Mother will never forget son's sacrifice

It is 25 years since Christine Devlin lost her son Michael, a 21-year-old Lance Corporal in the Marines in Beirut.

Michael, a Westwood High graduate, and the fifth of Devlin's seven children, was stationed in the Middle East as part of a peacekeeping mission, when on the morning of Oct. 23, 1983, a suicide bomber drove a yellow Mercedes truck, filled with 12,000 pounds of explosives, into the U.S. Marines headquarters at the Beirut International Airport. The resulting blast leveled the four-story headquarters building, crushing many of the sleeping men inside.

The attack, which killed 241 American servicemen - 220 Marines, 18 U.S. Navy personnel and 3 Army soldiers. It was called the deadliest single-day death toll for the US Marine Corps since the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II, when 2,500 perished in one day.

The Beirut bombing resonated throughout the world, and it hit close to home as a widowed mother was left to deal with the pain of losing her son - a young man with so much promise.

"Michael was really into the arts and music," said Christine. "All my kids did that, but Michael had a special knack for it. He loved the arts."

Michael finished his first year at UMass-Amherst, but left because federal Social Security benefits afforded him dried up. Having a love for his country, he and his friends decided to join the Marines. Michael had been in the service 13 months at the time of his death.

Thoughts of what he could have been caused his mother much pain initially.

"It still never goes away, it will always be there," said Christine. "You try not to forget your kid, because you feel guilty about it."

Christine is planning a ceremony to honor the servicemen killed that day.

This year's remembrance will be a special one, and takes place at the local memorial in Boston in Christopher Columbus Park on Atlantic Avenue, and will be the site for the 25th anniversary Memorial Observance at 1 p.m. Sunday.

The featured speaker is expected to be Brig. Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr. He was born in Boston and is currently assigned as the vice director of operations, Joint Staff, in Washington, D.C.

"We are expecting quite a turnout," she said. "It's a lovely place, one which a lot of people helped put together."

Getting the Boston memorial built helped Christine deal with her loss. She also learned to cope through involvement with the American Gold Star Mothers (AGSM). Gold Star Mothers are women who have lost a son or daughter in the line of duty. In addition to providing emotional support to members, the mothers work for veterans causes and foster a sense of patriotism and respect for members of the armed forces.

"I learned you don't have to think about it each day to pay respect," said Christine. "And when you do, you just say a prayer."

In 1994 she served as president of the Massachusetts/Rhode Island chapter of the group and recently took on the role again for 2008.

She says it's a way to give back, to help others and keep alive the memory of Michael.

As president she presides over the group's monthly meetings and works to ensure legislative issues regarding veterans are heard. She has just returned from the group's annual meeting in Missouri.

"I want to help somebody else who is going through what I went through," said Christine. "There is an emotional need and helping people makes us all feel better."

Remembrances of Michael are never far away. One is at the site of the old Islington School on School Street, around the corner from where he grew up.