World War II Honoree

John Basilone

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Buffalo, New York

Honored By

Friends of American Heroes

HE WAS A UNITED STATES MARINE GUNNERY SERGEANT WHO RECEIVED THE MEDAL OF HONOR FOR HIS ACTIONS AT THE BATTLE OF GUADALCANAL DURING WWII. HE WAS THE ONLY ENLISTED MARINE DURING THE WAR TO RECEIVE THE PURPLE HEART, MEDAL OF HONOR AND THE NAVY CROSS. HE SERVED THREE YEARS IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY WITH DUTY IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS BEFORE JOINING THE MARINE CORPS IN 1940. AFTER ATTENDING TRAINING, HE DEPLOYED TO GUANTÁNAMO BAY, CUBA, THE SOLOMON ISLANDS AND EVENTUALLY TO GUADALCANAL WHERE HE HELD OFF 3,000 JAPANESE TROOPS AFTER HIS 15-MEMBER UNIT WAS REDUCED TO TWO OTHER MEN. IN A FIRE FIGHT ON THE NIGHT OF OCTOBER 24-25, 1942, LASTING ABOUT THREE HOURS, 1/7 SUSTAINED 70 CASUALTIES; THE JAPANESE FORCE SUFFERED OVER 1,400 KILLED IN ACTION, BUT THE BATTALION HELD THE AIRFIELD. WHILE ON GUADALCANAL THE JAPANESE PUT ANOTHER OFFENSIVE ACROSS THE MATANIKAU RIVER, WITH A FORCE MUCH STRONGER, AND 1/7 DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH MEN. HE SAVED THE ENTIRE REGIMENT WITH HIS MACHINE GUN, AND RUNNING BACK AND FORTH BRINGING MUCH NEEDED AMMUNITION TO HIS BATTALION. MAJOR LEWIS 'CHESTY' PULLER PUT HIM IN FOR A MEDAL OF HONOR, WHICH WAS APPROVED BY THE PRESIDENT. HE WAS AWARDED THE MEDAL OF HONOR FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM AND GALLANTRY ON GUADALCANAL. HE WAS LATER KILLED IN ACTION ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE BATTLE OF IWO JIMA, AFTER WHICH HE WAS POSTHUMOUSLY HONORED WITH THE NAVY CROSS.