‘The first duty is to remember’
Comments | Recommend
Beirut bombing observance Thursday
October 20, 2008 - 11:53PM
MOLLY K. DEWITT

Twenty-five years ago a Hezbollah terrorist drove a truck filled with explosives into the Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 241 service members.

At 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Camp Lejeune and the city of Jacksonville will come together to honor those American service members who lost their lives that day.

An observance ceremony, "They Came in Peace," marking the anniversary of the Beirut bombing, will be held at the Beirut Memorial. It will include wreath presentations and guest speakers. The ceremony will also honor those who served in Lebanon from 1958 to 1984 and in Grenada.

"At the Beirut Veterans of America our motto is ‘The first duty is to remember' ... And if we don't remember these guys then everything they've done was in vain because this was the first strike against America," said Danny Joy, a survivor and member of the Beirut Veterans of America helping to organize the event.

Members of the Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club of Jacksonville will escort Beirut veterans and their families from area hotels to the ceremony.

About 700 people are expected to attend the event, Joy said.

"It means a lot to me, it means a lot to everybody but this is the 25th - it's the silver anniversary," Joy said. "A lot of these parents of these Marines that were killed are getting up there in age, they probably won't come back for the 26th or the 27th or the 28th."

Gen. James T. Conway, commandant of the Marine Corps, will be the guest speaker.

The ceremony is not only significant to the veterans and their families, but also to local civilians, Joy said.

"It is important to the city of Jacksonville and Onslow County because 25 years ago people woke up in shock on that Sunday morning because you had that many people killed at one time," he said. "The way Jacksonville and the surrounding community are - this is family to them. You look around, a lot of guys are retired that have stayed in the area and it's important not only to them but it's important to the retirees that they get recognized."

Parking for the event will be available at the Veteran's Cemetery across the street from the memorial. In the event of inclement weather the ceremony will be held in the Trinity United Methodist Church.

A private candlelight vigil for Beirut veterans and family members is scheduled for 6 a.m. Thursday at the memorial.

"Beirut veterans' families, mothers, survivors, are going to be at the memorial wall in front of Camp Johnson," Joy said. "We're going to read the names of everyone on the wall and at exactly 6:22 a.m. when the last name is read we blow out the candles because that's at the time when the truck had blown up the BLT building."

Contact Jacksonville/Onslow government reporter Molly DeWitt at 910-219-8455 or mdewitt@freedomenc.com. Visit www.jdnews.com to comment.

CAMP GEIGER OBSERVANCE

In addition to the ceremony being held Thursday morning at the Beirut Memorial commemorating the 25th anniversary of the bombing of Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, another ceremony will also take place aboard Camp Geiger.

The Marine Corps League and The Military Order of the Devil Dogs are holding a wreath laying ceremony at 2 p.m. at the Beirut marker located there.

"It is important to take the time (to remember) because after all, the troops that were killed were representing the United States of America and we want to remember them," said George Barrows, a member of the Marine Corps League and The Military Order of the Devil Dogs.

The guest speaker will be Col. John K. Love, commanding officer of the 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division. A majority of those killed in the Beirut bombing were with the 8th Marine Regiment.

Those attending the ceremony aboard Camp Geiger should enter through the New River Air Station gate and inform the sentry they are attending the ceremony.

Ellie