“Never fear your enemy but always respect them." — Gysgt. John Basilone

By DIA

There is perhaps no better example of heroism than the combat actions of John "Manila John" Basilone from the 1st Marine Division on Guadalcanal during WWII. His name is hallowed to our brothers and sisters, statues and images are everywhere on our bases, and his story is forever drilled into us as an example of what it meant to be a U.S. Marine then, and what it means to carry on his tradition today.

Let's fill you in on why John Basilone stands very near demi-god status to our beloved Marine Corps. On October 23, 1945, the Japanese sought to retake a strategic air base, Henderson Field, from the US occupying forces. Commanding two machine gun teams, Sgt. John Basilone held out against 3,000 attacking Japanese soldiers. For three days, he and his squads sustained fire against the onslaught, running out of ammunition multiple times. John Basilone himself ran through enemy lines, often fighting hand to hand and with small arms fire, to gather ammunition for his crews. At one point, he was able to requisition an additional M1919 .30 Browning Machine Gun and was forced to hip fire at point-blank range against a wave of Japanese between himself and his crews.

By the end of the three-day constant barrage of human assaults against Basilone and his two teams, without having slept or eaten, Basilone and his team were finally out of ammunition. The final wave of Japanese soldiers was held off by a machete, whatever remaining pistol ammunition was left, and the few hand grenades they had available to them. When all was said and done, thousands of Japanese soldiers lay dead in the field of battle before John Basilone and the only two remaining Marines from his machine gun teams.

For his actions, he earned the Medal of Honor and was sent back to the United States as a hero, to help support the War Bond push on the Homefront. However, the war raged on in the Pacific and being away ate at Basilone's conscience while he could have ridden out the remainder of the war touring and raising money, he requested to return to his unit, which was staging for an invasion of Iwo Jima.

During that amphibious landing, his unit was again pinned down by Japanese fortified positions. Basilone once again fought his way around Japanese lines and attacked the bunkers with grenades and demolitions, allowing his unit to get off of the beachhead. At one point, he saw a Marine Corps tank stranded in a mine-field and he personally guided it under heavy fire through the explosives so the tank could engage the enemy with heavy fire.

Finally, at the edge of the primary airfield on the island, John Basilone was hit by Japanese mortars, suffering a mortal wound. His actions on Iwo Jima, however, allowed the US Forces to penetrate through the defensive landing perimeter on Iwo Jima to capture a strategic airfield in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. For his actions on Iwo Jima, he posthumously won the Navy Cross, the Marine Corps' second-highest medal after the Medal of Honor.

And while it is the famous photo of the Marines raising the American flag on Iwo Jima to signify its capture, it is John Basilone whom we should never forget! We are humbled before his greatness and thankful we live in a world where his sacrifice has allowed our children to grow up understanding the value of freedom!

We honor your legacy, John Basilone!