The annual observance to mark the 40th anniversary of the October 23, 1983 Beirut Bombing will be held at the Beirut Memorial, Lejeune Memorial Gardens, on Monday, October 23, 2023 at 10:30AM. The observance will honor the fallen service members who served in Lebanon from 1958 to 1984 and in Grenada; especially those killed in the Beirut Bombing on October 23.
The 39th Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen Eric M Smith, is scheduled to deliver the annual Beirut Memorial Address.
Also scheduled to speak are the Honorable Carlos Del Toro, Secretary of the Navy; Col Aldofo Garcia Jr, Commander, Marine Corps Installations East; and Col Timothy Geraghty, USMC, Retired. Gen Al Gray, the 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps and former commander of Second Marine Division, is also scheduled to speak.
The 2d Marine Division Band will perform during the event and Eric Horner Ministries will present a medley in tribute to the fallen and for the families and survivors before wreaths are laid in their memory.
Forty years ago, Jacksonville Mayor Zander Guy promised to “Never Forget” those killed in Beirut. Mayor Sammy Phillips is the sixth mayor to repeat this promise since 1983, and it is the solemn duty of the Jacksonville Mayor to renew the pledge at each observance. Together, the Mayor and the command of Camp Lejeune appoint members to Beirut Memorial Advisory Board who work together to organize and perform the annual observance. The event will air on the Jacksonville-Onslow Government channel (G10TV), Cablecast, G10TV.org, on the City’s Facebook page and YouTube Channel. Streaming will also be available through Camp Lejeune Communications Strategy and Operations on Camp Lejeune’s Facebook and via the Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System at DVIDShub.net.
The general public is invited to attend. Parking for the event will be at the Veterans Cemetery across from the Lejeune Memorial Gardens on Montford Landing Road. Shuttle service will be provided by Jacksonville Transit from New River Shopping Center on Hargett Street. In the event of inclement weather, the observance will be held at River of Life Church.
The Observance is organized by the City of Jacksonville Beirut Memorial Advisory Board in cooperation with the City, Marine Corps Installations East and Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.