Embedded Files
Medal of Honor Recipient GySgt John Basilone, USMC, recounts his heroic action in a rare interview, September 1, 1943.
The original interview transcript is available at the National Archives.
The interview took place "in the Office of Naval Records and Library," 1 at the former Navy Annex.
The old Navy Annex would have been located next to the present day Air Force Memorial.
He began with his arrival
"I went into Guadalcanal on the 17th of September [1942] with the First Battalion, Seventh Marines, First Marine Division reinforced... [as] a Sergeant, a section leader, with a weapons company."
Guadalcanal, part of the Solomon Islands, lies to the northeast of Australia and to the east of Papua New Guinea.
"Shelled by Japanese... in the coconut grove... [for] two or three hours," his first night would later bear significance:
"That was the first time I was under fire."
Note the “coconut plantation” (‘coconut grove’) area on the reconnaissance map.
(Image by courtesy of Naval History and Heritage Command.)
October 24, 1942
After maintaining a "defense position" with daytime patrols, Sgt. Basilone's "batallion was in the Lunga Area, guarding Henderson field."
Note that until captured and named by American forces, this aerial reconnaissance photograph described the airfield as “Lunga Point Airfield.”
(Photograph by courtesy of Naval History and Heritage Command.)
"I was in charge of... four heavy, water-cooled Browning Machine Guns."
"Sgt Basilone brings his .30 caliber Browning machine gun into action." 2
Under heavy rain, Sgt Basilone received warning of "a heavy concentration of Japanese shock troops" fast approaching.
"By the time I put down the telephone, the Japanese were already throwing hand grenades and dynamite."
With the two right-flank machine guns soon "out of action," Sgt Basilone carried one of the left-flank machine guns (weighing "100 pounds") "about 30 yards along the trail."
"On the way over, we ran smack into a party of Japs, about eight of them. We let them have it and continued on our way... to the other gun positions."
"The men there were fighting... [and] under heavy fire... We set up the machine gun I brought over and started firing, then I started repairing the damaged gun."
"There was only four of us left at the position then."
With the moon out and the rain over, screaming Japanese attacked up close.
"They sure hollered, 'Marines, you die!' but they died."
With Crumpton wounded, Sgt Basilone "fired both machine guns."
"I'd fire one and then roll over and fire the other."
"Part of the time, I confess I didn't know what the score was."
By the end of the interview, Sgt Basilone had amended his earlier figure of fewer than 2000 enemy dead to nearly 2900.
At fighting's end, Sgt Basilone had employed his sidearm until nearly empty.
"When I picked the pistol up in the morning there was one round left."
Given Sgt Basilone's operation of multiple machine guns, and his figures on ammunition supplies, it is likely that he fired tens of thousands of rounds.
"[...] we just had about one belt left when we found out in the morning and checked on it."
The battlefield
Battlefield historian Dave Holland (Guadalcanal—Walking a Batllefield) provides an insightful look at GySgt Basilone's historic battlefield, many decades following the battle.
May 21, 1943
Sgt. Basilone, third from the left, was awarded the Medal of Honor by MajGen A. A. Vandegrift, USMC, Marine Guadalcanal Commander, "at Citation Oval, Mount Martha, Victoria."
Sgt Basilone's Medal of Honor Citation
A heroic sacrifice
On February 19, 1945, during the initial assault on Iwo Jima, GySgt Basilone made the ultimate sacrifice, for which he was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.
The Navy Cross is the U.S. Navy’s second highest medal awarded for valor.
Laid to rest
GySgt Basilone is buried at Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, D.C.
This archival interview was published in the April 2010 issue of U.S. Naval Institute Navy History Magazine.
Learn more below about GySgt Basilone through the Basilone Memorial Foundation which carries on his legacy.
Notes:
See: "Period from 1939-1946: World War II and Postwar Era" ---> "Second Move to Navy Annex"
https://www.browning.com/news/articles/historical/guadalcanal-browning-offensive.html
Additional Reference:
Rill, James C. A Narrative History of the 1st Battalion, 11th Marines During the Early History and Deployment of the 1st Marine Division, 1940-43. Merriam Press, 2003.
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