Household, classmates honor fallen Marine on anniversary of Beirut bombing

Sunday morning, Oct. 23, 1983, U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Russell “Rusty” Cyzick of Star Metropolis was among the many 241 American servicemembers killed when an Islamic terrorist drove a truck — rigged with a bomb — into the U.S. Marine battalion headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon.

A short while later, one other car bomb destroyed the constructing housing the French Military, killing 58 of their troopers.

President Ronald Reagan had deployed U.S. Marines to Lebanon in September 1982 as a part of a multi-national peacekeeping pressure (MNF) despatched to stabilize the war-torn nation. The Italian and British armies additionally had contingents assigned to the MNF.

Over the weekend, Cyzick’s household and a few members of the St. Francis Excessive College Class of 1981 gathered for memorial companies on the Cedar Grove Cemetery in Mount Morris, Pa., the place he’s buried.

Cyzick was a member of that 1981 graduating class.

On Friday morning, St. Francis alumni gathered to recollect and honor their good friend and classmate for his service to the nation and the final word sacrifice he made defending freedoms.

They once more gathered Sunday afternoon as Cyzick’s brother Frank Cyzick held a non-public ceremony for members of the family to pay tribute to the Marine, who was killed at age 20.

The formal Marine Corps Memorial Service for all who misplaced their lives in Beirut was held Monday morning at Camp Lejeune, N.C. The Secretary of the Navy, Carlos Del Toro, and the Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Eric Smith, addressed the three,000 in attendance, which included Beirut veterans, Gold Star members of the family, mates and active-duty and retired Marines.

A documentary, “We Got here in Peace: US Marines in Lebanon, 1982-1984” is being made by former NPR producer and West Virginia native Michael Ivey to acknowledge, respect and keep in mind the Beirut veterans.