Florence Nightingale: The Life and Medals of the Lady With the Lamp, Medals of Valor: The Origins of the Victoria Cross and Bar, Small-town Nurse Ellen Ainsworth Died Saving Patients in World War II. Learn more about managing a memorial . If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. So, on a hot summer day John and dozens of other boys would swim in the Raritan River. [11] Afterwards, Private First Class Nash W. Phillips of Fayetteville, North Carolina, recalled from the battle for Guadalcanal: "Basilone had a machine gun on the go for three days and nights without sleep, rest, or food. That building was later used as the VFW hall. The true story behind the character depicted in HBO's critically acclaimed, award-winning miniseries, The Pacific I'm Staying with My Boys is a firsthand look inside the life of one of the greatest heroes of the Greatest Generation. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. This time, he was approved his request as shown in The Pacific's timeline, leaving forCamp Pendleton, California, for training on December 27, before being officially reenlisted in the Marine Corps on July 3, 1944. He also worked at Gaburos Laundry which was located in Raritan on Farrand Street. To date, he's covered a wide range of TV and Film stories for Screen Rant, including delineating exactly why Gladiator 2 should never see the light of day, detailing numerous left-field fan theories, and reporting Netflix's ever-changing top 10 movies and TV shows each week. As he moved along the edge of the airfield, he was killed by Japanese mortar shrapnel. Owner: jmchristel Anyone can contribute. Although Jon Ceda's Basilone appears as a bastion of virtue and, in many ways, the ideal of American resolve and fortitude during World War II, his portrayal of the famed Gunnery Sergeant is right on the money. He then repaired and manned another machine gun, holding the defensive line until relief arrived. J ohn Basilone was a man of extraordinary courage. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. France is victorious but at a great cost. While The Pacific's eighth episode somewhat glosses over the pair's romance in favor of moving forward with its penultimate scenes at Iwo Jima, their character's love story was as fleeting in real life, with The Pacific pair waiting just six months before tying the knotin Oceanside, California, on July 10, 1944. As Basilone would note, Only part of this medal belongs to me. When he requested again to return to the war, the request was approved. Basilone's is one of three narrativesthat form the backbone of The Pacific's action, drama, and intrigue alongsideRobert Leckie (James Badge Dale) andEugene Sledge (Joseph Mazzello). A fair number of veterans interviewed for this project claimed to have been nearby when John Basilone was killed. Shrewdly gauging the tactical situation shortly after landing when his company's advance was held up by the concentrated fire of a heavily fortified Japanese blockhouse, Gunnery Sergeant Basilone boldly defied the smashing bombardment of heavy caliber fire to work his way around the flank and up to a position directly on top of the blockhouse and then, attacking with grenades and demolitions, single-handedly destroyed the entire hostile strong point and its defending garrison. He would settle in Raritan and meet Dora Bengivenga at a church dance. location being labeled the bare ass beach. Basilone received numerous honors, including the following: John Basilone receiving the Medal of Honor in 1943. Hes quite a legend in the United States Marine Corps and should be for the general population as well because of his incredible feats. Failed to delete flower. Minutes later he was killed by an enemy artillery round. Learn more about managing a memorial . John Basilone, Medal of Honor. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. The Corps sent him to Guantnamo Bay, Cuba for his next assignment and then to Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands as a member of Dog Company 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment 1st Marine Division. CPL George William Basilone Birth 6 Feb 1922. Basilone was born in his home on November 4, 1916 in Buffalo, New York, the sixth of 10 children. The heart broken widow bride - History of Sorts He would become known as Manila John due to his Army service in the Philippines. (Today an office building and a dreaded jug handle are there.) The Pacific's extended Iwo Jima scene stays very close to the true account of Basilone's sacrifice, with the famed Marine leading his 27th regiment into the thick of one of the Pacific Theatre's most brutal battles. This website uses the TMDb API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDb. His actions helped Marines penetrate the Japanese defense and get off the landing beach during the critical early stages of the invasion. While stationed at Camp Pendleton, he met his future wife, Lena Mae Riggi, who was a Sergeant in the Marine Corps Women's Reserve. The memorial parade for Basilone along Somerset Street in his hometown of Raritan, New Jersey, has been held since 1981. Failed to delete memorial. Europe's busiest forums, with independent news and expert reviews, for TVs, Home Cinema, Hi-Fi, Movies, Gaming, Tech and more. Consistently daring and aggressive as he fought his way over the battle-torn beach and up the sloping, gun-studded terraces toward Airfield Number 1, he repeatedly exposed himself to the blasting fury of exploding shells and later in the day coolly proceeded to the aid of a friendly tank which had been trapped in an enemy mine field under intense mortar and artillery barrages, skillfully guiding the heavy vehicle over the hazardous terrain to safety, despite the overwhelming volume of hostile fire. I recently read The Pacific, the companion book to the HBO miniseries, written by Hugh Ambrose, historian, consultant to the mini series, and son of Stephen Ambrose. Try again later. Letter from George Basilone (John's brother) to Lena Basilone from Iwo Jima, March 8, 1945 _____ Letter from George Basilone (John's brother) to Lena Basilone His sisters Mary, Katherine, Dolores, and. Word soon spreads of Basilone's heroics at Guadalcanal, with his Medal of Honor making him a national hero almost overnight. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? In Somerville there were two more theatres The Regent Theatre and The Cort Theatre. But no one complained, as that is how things were back then. He requested again to return to the war and this time the request was approved. During his stint at Camp Pendleton, he meets Lena Riggi (Annie Parisse), who quickly becomes Lena Basilone after the two fall head over heels for each other. He was the only enlisted Marine in World War II to receive the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross. John Basilone (November 4, 1916 - February 19, 1945) was a United States Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant who received the Medal of Honor for heroism above and beyond the call of duty during the Battle for Henderson Field in the Guadalcanal campaign, and the Navy Cross posthumously for extraordinary heroism during the Battle of Iwo Jima. The real events of Basilone's story at Guadalcanal are equally heroic, albeit slightly bloodier than shown in the HBO miniseries. John's brother George, also a Marine, stood with his mother as an honor guard. Angelo Basilone (1910 - 2002) - Genealogy Try again. Including the Medal of Honor, he has received many honors, including having base streets, military facilities, and two United States Navy destroyers named for him. She was buried wearing her wedding ring. With his unit pinned down, Basilone made his way around the side of the Japanese positions until he was directly on top of the blockhouse. View Count: 10,046 (Recent: 35) Death of GySgt. 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For extraordinary heroism while serving as a Leader of a Machine-Gun Section, Company C, 1st Battalion, 27th Marines, 5th Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima in the, Shrewdly gauging the tactical situation shortly after landing when his company's advance was held up by the concentrated fire of a heavily fortified Japanese, Consistently daring and aggressive as he fought his way over the battle-torn beach and up the sloping, gun-studded terraces toward Airfield Number 1, he repeatedly exposed himself to the blasting fury of exploding shells and later in the day coolly proceeded to the aid of a friendly, Stouthearted and indomitable, Gunnery Sergeant BASILONE, by his intrepid initiative, outstanding skill, and valiant spirit of self-sacrifice in the face of the fanatic opposition, contributed materially to the advance of his company during the early critical period of the assault, and his unwavering devotion to duty throughout the bitter conflict was an inspiration to his comrades and reflects the highest credit upon Gunnery Sergeant BASILONE and the, His great personal valor and courageous initiative were in keeping with the highest traditions of the. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Try again. https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=19842. There are two accounts of exactly how he died. It was open for decades around 1918-1968. Please try again later. Death 29 Oct 1990 (aged 68) Raritan, Somerset County, New Jersey, USA. He left for Camp Pendleton, California, for training on December 27, 1943. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial.