Existing comment:
During the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942, Sergeant John Basilone commanded two heavy machine gun sections that were hit with heavy Japanese fire. A frontal assault of grenades and mortars took one of Basilone's sections out of action, leaving only two men. Basilone moved them to a fresh gun, put them into action, then personally repaired and manned the damaged gun. Reinforcements eventually arrived but ammunition quickly ran dangerously low, so Basilone fought his way past the enemy to bring in more. His actions allowed his men to destroy the enemy force. After receiving the Medal of Honor, he was sent home as part of the 7th War Bond tour. Rather than remain stateside, Basilone volunteered to return tot he Pacific; he was killed in action on Iwo Jima in 1945.
[Note: Basilone's story was featured in the HBO series "The Pacific."] |