Local News

Irwin served three years in the United States Marine Corps

ELKINS -- One year after graduating from Elkins High School in 1981, Gregory Irwin enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, where he spent a total of three years (1982-1985) serving his country.

After attending boot camp at Parris Island in Port Royal, South Carolina, Irwin was sent to infantry training school, where he became a MOS 0311 Infantry Rifleman and mastered the use of several weapons, including the M203 Grenade Launcher, M-16 and SAW (squad automatic weapon).

"I was pretty good with the grenade launcher," said Irwin. "You could get within 15 meters of something with that thing and it would do a lot of damage. When we shot those weapons we were required to come within 15 meters of a tank, but I could hit right on top of them dead center. I guess that's why I carried the 203."

Irwin said he spend time in weather and desert training in California during the early stages of his tenure and then saw parts of the world he would have never seen if not for the Marine Corps.

"I spent six months in Okinawa (Japan), and also went to Guam and Saipan," he said. "We were supposed to go to the Philippines one time but they called that mission off. I got to see a lot of different places during my time in."

Although Irwin never saw combat action, he came close to being in some tough situations on numerous occasions.

"I was on air alert several times when all that was going on over in Beirut in the early 1980s," said Irwin. "I was called out twice to go there but was turned around and brought back."

On Oct. 23, 1983, two truck bombs struck buildings in Beirut, housing American and French service members of the Multinational Force in Lebanon (MNF), a military peacekeeping operation during the Lebanese Civil War.

A suicide bomber detonated a truck bomb at the building serving as a barracks for the 1st Battalion 8th Marines (Battalion Landing Team -- BLT 1/8) of the 2nd Marine Division, killing 220 Marines, 18 sailors and 3 soldiers, making this incident the deadliest single-day death toll for the United States Marine Corps since the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II and the deadliest single-day death toll for the United States Armed Forces since the first day of the Tet Offensive in the Vietnam War.

"When the bombing happened at the base over there I was on air alert until Friday at noon," Irwin said. "I came home the next day for a 96 (hour leave) and on the following day on Sunday that barracks was blown up over there, and the Marines that relieved us got sent over there. I knew a lot of those guys."

Irwin said he had another close call having to do with Beirut during his time with the Corps.

"We were told by our commanding officer that we were called out by President (Ronald) Reagan to go to Beirut and wipe that place out," he said. "So we went to Cherry Point (N.C.) and got on a P-130. After being in the air about 30 minutes we turned around and came back. They said that the President cancelled the mission in midair."

After leaving the military, Irwin worked for The Inter-Mountain for 10 years, before going to work at the Randolph County Jail for two years. He has spent the last 21 years working at the Huttonsville Correctional Facility, where he retired less than a week ago.

"Just being a Marine was something special," said Irwin. "And the comradery with the guys you serve with is something that will last forever."