John Basilone
Military Person
1916 – 1945
Who was John Basilone?
John Basilone was a United States Marine Gunnery Sergeant who received the nation's highest military award for valor, the Medal of Honor, for heroism during the Battle of Guadalcanal in World War II. He was the only Marine enlisted man to receive both the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross in World War II.
He served three years in the United States Army with duty in the Philippines. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1940, and was deployed to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, the Solomon Islands, and Guadalcanal where he held off 3,000 Japanese troops after his 15-member unit was reduced to two other men. On the first day of the Battle of Iwo Jima, he was killed in action, after which he was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism. He has received many honors including being the namesake for streets, military locations, and a United States Navy destroyer.
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- Born
- Nov 4, 1916
Buffalo - Also known as
John Basilone
- Nationality
- Italy
- United States of America
- Lived in
- Buffalo
- Died
- Feb 19, 1945
Iwo Jima - Resting place
- Arlington National Cemetery
Submitted
on July 23, 2013
Citation
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"John Basilone." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 7 May 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/john_basilone>.
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