Lejeune Memorial Gardens

9/11 Memorial BeamLejeune Memorial Gardens honors those who serve our country and is a place to gather to remember those who have given the greatest sacrifice for our freedom. It is home to the Beirut Memorial, the Onslow Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Montford Point Marine Memorial, and 9/11 Memorial Beam from the World Trade Center.

Lejeune Memorial Gardens is located at 109 Montford Landing Road.

As part of the Lejeune Memorial Gardens Master Plan, the site includes space for future memorials including the Corpsmen Memorial. Jacksonville’s greenways and trails also wind through Lejeune Memorial Gardens connecting Military bases and City trails.

Free parking is available on Montford Landing Road at the entrance to Lejeune Memorial Gardens. Informational Placards are located at the site. Jacksonville Transit has a stop located within walking distance to Lejeune Memorial Gardens. A listing of places to stay in Jacksonville during your visit is available at Visit Jacksonville website.

Existing Memorials at Lejeune Memorial Gardens

Lejeune-Memorial-Gardens-BSD-04-2015-16Beirut Memorial - The Beirut Memorial was a gift from the citizens of Onslow County to honor the men that lived among us and gave so much. This is the largest military memorial paid for from private funds and reflects the devastating loss suffered by the Marines and our community on October 23, 1983. Now viewed as the opening salvo in the War on Terrorism, the memorial honors the 273 Marines who lost their lives when a truck bomb destroyed the barracks in Beirut Lebanon and the subsequent actions. The words “They Came In Peace” reflects how the Marines were assigned as peacekeepers in this dangerous space, and the names of each man lost are engraved in granite.

Visit the Beirut Memorial web page to learn more.

IMG_8131Vietnam Veterans Memorial - The Onslow Vietnam Veterans Memorial is dedicated to all men and women who served during the Vietnam War. It stands as recognition for the nearly ten million Veterans of the five branches of the Armed Forces who served active duty during the Vietnam era, nearly three million of whom served in the Vietnam theater. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Lejeune Memorial Gardens is the second Vietnam Veterans Memorial in size only to the national memorial in Washington DC, and it is one of only a few that lists all the names of the fallen.  Visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial web page to learn more.

IMG_8111Montford Point Marine Memorial - The Montford Point Marine Memorial is dedicated to all Montford Point Marines and their legacy. A dedication ceremony was held on July 29, 2016 to officially open the Memorial to the public. From 1942 to 1949, the first Black Marines, reluctantly admitted to the Marine Corps in a time of segregation, had to “fight for the right to fight” while serving in the segregated base now named Camp Johnson in honor of one of their own. While no of official record exists of all the Marines who served during this time, the wall of more than 20,000 stars reflects each member of a group who became distinguished in their war fighting.  Visit the Montford Point Marines Memorial web page to learn more.

2017-04-AzaleasInBloom-LejeuneMemorialGardens-LM-IMG_90819/11 Memorial Beam - The 9/11 Memorial includes a beam from the Twin Towers, presented to the first troops to those who invaded Iraq from the police and firefighters of New York. The Beam is located by the Beirut Memorial and Entry Wall to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Lejeune Memorial Gardens in Jacksonville. An annual Patriot Day Observance remembers those who lost theirs lives during the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 and those who continue to fight the war on terror. Visit the 9/11 Memorial Beam web page to learn more.

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Future Plans for Lejeune Memorial Gardens

Plans for the future include the Corpsman Memorial and the Carolina Museum of the Marine and Civic Institute. The site also includes space for additional memorials. For additional Information please contact the City Manager's Office at City Hall, 815 New Bridge Street, 910 938-5200.

Museum of the Marine - The Museum of the Marine is designed to pay tribute to the exceptional men and women, the Carolina Marines, whose training prepared them for service and leadership in the defense of our country and freedom worldwide. Within the walls of this 40,000-square-foot facility, we will tell the stories of the Carolina Marines, their units, bases and stations and epic battles, and of the Carolina communities that have supported them. Funding is underway for the museum that will be a wonderful addition to the Lejeune Memorial Gardens. Details are online at the Museum of the Marine website

Corpsmen Memorial Corpsmen Memorial - In February 2008, the Corpsmen Memorial Foundation was established with the goal of creating a monument in honor of Navy corpsmen who fought alongside their Marine brethren. The Corpsmen Memorial will be a life-sized replica of the clay sculpture currently housed in Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune, which portrays a Vietnam-era corpsman lying on top of a wounded Marine, whose right leg is in a makeshift splint, shielding him from impending danger. Details on on the NC Corpsmen Memorial website

2018-02-BradfordPears-LejeuneGardens-LM-IMG_8452Lejeune Memorial Gardens Greenway & Trail - Following the transition of former railroad tracks into trails to the base, in 2007 the City won funds to begin work on a missing connector from downtown Jacksonville to the current pathway into Camp Lejeune at the point of the iconic pedestrian bridge over Lejeune Boulevard. The Jacksonville Greenway Trail was installed with reverence to all of the memorials within Lejeune Memorial Gardens. The path now connects the Civilian community of Jacksonville with the Military community of Camp Lejeune. It connects the revitalized Downtown area with pedestrians both on foot and on bikes. It connects visitors to Lejeune Memorial Gardens with those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our Country. It connects future generations to the adversities overcome by the first black Marines at the Montford Point Marines Memorial and to the history of all who have served at the Museum of the Marine. The Jacksonville Greenway Trail allows greater access for everyone to a site that preserves and honors the legacies of America’s finest. Trails & Greenways

For information regarding reserving space for your organization or event, please contact Marine Corps Installations East, G-3 Operations & Plans Division, 910 451-1714 or by email with the subject like Lejeune Memorial Gardens [MCIEAST-MCB CAMLEJ].