Monument proposed

Newport Beach City Councilman Keith Curry said Monday he will propose a monument to the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, the Camp Pendleton-based battalion the city adopted in 2003 that was hit with its first deaths earlier this month when two of the 1/1 Marines were killed in combat in Iraq.

Curry planned to suggest at today’s City Council meeting that an ad hoc committee be formed to look at possible places for a monument that would honor the Marines of the 1/1 for their service and commemorate the city’s relationship with the battalion. The city would provide space for the monument, and it could be paid for through a public-private partnership, Curry said.

“My initial reaction is that that is a wonderful idea,” said City Manager Homer Bludau, who is a member of a committee of local military veterans who have raised about $100,000 to help local Marines and their families. He said the committee will discuss the idea when it meets Thursday.