Hundreds gathered on October 22 to participate in the Formation. It started with the veterans joining together by company. Family members joined in and it ended with the vets folding the flag that flew over Camp Geiger.
35 years ago our worlds were turned upside down. Things would never be as they once were. Husbands, fathers, sons, brothers, uncles, cousins, and friends were lost. Scars were formed that could never heal. The young men that returned home were not the same men that deployed. The Beirut Veterans of America Organization is charged with ensuring the world never forgets. The week of the 23rd we did just that.
Veterans, Gold Star Families, and friends came together to honor our fallen heroes, to support one another, and to reminisce about the “good ol’ days”. Through tears and laughter, the already strong bond that holds us together grew even stronger.
Hundreds of Veterans and family members met at the Wall at 0600 on 23 October 2018 to pay tribute to the fallen. The names were read by loved ones and friends and concluded with a moment of silence. Surrounded by the darkness and the glow of the candles loved ones could silently reflect on the sacrifice of their husbands, fathers, sons, brothers, uncles, cousins, and friends.
The candlelight service is an annual event that is always well attended. The reading of the names concludes at 0622 which is when the bombing occurred in Beirut, Lebanon.
This year the BVA hosted the 35th Memorial Remembrance Dinner at Goettge Field House on Camp LeJeune. There were 750 tickets sold to the event. The event started with toasts to families and fallen brothers. The Founders Award was presented to Dan Joy. Ed “Doc” Brown was also recognized for the walk that he did to bring awareness to our fallen. General Al Gray was the keynote speaker.
With the sun shining brightly at Camp Geiger Monument Circle, a small group of former Battalion 1/8 Veterans and families of those lost in the October 23, 1983 attack gathered for a brief remembrance ceremony. This annual event at Camp Geiger is hosted by the local chapter of the Military Order of the Devil Dogs.
This year's speaker was the former 12th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Harold G. Overstreet. Standing in front of the monument honoring Marines who died in Lebanon during 1982-84 with his trademark cowboy hat, Sergeant Major Overstreet shared how the memory of those who died in Beirut taught lessons that impacted how the Marine Corps operated and fought much like other historic events and battles have done.
After the remembrance, the veterans and family members walked through the circle under the large waving American flag as the Rolling Thunder saluted them for their service and sacrifice. This small but important ceremony at Camp Geiger, which is still home to 1/8 Battalion, is part of the tradition to remember the peacekeepers who died in Beirut.