DOD Confirms Death of Second Beirut Battalion Marinein Afghanistan

By Alicia Cruz
The Black Urban Times

The Department of Defense confirmed Thursday the death of a Camp Lejuene Marine supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Lance Corporal Raymon L. A. Johnson was killed Wednesday, October 13 while conducting combat exercise with his unit in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

Johnson, 22, of Midland, Georgia was assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment of the 2nd Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force based out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

The Pentagon has not released any further details surrounding Johnson's death and funeral arrangements were incomplete at press time.

Johnson's death comes less than a month after the death of another 1/8 (Beirut Battalion) Marine.

Josh Ose, of Hernando, Mississippi, had been in country for approximately two weeks when he was killed by small arms fire while on foot patrol with his unit in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. He died of his injuries as he was being airlifted to a field hospital.

1st Battalion, 8th Marines falls under the command of the 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force.

1/8 was a part of the multinational peace keeping force in Beirut, Lebanon during the 1980s. On Sunday, October 23, 1983, a suicide bomber drove a truck loaded with 12,000 pounds of explosives into the lobby of the 1st Battalion 8th Marine headquarters compound killing 220 Marines. In all, 299 American and French service members lost their lives that day. The majority of those killed were from 1st. Battalion, 8th Marines thus earning them the nickname, "Beirut Battalion."

The Beirut bombing was the deadliest single-day attack for the United States Marine Corps since World War II's Battle of Iwo Jima and the deadliest single-day attack for the United States military since day one of the Tet Offensive during the Vietnam War.

First Battalion, 8th Marines Regiment has been deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom since August 2010.

In addition to Johnson's death, four Marines attached to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment of the 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton, California were also killed on October 13 in Helmand province, Afghanistan. They are:

Cpl. Justin J. Cain, 22, of Manitowoc, Wis.

Lance Cpl. Phillip D. Vinnedge, 19, of Saint Charles, Mo.

Lance Cpl. Joseph E. Rodewald, 21, of Albany, Ore.

Pfc. Victor A. Dew, 20, of Granite Bay, Calif.