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InMemoryofthe241TheyCameinPeaceByYMPFCLoganBeraNewRiverNCOnOctober231983abombingoc-curredattheMNFMultinationalForcebarracksinBeirutLebanon.ThedeathtollwasthehighestsingledaydeathtollfortheUnitedStatesMa-rineCorpssincetheBattleofIwoJimainWorldWarII.Thenumbersaredevastatinglyhighthebombingkilled3soldiers18sailorsand220Marinesatotalof241Americanser-vicemen.InhonorofthosewhodiedTheBeirutMemorialwasbuiltinJacksonvilleNorthCarolina.MyunittheNewRiverYoungMarinesattendedahistoryclassontheBeirutbombingtaughtattheBeirutMe-morial.IhaveonlybeentotheMemorialoncewiththeYoungMarinesbutIlearnedalotfrommyvisit.ThedayoftheBeirutBombingisaspe-cialdaytomebecauseitmakesmethinkhowdifferentlifewouldbewithoutthefreedomtobemyselfandbeintheYoungMarines.ItalsomakesmethinkthatifallofthesemenandwomenhadntriskedandgiventheirliveswouldtherebeaUnitedStatesIoftenthinkaboutthemenandwomenwhomakesacricesforourfreedomandthosewhohavealreadysacricedforourcountryandIndmyselfstoppingtosalutethemasmyownsmallgestureofthanks.YoungMarinesisalwaysfunandIenjoyattendingtheceremoniesandeventsbe-causeIlearnsomuchandIhavemadealotoffriendsintheYoungMarines....IFiguredOutHowandWhyTheyAttendByYMGySgtBrendenQuinonezYMLCplHarleyBradfordandYMPFCDenverBradfordFoothillsCOAtschoolmanykidsaskmeifIamgoingtojointhemilitary.Ialwaysreplywithasub-tleYesandthatquestionisalwaysfollowedbythequestionWhy.BeforeVeteransDayin2013Ihadnosimpleanswertothatquestion.OnthatdayIstoodinthelowwindsofagrassyeld.ThateldwaspartoftheUnitedStatesMarineCorpsMemorial.Inthecenterofthegrassyeldtherestoodtwomassiveags.OnewastheagoftheUnitedStatesMarineCorpsandtheotheronewastheagoftheUnitedStates.ThememorialalsocontainedagsoftheftystatesandMarineCorpsregi-mentalagsallthesizeofpostags.Thepeoplethereamazedmefortheyattendedeveryyearwhetherithadbeensnowingrainingorinthemid-dleofgreatwinds.AsIspokewiththemInoticedthattheyrangedfromanE-1toaColonelinrank.ThatmomentIguredouthowandwhytheyattend.IhadnoneedtoaskthemwhytheycameforIknewbythelookintheirfaceswhentheannounc-erhadtalkedaboutthementhathadfallenincombat.To-daymyanswerisclearIwishtoservemycountrynotforglorybutforhonor.AsIamdeterminedtoservemycoun-tryIcanstartnowbybeinganhonorableYoungMarine.BostonsSemperFiLuncheonWhataWaytoCelebrateByYMSSgtBrianFaganBlackstoneValleyMAIhavebeentoafewSemperFiLun-cheonsinBostonoverthelastfewyears.Myfatherusuallytakesme.Butthisyearslunchwasamazing.Itisaprettybigeventwithahundredspeoplecomingfromaroundthecountrytoattend.AssoonaswegotthereIknewthisyearseventwasgoingtobethebestoneyet.Whenwewalkedintothebanquetareathereitwas...theWorldSeriesCham-pionshipTrophyTheBostonRedSoxsentthetrophyoverforalltheMarinesandtheirgueststosee.Itwascooltobesoclosetoitandtohavemypicturetakenalongsideit.Butthedaygotevenbet-ter.Notonlywasthereagreatlunchbuttherewereallsortsofheroicpeopleandgreatleadersthere.IhadthechancetomeetHarveyC.BarneyBarnumaCongressionalMedalofHonorrecipientandGeneralJamesF.AmostheMarineCorpsCommandant.WhatanhonorIheardsomegreatspeechesandwastotallysurprisedtoseeourYoungMarinesNationalExecutiveDirectorMikeKesslerattheluncheon.WehadachancetospeakawhileIthinkhewasequallysurprisedtoseeoneofhisYoungMarinesatthelunch.ItwasagreatwaytocelebratetheMarineCorpsBirthdayandVeteransDaySemperFiMedalofHonorrecipientBarneyBarnumwithYoungMarineBrianFagan.VeteransWeek2013ESPRITPage25