From staff reports
Belleau Wood Tavern will launch a new biweekly, Friday Musters, beginning Friday, Jan. 16, starting at 4 p.m., bringing together Marines, veterans, families and local residents before the tavern’s physical building is complete.
In military tradition, a muster is a gathering meant to bring people together, ensure no one is left out and strengthen bonds within the group. Belleau Wood Tavern’s Friday Musters adapt that tradition for civilian life by creating an informal, welcoming space where service members, families and neighbors can meet, talk and connect.
The open-air gatherings will be held every other Friday at the future home of Belleau Wood Tavern, located at 7 Marina Blvd. in the town of Port Royal, directly in front of the main entrance to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. The events will feature local food trucks, a cash beer and wine bar, live music, Belleau Wood Tavern merchandise and free peanuts in the shell.
The events follow the recent U.S. Marine Corps 250th birthday kickoff hosted by Belleau Wood Tavern, which drew more than 150 attendees. Organizers said the most notable outcome was the interaction between generations of Marines and the surrounding community.
Vietnam-era Marines reconnected with former comrades, while local civilians engaged in extended conversations with active-duty service members. Organizers said one of the most meaningful moments of the evening was watching Marines in their 80s share stories and mentorship with 19-year-old active-duty Marines.
“What we saw that night was exactly the reason this place exists,” said Roy Dakroub, a Marine Corps officer and co-proprietor of Belleau Wood Tavern. “There was no program and no agenda. It was simply people sitting together, listening and connecting across generations.”
Organizers said the success of the event confirmed that a permanent structure was not required to begin fulfilling the tavern’s mission.
“We’re not just building a tavern, we’re building a community,” said Zachary Green, Marine veteran, entrepreneur and co-proprietor. “The building will come, but the relationships are what matter.”
As construction on Belleau Wood Tavern begins in the coming months, the proprietors plan to involve the community in the process, including opportunities to participate in demolition, landscaping and construction activities.
One centerpiece of the future tavern will be a carved throne made from a fallen Live Oak tree recovered from Parris Island. The tree stood for more than a century near training areas including the bayonet course, confidence course and Leatherneck Square.
“That tree shaded generations of Marines as they learned what it meant to fight and lead,” Green said. “Giving it a second life is a way to honor that history and carry it forward.”
The Friday Musters are open to active-duty service members, veterans, families and the general public.
Want to Go?
What: Belleau Wood Tavern Friday Musters
When: 4 p.m., Friday, Jan. 16; every other Friday thereafter
Where: 7 Marina Blvd., Port Royal, S.C., directly in front of the main entrance to MCRD Parris Island
