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John Basilone was the son of an Italian immigrant father (a tailor by trade) and one of 10 children. From the Army to the Marinesīorn in Buffalo, New York, on November 4, 1916, Sgt. This is the story of the hero of Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima–who remains one of the most celebrated Marines in the Corps’ history.

Some two and a half years later, on February 19, 1945, now Gunnery Sergeant Basilone again demonstrated extraordinary heroism on Iwo Jima–receiving the Navy Cross for his combat gallantry. 30-caliber machine guns in his weapons platoon, helping nervous gunners clear jams, and inspiring the Marines in his company to fight on as their battle against overwhelming odds persisted through the long night.īasilone’s heroism that night was recognized with the award of the Medal of Honor–the first to an enlisted Marine in World War II. He was constantly on the move–repositioning the heavy. John Basilone-known as “Manila John”-his fellow Marines gave him that nickname because Basilone had been a soldier in the Philippines in the late 1930s-kept his cool. It was October 24, 1942, and the intensity of the Japanese assault in the darkness was terrifying. “Banzai! Banzai!” screamed the Japanese at the top of their lungs as they launched a ferocious night attack against Marines dug in on Guadalcanal.