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thedrifter
12-05-08, 08:03 AM
Area family marks 25th anniversary of son’s death in terrorist bombing

By Mike Bellmore - Features Editor

Today will be an emotional one for Ray Kraft and his family of Devils Lake.

It marks the 25th anniversary of the death of son and brother Todd in a terrorist bombing in Beirut.

In October of that year, nearly 225 Marines died in the bombing of their barracks in Beirut. Todd was with the Marines in Grenada at the time, but in early December he found himself in a bunker near the airport when a mortar shell took out eight of them.

Todd was the fourth of five boys in the Kraft family, the others being Terry, Steve, Randy and Danny. He was just 19 years old at the time, and Randy had him penciled in to be best man at his wedding the following spring.

“We were pretty close,’’ Randy says.

Ray says it was devastating news when the Marines came to Devils Lake to inform the family of Todd’s death.

“We were working at Kentucky Fried Chicken the day the guy came, and mom called us out there and told us we’d better come home,’’ Randy recalls.

“They did it very professionally and we have kept in touch with the guy for a lot of years.’’



Ray said it was a sad, subdued and sobering Christmas that year in the Kraft household. Terry was living in Hawaii at the time and made the long trip home, staying for the holidays.

Randy said he has long had a strong respect and admiration for the military since his brother died, and doesn’t understand why people protest so much of its activities.

“They’re all out there keeping the world free, and I don’t understand how some people think,’’ he added. “Our family knows and realizes the pain and sorrow the families who have lost loved ones are going through.’’

Steve’s son, Mike, wanted to follow in his uncle’s footsteps and joined the Marines. He has already spent a year in Iraq and has a brother, Mitch, in the Army in Korea.

Ray says the 25 years have swept by incredibly fast, but a memorial scholarship fund established by the VFW, Ramsey Bank and donations to the family have helped keep Todd’s face out there.

“We’ll never forget him,’’ Ray says.

The family will hold a 25th anniversary Mass at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church today.

Ellie