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Finishing
the race for those who could not
Marines run marathon in honor of those killed in Beirut bombing |
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BY DIANA D'ABRUZZO JACKSONVILLE DAILY NEWS STAFF  Climbing
the hill that makes up the final stretch in the Marine Corps Marathon
in Washington, D.C., is both painful and inspirational, many say. But inspiration
always wins. "You'
ve just run 26 miles and you have this big hill in front of you," said
1stLt. David Cooper. "But then, just over the hill you see the Iwo Jima
Memorial of the Marines raising the flag, and it' s really motivating."
This year, Cooper'
s motivation will come from another source. On the weekend of the 15th
anniversary of the Beirut bombing, Cooper and 13 fellow Camp Lejeune Marines
will run the marathon in memory of their fallen comrades. "It'
s so important that people don't forget," said Jackie Scialabba, who organized
the run to honor her husband Peter, a captain who was killed in Beirut.
"This means so much to me." Realizing the coincidence of
the marathon and 15th anniversary, Scialabba approached Col. Colby Smith,
Commander of 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, with her request for runners.
Fourteen men signed up and are scheduled to pound the pavement on Oct.
25 in Washington, D.C. Each of the 26 grueling miles will be in honor
of the 241 Marines, Sailors and Soldiers -- most from Camp Lejeune and
New River Air Station -- who died Oct. 23, 1983, when the BLT 1/8 headquarters
building in Beirut was bombed. Because the Marines
have had no time to train for the marathon, the miles will be particularly
grueling, Smith said. "Without the time
to prepare, it will be a tough road for them," he said. "They'll be suffering,
trust me." But the Marines
are the first to say their running won't be for athletic gain. "That last
stretch will be run on guts and pride," said 1stLt. Norman Cella. "I don't
think anyone's doing it for athletic ability. We're doing it for the Marines
who died."
For that, Smith applauded them: "It's a selfless act to go up there, and
it represents the highest level of character. You don't have to go too
far in the Marine Corps to find people like this." |
 On Tuesday, Scialabba
met the 14 men who will run the race. She presented them with T-shirts
to wear in the marathon, dollars to assist in their travel and loads of
encouragement.
"When you're
running, you may hit a wall at a certain mile marker," she said. "When
you do, I hope you'll remember the wall on your back."
The front
of the shirt, designed by LCpl. Javish Garcia, boasts the 1/8 emblem and
"In Memory of Capt. Peter J. Scialabba" on the back, there is a black
and white sketch of a Marine guarding part of the Beirut Memorial wall.
The shirt
lists the 241 names of those who died in the bombing. "They could be us
right now," Cooper said. "Those names of lance corporals, first lieutenants
and captains could just have easily been anybody, and it' s important
to remember."
Cooper said
the Marines from 1st Battalion, 8th Marines will start the race together
for encouragement.
"Having a
buddy there really helps," he said. 1stLt. Miguel Eaton said the buddy
system will come in handy when the miles start adding up.
"When I'm
in front of them," he said, motioning to his friends, "they can look at
the back of my shirt and remember why we're doing this." |
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Keeping their memory alive
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