Gunnery Sergeant Basilone's buddies on Guadalcanal called him "Manila John" because he had served with the Army in the Philippines before enlisting in the Marine Corps.
If you look up Don Graves on YouTube, he’s still alive and former Marine who landed at Iwo Jima and carried the flamethrower.
He was at the top of Mount Suribachi when the flag was raised and claims to have been very close to where John Basilone was killed.
BTW, tomorrow starting at 11a Eastern AMC is running a Band of Brothers marathon.
The older I get the more I’m amazed at how these guys put aside their civilian lives and went off to charge into the teeth of the Dragon.
Took my 14 yr old, yesterday, up for a flight in “Doc”, one of only two B-29s still flying. I sat in the right gunners seat and tried to imagine even one 14 hour mission much less thirty five of them. God Bless them all.
John Basilone was the real Rambo.
“Some figured out ways around this, like MOH recipient John Basilone, who developed what was known as the “Basilone Bale.” It was a simple handle made of a wood spool and wire slid onto the barrel of the machine gun so it could be carried when hot, and fired from the hip if necessary.”
I grew up in Bridgewater NJ. A town right next to Raritan NJ which is where John Basilone grew up. Every year there was a Memorial Day Parade in his and all the other Vets honor. Also Jack jack Ciattarelli who is running for Governor of NJ grew up in Raritan NJ. He and his family know well of John’s contributions to the War in the Pacific during WWII. I went to school with Jack and he was a stand up guy even in high school.