I've been watching "The Pacific" series, which follows the storied 1st Marine Division from Guadalcanal to Okinawa, with special focus on the career of Medal of Honor winner Sgt. John Basilone. I didn't know Manila John, even though he was a fellow member of the 5th Marine Division. But like all Marines of that era, I all but worshipped this gutsy hero who refused to use his award of the nation's highest military honor to carve out a soft spot stateside in his beloved corps. Instead, weary of the demands his celebrity imposed on him, he chose to return to...