thedrifter
10-24-08, 05:13 AM
Ceremony moves many as Beirut 25th is honored
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October 23, 2008 - 7:24PM
JENNIFER HLAD
"They were brothers, they were soldiers, they were sailors and Marines," sang Christian country music artist Eric Horner. "They came in peace, and now they walk on peaceful shores."
As Horner sang his first two songs, the veterans, family members of victims and community members wiped away tears. But as he started the first verse of the third song, they began to stand.
By the time he reached the refrain, the survivors, families and guests were on their feet. They raised their arms, holding hands as many mouthed the words: "I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free. And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me."
Thursday was the 25th anniversary of the terrorist bombing at the Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon. But for many of the hundreds who packed the remembrance ceremony at the Beirut Memorial in Jacksonville, the memories of that day will never fade.
The night before the bombing, the Marines of Headquarters and Support Company, BLT 1/8, were doing things Marines traditionally do on deployment, said Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Conway. Many attended a USO show at the headquarters building. Some grieved at a memorial service for a Marine who had been killed about a week before. Others just hung out in their living quarters.
"Little did they know that in many instances, it would be their last night on Earth," Conway said.
More Marines were killed on Oct. 23, 1983, than any other day since the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II, Conway said. But while the nation generally remembers tragic events by the numbers, "we as Marines want to remember the names," he said.
The men killed in Beirut "were the first American service members to give their lives in what we now know as the war on terror," he said. And while all volunteered for the military and knew they may go to war, he said, "I don't think any of them thought they would die on a mission to preserve the peace."
Jacksonville Mayor Sammy Phillips, a life-long resident of Onslow County, said the bombing impacted everyone in the community.
"We mourned together, military and civilian," he said. "Jacksonville will never forget the service of the men whose names are etched on the wall behind us. ... Jacksonville will never forget the lesson they taught us: that we are one community."
The 25th anniversary ceremony was the first Kevin Kelly has attended. Kelly, who served in Beirut and Grenada, said it was just too difficult before.
"It just took a long time to come back," he said.
Though Kelly was not in Beirut during the bombing, he said he knew many of the men killed, and that many of the Marines in his own unit were killed in Beirut after the bombing.
Kelly, an iron worker in New York City, said working at Ground Zero after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks brought the memories of Beirut flooding back.
"That sort of reopened the whole thing for me," he said.
After the ceremony, he said he had "a lot of mixed emotions."
"I think it's going to take a while to process," Kelly said. "I'm sort of overwhelmed right now."
During his speech, Conway connected the Beirut bombing to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He noted that the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit - the unit attacked in the bombing, when it was still called the 24th Marine Amphibious Unit - is now on its way back from a deployment to Afghanistan.
The success of the unit, Conway said, shows that "you can bloody our units, you can heavy our hearts with sorrow and fill us with rage, but you can't stop us."
Contact interactive content editor and military reporter Jennifer Hlad at jhlad@freedomenc.com or 910-219-8467. Click here for more stories, photos and videos related to the Beirut anniversary.
Ellie
Comments 0 | Recommend 1
October 23, 2008 - 7:24PM
JENNIFER HLAD
"They were brothers, they were soldiers, they were sailors and Marines," sang Christian country music artist Eric Horner. "They came in peace, and now they walk on peaceful shores."
As Horner sang his first two songs, the veterans, family members of victims and community members wiped away tears. But as he started the first verse of the third song, they began to stand.
By the time he reached the refrain, the survivors, families and guests were on their feet. They raised their arms, holding hands as many mouthed the words: "I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free. And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me."
Thursday was the 25th anniversary of the terrorist bombing at the Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon. But for many of the hundreds who packed the remembrance ceremony at the Beirut Memorial in Jacksonville, the memories of that day will never fade.
The night before the bombing, the Marines of Headquarters and Support Company, BLT 1/8, were doing things Marines traditionally do on deployment, said Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Conway. Many attended a USO show at the headquarters building. Some grieved at a memorial service for a Marine who had been killed about a week before. Others just hung out in their living quarters.
"Little did they know that in many instances, it would be their last night on Earth," Conway said.
More Marines were killed on Oct. 23, 1983, than any other day since the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II, Conway said. But while the nation generally remembers tragic events by the numbers, "we as Marines want to remember the names," he said.
The men killed in Beirut "were the first American service members to give their lives in what we now know as the war on terror," he said. And while all volunteered for the military and knew they may go to war, he said, "I don't think any of them thought they would die on a mission to preserve the peace."
Jacksonville Mayor Sammy Phillips, a life-long resident of Onslow County, said the bombing impacted everyone in the community.
"We mourned together, military and civilian," he said. "Jacksonville will never forget the service of the men whose names are etched on the wall behind us. ... Jacksonville will never forget the lesson they taught us: that we are one community."
The 25th anniversary ceremony was the first Kevin Kelly has attended. Kelly, who served in Beirut and Grenada, said it was just too difficult before.
"It just took a long time to come back," he said.
Though Kelly was not in Beirut during the bombing, he said he knew many of the men killed, and that many of the Marines in his own unit were killed in Beirut after the bombing.
Kelly, an iron worker in New York City, said working at Ground Zero after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks brought the memories of Beirut flooding back.
"That sort of reopened the whole thing for me," he said.
After the ceremony, he said he had "a lot of mixed emotions."
"I think it's going to take a while to process," Kelly said. "I'm sort of overwhelmed right now."
During his speech, Conway connected the Beirut bombing to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He noted that the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit - the unit attacked in the bombing, when it was still called the 24th Marine Amphibious Unit - is now on its way back from a deployment to Afghanistan.
The success of the unit, Conway said, shows that "you can bloody our units, you can heavy our hearts with sorrow and fill us with rage, but you can't stop us."
Contact interactive content editor and military reporter Jennifer Hlad at jhlad@freedomenc.com or 910-219-8467. Click here for more stories, photos and videos related to the Beirut anniversary.
Ellie