Raritan, New Jersey: Manila John Basilone, Hero of Guadalcanal
Marine gunnery sergeant "Manila John" Basilone killed many Japanese on Guadalcanal, then was himself killed on Iwo Jima. His statue shows him holding a Schwarzenegger-size machine gun off its tripod.
- Address:
- Canal St., Raritan, NJ
- Directions:
- West of downtown, at the intersection of W. Somerset and Canal Sts.
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Every September Raritan holds a parade to honor John Basilone, America's only Marine to have an annual parade. Gunnery Sargent John Basilone, nicknamed "Manila John," was the sole enlisted Marine to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the Navy Cross, and the Purple Heart. His Medal of Honor was for his actions on Guadalcanal on October 24 and 25, 1942. After participating in a war bond tour in the U.S., he returned to combat and was killed on Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945. HBO's series "The Pacific" featured his story.
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