John Basilone

John Basilone (November 4, 1916 – February 19, 1945) was a United States Marine Corps gunnery sergeant who received the Medal of Honor for actions during the Battle for Henderson Field in the Guadalcanal campaign, and the Navy Cross posthumously for extraordinary heroism during the Battle of Iwo Jima. He was the only enlisted Marine to receive both of these decorations in World War II.

Basilone enlisted in the Marine Corps on June 3, 1940, after serving three years in the United States Army with duty in the Philippines. He was deployed to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and in August 1942, he took part in the invasion of Guadalcanal. In October, he and the two machine-gun sections under his command held off an attack by a numerically far superior Japanese force. He was one of only three Marines in that group to survive. His actions at Guadalcanal earned him the Medal of Honor. This led to him being called home for a war bond tour, which made him nationally famous.

Basilone would later re-enlist with the Marines, and in 1945 was killed in action on the first day of the invasion of Iwo Jima, after he led the charge to destroy an Japanese blockhouse and while leading a Marine tank under fire safely through a minefield. Including the Medal of Honor, he has received many posthumous honors, including having base streets, military facilities, and two United States Navy destroyers named in his honor. Basilone would gain renewed attention as one of the protagonists of the 2010 television miniseries The Pacific, in which he was portrayed by Jon Seda.

Basilone was born in his parents' home in Buffalo, New York, on November 4, 1916. He was the sixth of ten children in an Italian American family. His older siblings were born in Raritan, New Jersey, where the family returned after leaving Buffalo in 1918. Basilone attended St. Bernard Parochial School in Raritan, and after completing middle school at age 15, went to work as a golf caddy at the local country club, forgoing high school.

Basilone enlisted in the United States Army in July 1934 at the age of 17. His first posting was with the 16th Infantry Regiment at Fort Jay, New York, before being discharged for a day, reenlisting, and being assigned to the 31st Infantry Regiment. He completed the final two years of his enlistment serving in the Philippines, where he was a champion boxer, earning the ring nickname "Manila John." He was discharged from the Army in 1937 at the rank of private.

After Basilone returned to the United States, he worked as a truck driver in Reisterstown, Maryland. After a few years, he had the desire to return to the Philippines, where he had enjoyed life as a soldier, and believed he could get there faster by serving in the Marine Corps rather than in the Army.

Basilone enlisted in the Marine Corps on July 11, 1940, in Baltimore, Maryland. He attended boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, followed by training at Quantico and New River. His first posting was Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, in September 1940. In January 1941, Basilone was assigned to D Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, and was promoted to corporal in May. In January 1942, he was promoted to sergeant, and arrived in the Pacific in May as part of a Marine detachment sent to defend Samoa.

On September 18, 1942, the 7th Marine Regiment landed on the island of Guadalcanal. On October 24, during the Battle for Henderson Field, Basilone's 1st Battalion, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Chesty Puller, came under attack by a regiment of about 3,000 soldiers from the Japanese Sendai Division using machine guns, grenades, and mortars against the American heavy machine guns. Basilone commanded two sections of machine guns in D Company, which fought for the next two days until only Basilone and two other Marines were left standing. As the battle went on, ammunition became critically low. Despite their supply lines having been cut off by enemies who had infiltrated into the rear, Basilone fought through hostile ground to resupply his heavy machine gunners with urgently needed supplies. Basilone moved an extra gun into position and maintained continual fire against the incoming Japanese forces. He then repaired and manned another machine gun, holding the defensive line until relief arrived.