The Camp Lejeune Self-Guided Tour was designed as a way for visitors to become familiar with the base, its history, and environment. It is also a way to bring the base and the surrounding community closer together.

The tour consists of 25 points of interest. These points are marked by large white signs with numbers that are coordinated with the site numbers in the tour book. The tour will take visitors from pre-Colonial America to the cutting edge of technology.

The points of interest are spread over a wide area, spanning from mainside Camp Lejeune, to Courthouse Bay, to Camp Geiger. The tour begins at the main gate, and ends at the Beirut Memorial in front of Camp Johnson.

The tour does not limit itself to historical buildings. Other landmarks give the tour variety. These include things like the massive oak tree, located next to the Base Theater, which is estimated at more than 350 years old.

The tour also points out several vital training areas in the Camp Lejeune area. The Stone Bay rifle range, along with training areas at Camp Johnson and Camp Geiger, are all included on the tour.

The legacies of Marines past are witnessed on the tour. The Montford Point Cemetery and the North Carolina Veteran’s Cemetery are both located near Camp Johnson. These two sites are the final resting places for veterans and families from the Civil and Revolutionary Wars.

At the end of the tour stands the Beirut Memorial, in front of Camp Johnson. This monument serves as a reminder of Marines and Sailors who lost their lives in Beirut, Lebenon and during the Grenada invasion. In process of construction is a memorial to Viet Nam veterans.

To take the tour, a visitor need only obtain a visitor’s pass from the Camp Lejeune Visitor Center, located at the main gate.

For more information about the Base Self-Guided Tour, call 451-7426 or go to: http://www.lejeune.usmc.mil/mcb/tour.asp.