A groundbreaking ceremony for the Beirut Peacekeepers Tower at William R. Gaines Jr. Veterans Memorial Park in Port Charlotte is scheduled for 10 a.m. March 15. The tower will memorialize the 241 Americans killed in the Oct. 23, 1983 bombing of a U.S. Marine Corps barracks in Beirut, Lebanon during the Lebanese Civil War. The park is named after Bill Gaines, a Charlotte County resident and Charlotte High School graduate, killed in the bombing. The park also honors first responders and veterans with existing monuments. The William R. Gaines Jr. Veteran Memorial Fund was established by Gaines’ family to raise funds for park improvements. The tower design is intended to be an educational experience to inspire visitors to climb or ride the elevator to each of the three levels to learn the full history of the role Beirut Peacekeepers played in Lebanon.