John Basilone

Full Name: John Basilone

Hometown: Raritan, New Jersey

Rank/Branch: Gunnery Sergeant (GySgt), United States Marine Corps

Key Unit(s):

• D Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Guadalcanal)
• C Company, 1st Battalion, 27th Marines, 5th Marine Division (Iwo Jima)

Death: February 19, 1945 — KIA Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands

Summary: John Basilone remains one of the most revered Marines in American history—a symbol of grit, sacrifice, and indomitable courage. A machine gun section leader with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, Basilone earned the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary actions on Guadalcanal. During an intense, sustained Japanese assault, he held critical defensive positions with a handful of Marines, repairing weapons under fire, running ammunition through enemy-held terrain, and personally inflicting devastating losses on the attackers. His leadership and refusal to yield were instrumental in preventing a breakthrough that could have cost the Marines the entire line.

After receiving the Medal of Honor, Basilone was pulled from combat to participate in war bond tours—but he insisted on returning to the fight. Assigned to the 5th Marine Division, he landed on Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945. Within minutes of hitting the beach, he destroyed a blockhouse with demolitions, guided a tank safely through a minefield and kill zone, and continued directing Marines forward until he was killed by enemy fire. For these actions he posthumously received the Navy Cross. Basilone’s legacy endures as the embodiment of the Marine Corps ethos: a warrior who never asked others to do what he wasn’t willing to do himself, and who led from the very front until his last breath.

Submitted by: Rich Brown