REMEMBERING (10/24) - 241 Marines killed in Lebanon by terrorist bomb in 1983

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There was Grenada and then came this. Both used my Sweetie's combat flying skills.

Durham Herald-Sun

Families remember terrorist bombing in Lebanon that killed 241

By The Associated Press Oct 23, 2001 : 8:03 pm ET

JACKSONVILLE -- The statue of a lone Marine sentinel stood guard Tuesday over memories nearly two decades old.

With the butt of his rifle on his hip and the muzzle pointed upward, the sentinel separated two memorial walls -- one that read "They Came in Peace" and the other bearing the names of 241 service members killed by a terrorist bomb in Lebanon.

The annual Beirut Memorial Observance Ceremony on Tuesday was held in honor of 241 Marines and sailors who died when terrorists attacked their barracks in Beirut on Oct. 23, 1983.

The symbolism and irony weren't lost on those who attended the observance, held exactly six weeks after terrorists attacked New York and Washington, D.C.

"As this nation recovers from yet another act of cowardice and terrorism, help us to build a world of justice and peace where all will feel safe," said the Rev. Doug Smiley, of Infant of Prague Catholic Church in Jacksonville.

Retired Brig Gen. James R. Joy, a former Marine Corps commander in Beirut, said all Americans who watched the hijacked airliners crash into the World Trade Center and Pentagon on Sept. 11 can now relate to the horror experienced by the U.S. military all over the world.

"Although we have been through the darkest of days we will survive as a nation," Joy said.

Country music singer Eric Horner performed "We Will Stand," written for his new wife, Debby, who was widowed when the bombing took the life of her first husband, Sgt. Richard L. Blankenship.

What followed was a version of "Fallen Heroes" that Horner rewrote to honor the Marines and sailors most from Camp Lejeune and New River Air Station whose lives were taken in Beirut.

Friends and family slowly made their way to the monument, many in tears as they approached the wall. Some gently touched an inscribed name while others stood back from the wall just staring.

Lining the wall of names were wreaths, pictures, bouquets, mementos, even an American flag pasted together by a young elementary school student.

-- Anonymous, October 25, 2001


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