World War II Honoree

John Basilone

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Raritan, New Jersey

Honored By

Mr. William Viole

THE ONLY MARINE IN WWII TO BE AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR AT GUADALCANAL AND THE NAVY CROSS AT IWO JIMA POSTHUMOUSLY. ENLISTED IN JULY 1940. HE HAD HUNTER'S INSTINCT FOR TERRAIN, AND HE KNEW INSTINCTIVELY WHAT TO DO IN AN EMERGENCY. THOUGH BORN IN THE CITY, HE COULD HEAR SOUNDS BEFORE THE FARM BOYS IN HIS UNIT, OR THE JAPANESE WHO HAD MADE THE JUNGLES THEIR PROVINCE. HE WAS ALSO A DESPOT. LEADING HIS SQUAD THROUGH THE JUNGLES OF GUADALCANAL, HE DENIED HIS MEN THE RIGHT TO BE WEAK. WITHOUT A WORD OR GESTURE, HE COMMANDED THEM TO FOLLOW. AND THEY CAME AFTER HIM, IN RAGE AND LOYALTY. HE MADE HIS MARK ON GUADALCANAL ON OCTOBER 24-25, 1942. FOR THIS, THEY GAVE HIM THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL. WHILE THE ENEMY WAS HAMMERING AT THE MARINES DEFENSIVE POSITIONS, HE, IN CHARGE OF TWO SECTIONS OF HEAVY MACHINE GUNS, FOUGHT VALIANTLY TO CHECK THE SAVAGE AND DETERMINED ASSAULT. BY HIMSELF, WITH A MACHINE GUN AND PISTOL, HE ACCOUNTED FOR 38 JAPANESE DEAD. THEIR BODIES WERE FOUND LATER IN FRONT OF HIS POSITION. HE WAS KILLED ON IWO JIMA.