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Arlington National Cemetery
  12-384 

BORN:  November 04, 1916 at Buffalo, NY

Entered Service in the US Marine Corps from New Jersey

Earned The Medal of Honor During World War II For heroism on October 24 & 25, 1942 at Lunga Area, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands

While the enemy was hammering at the Marines' defensive positions on Guadalcanal, Sergeant Basilone, in charge of two sections of heavy machineguns, fought valiantly to check the savage and determined assault. In a fierce frontal attack with the Japanese blasting his guns with grenades and mortar fire, one of Sergeant Basilone's sections, with its guncrews, was put out of action, leaving only two men able to carry on. Moving an extra gun into position, he placed it in action, then, under continual fire, repaired another and personally manned it, gallantly holding his line until replacements arrived. A little later, with ammunition critically low and the supply lines cut off, Sergeant Basilone, at great risk of his life and in the face of continued enemy attack, battled his way through hostile lines with urgently needed shells for his gunners, thereby contributing in large measure to the virtual annihilation of a Japanese regiment.