 attack on the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon.
Reagan's leadership during that unsettled period of American history and his unstinting belief that the U.S. military should be strong and well supplied marked a considerable departure from the previous administration of President Jimmy Carter.
Although a former U.S. Navy officer, Carter was not considered a strong proponent of the military. Under his leadership, U.S. military strength waned. But Reagan believed that by building up the military, the United States could not only hold onto its status as a super- power, but would also deter external threats to this country's security.
Reagan's pro-military stance resonated with most area residents. And the locally popular president's visit to a memorial service held for the men killed in Beirut was a matter of great pride and comfort.
So it was on Nov. 4, 1983, under dark and rainy skies, this country's 40th president sat shoulder to shoulder with local residents, military representatives and the families of those killed in the bombing to pay tribute to the men who had lost their lives.
His gesture was not lost on anyone who attended the somber service - least of all Jacksonville resident Doris Downs.
Downs was not only touched by the terrible slaughter of Camp Lejeune Marines, she also saw the need to preserve the memories of the 241 men who perished in the explosion. And, like Reagan, she didn't hesitate to go that extra step.
As chairman of the city tree board, Downs developed a plan to plant memorial trees along N.C. 24, leading to Camp Lejeune, in honor of the fallen servicemen. Eventually, more than 250 Bradford pear trees would be planted. They still line the road and every spring frost the landscape with thousands of snowy white blossoms.
But Downs wanted to do something even more lasting on behalf of the slain servicemen. She asked Camp Lejeune for a bit of land on which to establish a memorial. The base granted her a four-acre tract and she began working to raise money to fund the memorial.
Eventually, with the help of dozens of volunteers, the Beirut Memorial would come to fruition. Ground on the project was broken in 1986. The memorial - now a beautiful wall engraved with the names of the men who died as a result of the Beirut bombing and hostilities in Grenada, set off by a bronze statue of a Marine - would host the annual observance of the event.
Downs can look at where the Beirut Memorial stands today and rest assured that she has been the guiding force behind turning what was once merely a dream into a reality. Not only has the memorial brought peace and closure to many of the family members of those who died in Beirut, but it has also served as the linchpin for bringing the military and civilian segments of this community closer than ever before - quite an accomplishment.
Onslow County residents look back on 1983 with measures of pride, patriotism and sadness. True, it was the year that unparalleled disaster hit this country's military; but it was also the year that a sitting president came to town.
It also marks the point where Downs and others set in motion a process by which civilian and military families would coalesce into a true community - bound by shock, grief and an unbending conviction that there's no finer military than the one that serves this country nor any finer country than the one in which we live.
June 11,2004
STAFF REPORTS
DAILY NEWS STAFF
As the country comes together to honor the late President Ronald Reagan, it's fitting to remember that during Reagan's only visit to Onslow County, he came to honor the men who died during one of this area's most defining moments: the October 1983 attack on the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon.
Reagan's leadership during that unsettled period of American history and his unstinting belief that the U.S. military should be strong and well supplied marked a considerable departure from the previous administration of President Jimmy Carter.
Although a former U.S. Navy officer, Carter was not considered a strong proponent of the military. Under his leadership, U.S. military strength waned. But Reagan believed that by building up the military, the United States could not only hold onto its status as a super- power, but would also deter external threats to this country's security.
Reagan's pro-military stance resonated with most area residents. And the locally popular president's visit to a memorial service held for the men killed in Beirut was a matter of great pride and comfort.
So it was on Nov. 4, 1983, under dark and rainy skies, this country's 40th president sat shoulder to shoulder with local residents, military representatives and the families of those killed in the bombing to pay tribute to the men who had lost their lives.
His gesture was not lost on anyone who attended the somber service - least of all Jacksonville resident Doris Downs.
Downs was not only touched by the terrible slaughter of Camp Lejeune Marines, she also saw the need to preserve the memories of the 241 men who perished in the explosion. And, like Reagan, she didn't hesitate to go that extra step.
As chairman of the city tree board, Downs developed a plan to plant memorial trees along N.C. 24, leading to Camp Lejeune, in honor of the fallen servicemen. Eventually, more than 250 Bradford pear trees would be planted. They still line the road and every spring frost the landscape with thousands of snowy white blossoms.
But Downs wanted to do something even more lasting on behalf of the slain servicemen. She asked Camp Lejeune for a bit of land on which to establish a memorial. The base granted her a four-acre tract and she began working to raise money to fund the memorial.
Eventually, with the help of dozens of volunteers, the Beirut Memorial would come to fruition. Ground on the project was broken in 1986. The memorial - now a beautiful wall engraved with the names of the men who died as a result of the Beirut bombing and hostilities in Grenada, set off by a bronze statue of a Marine - would host the annual observance of the event.
Downs can look at where the Beirut Memorial stands today and rest assured that she has been the guiding force behind turning what was once merely a dream into a reality. Not only has the memorial brought peace and closure to many of the family members of those who died in Beirut, but it has also served as the linchpin for bringing the military and civilian segments of this community closer than ever before - quite an accomplishment.
Onslow County residents look back on 1983 with measures of pride, patriotism and sadness. True, it was the year that unparalleled disaster hit this country's military; but it was also the year that a sitting president came to town.
It also marks the point where Downs and others set in motion a process by which civilian and military families would coalesce into a true community - bound by shock, grief and an unbending conviction that there's no finer military than the one that serves this country nor any finer country than the one in which we live.