Please note the below dates/times for our planned events:
- Annual BVA Membership Meeting: Tuesday October 22 at 1400 (2pm) - Hilton Garden Inn
- Candlelight Vigil: Wednesday October 23 at 0600 (6am) - Beirut Memorial
- National Remembrance: Wednesday October 23 at 1030 (10:30am) - Beirut Memorial
- Devil Dog Ceremony:Wednesday October 23 at 1400 (2pm) - Camp Geiger
The annual observance to mark the 41st anniversary of the Oct. 23, 1983, Beirut Bombing will be held at the Beirut Memorial in the Lejeune Memorial Gardens on Wednesday, Oct. 23, at 10:30 a.m.
The observance will honor the fallen service members who served in Lebanon and Grenada from 1958 to 1984, especially those killed in the Beirut Bombing on Oct. 23. The observance is open to the public, according to a press release from the city of Jacksonville.
Lieutenant General Calvert L. Worth Jr., USMC Commanding General, II Marine Expeditionary Force, is scheduled to deliver the annual Beirut Memorial address. Also scheduled to speak are Colonel Garth Burnett, Commanding Officer, MCAS New River, and Jacksonville Mayor Sammy Phillips.
The 2d Marine Division Band will perform during the event and a moment of silence will be observed in memory of General Al Gray, the 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps, who passed at the age of 95 in March.
Forty-one years ago, Jacksonville Mayor Zander Guy promised to "Never Forget" those killed in Beirut, the release explained. 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 the 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, and 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.
Security check points will be in place and the public is advised to allow ample time to enter the memorial area, the release said. Parking 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 in Jacksonville.
YOU MUST CALL THE HOTELS DIRECTLY IN ORDER TO GET THE BELOW LISTED ROOM RATES. (see below)
The Room Block is under "Beirut Veterans of America."
Hilton Garden Inn (Annual Meeting Location)
1016 Jacksonville Pkwy, Jacksonville, NC
25 Rms $109+ Regular rooms and Suites
(910)-346-2400
Courtyard by Marriott
5046 Henderson Dr, Jacksonville NC
10 Rms $107
(910)-937-3304
My Place 401 Northwest Circle, Jacksonville NC
10 Rms $89.99 +
(910)-968-0250
Sleep Inn 1016 Jacksonville Pkwy, Jacksonville NC
10 Rms $89.99+
(910)478-0099
Candlewood Inn 119 Penny Ln, Jacksonville, NC
10 Rms $89.99+
(910)-333-0494
Clarion Pointe 2115 N Marine Blvd, Jacksonville, NC
20 Rms $99 & $109 +
(910)-347-1900
Quality Inn 2139 N Marine Blvd, Jacksonville, NC
25 Rms $89.99+
(910)-938-0800
Comfort Inn 130 Workshop Ln, Jacksonville, NC
20 Rms $98.00 +
(910)-346-8900
Mainstay Inn & Suites 2201 N Marine Blvd, Jacksonville, NC
27 Rms $90 Single $105 Dbl
(910)-219-1238
Red Roof Inn 1723 Lejeune Blvd, Jacksonville, NC
10 Rms $69.99+
(910)-722-0111
Microtel 2411 Commerce Rd, Jacksonville, NC
10 Rms $78+
(910)-333-9232
Fairfield Inn 121 Circuit Ln Jacksonville, NC
10 Rms $134+
(910)-938-4499
