Struthers Fallen Soldiers Memorial dedicated Monday

STRUTHERS — Charles Johnston’s memories of his brother, Cpl. Edward A. Johnston, are fleeting, but one recollection embedded in his mind is that of a sibling who cared deeply for and looked after others’ well-being.

“He was a big, strong teddy bear of a guy who would stick up for others. He was a protector and a hard-working person,” Charles recalled about his brother, a Marine who was killed Oct. 23, 1983, in Beirut during a peacekeeping mission when a suicide bomber drove a truck filled with explosives into the U.S. Marine barracks. He was 22.

The attack killed 241 U.S. military personnel.

Edward A. Johnston was among the 74 Struthers soldiers who were honored for their service to the nation during this morning’s Fallen Soldier Memorial Dedication at the Veterans Memorial at Struthers High School, 111 Euclid Ave.

During the somber, one-hour ceremony, the Struthers Fallen Soldier Project unveiled and dedicated three monuments to honor the men who were killed during World Wars I and II, in the Korean and Vietnam wars and while serving in peacetime operations.

For the complete story, read Tuesday's Vindicator and Vindy.com