Northport street to be named for fallen Marine
Joseph Boccia, third from left, with brothers Ray, Rich and Jim.
In the early morning hours of Oct. 23, 1983, while soldiers were sleeping, a truck stocked with explosives was driven into the U.S. Marine Corps barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, by a terrorist.
The suicide mission claimed the lives of 241 military personnel and seriously wounded countless others who were in Lebanon on a peacekeeping mission.
Twenty five years later, the incident is being referred to by the Beirut Veterans of America as, "the first battle of terrorism" and the group's motto is . . . . "The First Duty Is to Remember."
Capt. Joseph J. Boccia Jr., a Marine from Northport, lost his life in the attack, and keeping true to the veteran's motto, will be remembered in a ceremony later this month.
Starlit Drive, a street that he grew up on, will be named in his honor.
A family friend and Northport police chief, Ric Bruckenthal, is responsible for getting the job done. He contacted the Huntington Town Board saying he thought it would be a good idea to remember "all of our fallen."
"The Town was very receptive to the idea," Bruckenthal said, "this wasn't a big petition, I didn't have to beat them over the head, they were just very receptive."
The board approved the renaming at a meeting on March 18, voting to change the street name to "Captain Joseph J. Boccia Jr./Starlit Drive." A date has not be set yet for the renaming ceremony
Bruckenthal, who lost his son in 2004 in Iraq and is neighbors with Boccia's brother Raymond, knows how much "things like this helps the family."
A graduate of Syracuse University and also a member of the ROTC, Boccia joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1978, graduating from Parris Island in South Carolina, where he was the recipient of the USMC Achievement Devotion Award, which distinguished him as the outstanding man of Platoon 1142. He was deployed to Beirut as part of a peacekeeping force.
According to Bruckenthal, "the people on the block won't have to change their address, adding Captain Boccia's name is symbolic."
The last time I saw "Little Joe" Boccia was one summer night in about 1977 or so.He was looking good as usual.Fit and happy.I was in a bar in Northport up by 25A.Forget the name but it used to be the Horn of Plenty at one time.Old Gormans place.I was already out of the
ReplyDeleteCorps and he was in and heading someplace.I don't know where.Parris Island? Camp Lejeune?Beirut? But he told me that I along with another Northport H.S.graduate were his inspiration for joining the Corps.Great smile.Great personality.Great future and probably a great Marine too.I am sure he is missed by all but obviously not forgotten.
Semper Fi Joe.
Tom Ward
Durham North Carolina