Rhode Island experienced the greatest loss of life, per capita, than any other state.”

Charlie Masterson, event organizer

PORTSMOUTH — Charlie Masterson said the Beirut Marine Memorial located on the grounds of the Portsmouth Historical Society was borne from a conversation the late Shirley Zdanuk had with a mother of one of the local Marines killed in the terrorist barracks bombing in Lebanon on Oct. 23, 1983.

“Shirley listened to the stinging words of a Gold Star mother who told her, ‘In two years, nobody will remember Beirut, or care.’ That stuck with a lot of people,” Masterson told a crowd of about 100 people who came out to pay tribute to the “Rhode Island Nine” who sacrificed their lives on that fateful day four decades ago.

Shirley “stepped up,” Masterson said. Along with her husband Tony, a retired Navy veteran, she started organizing the annual ceremony every Oct. 23. Tony later passed away and Shirley took over the reigns herself. 

“She ran it for 29 years,” said Masterson, who later took over as an organizer when Shirley’s health declined. (She passed away in December 2022.)

Monday’s service marked the 40th anniversary of the terrorist bombing. At about 6:20 a.m. that Sunday morning, a yellow Mercedes stake-bed truck crashed into the lobby of the barracks for the 1st Battalion 8th Marines (also known as “1-8”) before the driver detonated a suicide bomb. In total, 241 American military personnel were killed in the explosion. A total of 241 U.S. military personnel were killed.

FBI forensics experts later determined the bomb was the equivalent to about 12,000 pounds of T.N.T. and was the largest non-nuclear blast since World War II. Across town, a second suicide attack killed 56 French soldiers. 

The nine Marines from Rhode Island who perished included two brothers-in-law: Cpl. Stephen E. Spencer, 23, of Portsmouth; and Lance Cpl. James F. Silvia, 20, of Middletown. 

Also killed was PFC Thomas Julian, 21, a 1979 graduate of Portsmouth High School. Before he became a Marine, Julian used to mow the grass on the Portsmouth Historical Society property, where a memorial to him and the other “Nine” would later stand.  

The other victims were Cpl. Edward Soares Jr., 21, of Tiverton, Sgt. Timothy Giblin of Providence, Cpl. David C. Massa of Warren, Cpl. Thomas A. Shipp of Woonsocket, Cpl. Rick R. Crudale of West Warwick, and Cpl. Edward S. Iacovino Jr. of Warwick.

“Rhode Island experienced the greatest loss of life, per capita, than any other state,” Masterson said.

1-8 veteran speaks

The guest speaker was Major Patrick Hassett, USMC, a Newport Naval War College student. Hassett was a fitting choice, as he’s a veteran of the 1-8, also known as the “Beirut Battalion.” He was a second lieutenant at the time.

Besides being a national tragedy, the story of what happened in Beirut 40 years ago is also one of “bravery, fortitude, selflessness and sacrifice,” Hassett said. It’s a quintessential Marine story, he said, because those who served put themselves “in harm’s way, protecting the good against evil.”

Hassett’s experience in 1-8 taught him to be the leader that he always wanted to be, he said. “The lessons I learned in 1-8 will stay with me for the rest of my life. I can say with total confidence that the sacrifice made by the Rhode Island Nine and the Beirut Battalion changed and molded me into the kind of leader that I am today, though of course they would never know that.”

He urged the crowd to never forget the sacrifice those Marines made “so we can enjoy the blessings of this great nation.”

After Hassett’s speech, each deceased Marine’s name was called, followed by a single ring of a bell. Family members were then called up to insert roses representing each Marine into a memorial wreath that was later laid at the monument.

Major Sgt. Carolyn Hashak, who served as narrator for the event, welcomed the many dignitaries who attended, including U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner, and Gov. Daniel McKee, “but most importantly the Gold Star families and friends of the Rhode Island Nine.”