Hometown: Raritan, NJ
Branch: U.S. Marine Corps
Unit: Company C, 1st Battalion, 27th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division
Military Honors: Medal of Honor, Navy Cross, Purple Heart
Date of Sacrifice: February 19, 1945 - KIA on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, Pacific Ocean
Age: 28
Conflict: World War II, 1939-1945

John Francis Basilone was born into a large Italian family in Buffalo, New York on November 4, 1916. The family moved to Raritan, New Jersey—just outside of New York City—shortly after John was born. John was one of 10 children and attended St. Bernard Parochial School. After completing middle school, he dropped out and worked at a local country club as a caddie. He also gained some attention as a rising light-heavyweight boxer.

Basilone enlisted in the U.S. Army in June 1934, at the age of 17. He was sent to Fort Jay on Governors Island in New York Harbor and assigned to the 16th Infantry Division. His three years of service included reassignment to the 31st Infantry and deployment to Manila, the Philippines.

During his off-duty time in Manila, Basilone found more success as an amateur boxer and became a local champion. Earning the nickname “Manila John,” he fell in love with the city and its lifestyle. When his three years of service were complete, he returned home and worked as a truck driver.

From the Army to the Marine Corps

He longed to return to Manila, and with the outbreak of World War II (1939-1945) saw the U.S. Marine Corps as his fastest opportunity to get back. He enlisted and was sent to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, then to Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands in the Pacific—with Company C, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division.

In the brutal conditions and intense fighting on Guadalcanal, Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone would display courage and resourcefulness that would earn him America’s highest military honor. His actions are described in his Medal of Honor citation:

For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry in action against enemy Japanese forces, above and beyond the call of duty, while serving with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division in the Lunga Area, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on 24 and 25 October 1942. While the enemy was hammering at the Marines’ defensive positions, Sgt. BASILONE, in charge of 2 sections of heavy machine guns, fought valiantly to check the savage and determined assault. In a fierce frontal attack with the Japanese blasting his guns with grenades and mortar fire, one of Sgt. BASILONE’S sections, with its gun crews, was put out of action, leaving only 2 men able to carry on. Moving an extra gun into position, he placed it in action, then, under continual fire, repaired another and personally manned it, gallantly holding his line until replacements arrived. A little later, with ammunition critically low and the supply lines cut off, Sgt. BASILONE, at great risk of his life and in the face of continued enemy attack, battled his way through hostile lines with urgently needed shells for his gunners, thereby contributing in large measure to the virtual annihilation of a Japanese regiment. His great personal valor and courageous initiative were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.

One witness, PFC Nash Phillips, was in the same unit as Sgt. Basilone. He recounts, “Basilone had a machine gun on the go for three days and nights without sleep, rest, or food. He was in a good emplacement, and causing the Japs lots of trouble, not only firing his machine gun but also using his pistol.”

Reluctant celebrity

News of his heroics reached the American public, and Basilone was brought back to the States for a media publicity blitz to raise bonds for the war effort. The Marine Corps offered Basilone a commission and assignment as an instructor, but he refused and requested a return to combat. Now a celebrity, his request was denied, as the War Department thought he was of more value on a publicity tour, raising bonds.

Basilone made his request a second time, saying, “I’m just a plain soldier and want to stay one. I ain’t no officer and I ain’t no museum piece. I belong back with my outfit.” This time his request was granted, and he was sent to Camp Pendleton, California to train for an island invasion. At Pendleton, Basilone met and married fellow Marine Sgt. Lena Mae Riggi. After a July honeymoon in Oregon, John was shipped off to the Pacific theater in December of 1944.

Heroics on Iwo Jima

On the island of Iwo Jima, south of Japan, John Basilone landed with the 1st Battalion, 27th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division. On February 19, 1945, he would again display the bravery that made him a celebrity back home. This time Basilone’s actions earned him the Navy Cross. He would be the only Marine to earn both the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross in World War II.

Basilone was a machine section leader on Iwo Jima’s “Red Beach II,” and singlehandedly destroyed a heavily fortified Japanese blockhouse, then moved on to take out another enemy strongpoint and its defending garrison with grenades. Moving toward “Airfield Number 1” under heavy enemy fire, he came to the aid of a Marine tank that was trapped in a minefield. He successfully guided the tank to safety but was killed instantly by an exploding mortar shell as he moved along the edge of the airfield.

Because of Basilone’s actions, the Marines were able to get off the landing beach during the invasion of Iwo Jima.

Honors & Memorials

The list of roads, bridges, libraries, buildings, and schools named in honor of Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone is a long one.

On December 21, 1945, Sgt. Lena Mae Basilone—John’s widow—christened the USS Basilone (DD 824), a Navy destroyer. On June 18, 2022, a second ship was named in his honor—the guided-missile destroyer USS John Basilone (DDG 122).

Sgt. John Frances Basilone was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. (Section 12, Site 384).

Sources
Artist’s rendering: Craig Du Mez, from USMC photo
Marine Corps University: Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone, USMC (Deceased)
Naval History and Heritage Command: Gunnery Sergeant, USMC, (1916-1945)
Military.com: Here’s the Only Marine to Earn Both the Medal of Honor and Navy Cross During WWII
John Basilone – Gunnery Sergeant, United States Marine Corps
U.S. Department of Defense: Navy to Christen Guided-Missile Destroyer John Basilone
Military Times—Hall of Valor: John “Manila John” Basilone
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs—VA News: Veteran of the Day, Marine Corps Veteran John Basilone
Baseline Memorial Foundation: GYSGT. John Basilone
Tales of Honor Podcast: John F Basilone
Burial Site: Find a Grave