I know that she and her husband are together today as they have been since her death. Sgt. This is how I remember those who were vets like my dad and friends including my oldest sister. I was with her as she drew her last labored breath in the ER after weeks of trying to recover from the surgery. May they unit in heaven & continue their love story forever, Its the women our lives that makes coming home worth it. This is what Memorial Day or Decoration Day is all about. Hi Robin: I second what you said. I am amazed that they kept their mental sanity, but did suffer from PTSD as I do. Ssg Rick Doc Borenstein (Ret) Combat Medic.As we come to remember our fallen comrades which includes Johe Basilone Jr. Vera.and Msg Lena Basilone, I take pride in theilives and their leadership as USMC NCOs. I wonder why she only appeared in public the one time on his behalf Did she ever say more about her husband or her marriage? I know she would enrich my life. My Uncle Dick fought and flag razed on Mount Suribaci. Widowed Unfortunately, Basilone was killed in action on Iwo Jima. He was deployed to Guantnamo Bay, Cuba, and in August 1942, he took part in the invasion of Guadalcanal. In 21 Dec 1945 Lena christened a Navy destroyer ship named the USS Basilone in her husband's honor. Ca.. Basilone's parents met at a church gathering and married three years later. Thanks Robin. Thank you Barbara Garner for your detailed comments about the wonderful Lena, and how you tried to get her to agree to be buried near her husband. Lena earned the right to be buried next to John. Then, John marries this stranger and he focuses on her instead of the family.My opinion is they were terribly jealous of her and blamed her for taking away their son and brother. I have had 7 combat campaigns to boot too Lena was not not much for publicity and kept a low profile. On the night of Oct. 24, 1942, on the island of Guadalcanal, a Japanese regiment of 3,000 troops attacked a handful of Marines, including Sergeant Basilone. Just before his 18th birthday, Basilone enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in the Philippines as an infantryman from 1934 to 1937. The Japanese charged the hill relentlessly, with dead Japanese soldiers serving as human bridges so that their remaining comrades could cross over the barbed wire fences near the American perimeter. May they both rest in peace and live on in the history they helped write. My dad was a medic on Peleliu. Regards, Born on November 4, 1916 in Ruritan, New Jersey, Basilone was the six of ten children in an Italian family and would grow up as a tough young man. Leave a sympathy message to the family on the memorial page of John R Basilone to pay them a last tribute. I think it will improve the militarys ability to fight. Lena served an important role though,giving the soldier good chow was a morale booster. The civilian man initially had no pulse, and bystanders told the Marine they assumed he was dead. Thank you, to the Sergeants Basilone for their service, and may God have united you again in heaven. We both turned down comissions to be officers many times in spite of field commanders and general recommendations. When the heavy .30 . It was the only one standing as the 9th Division approached and crossed it. Both her and her husband had each other and that was enough. Each time his visions came to pass - including the last - foretelling his death. Hi Vera: I am pleased to read your post. My dad served in the Pacific with the US Army who was in the Marshall Island, Marianas,and Peleliu. And she cut it with flair! One must remember that Sgt Basilone volunteer to return to battle which he did not have too being a MOH recipient. Regards, David, I still dont understand Lenas comment about not wanting to be a bother to anyone and NOT be buried near her husband to be quite strange. Your email address will not be published. Shrewdly gauging the tactical situation shortly after landing when his company's advance was held up by the concentrated fire of a heavily fortified Japanese blockhouse, Gunnery Sergeant BASILONE boldly defied the smashing bombardment of heavy caliber fire to work his way around the flank and up to a position directly on top of the blockhouse and then, attacking with grenades and demolitions, single handedly destroyed the entire hostile strong point and its defending garrison. Lena always had her wallet full of Johnnys pictures. However, this time my sentiments were of the lives and the wonderment of them as people. I served until 2007 and retired.I was both an aviation medic and ground medic. I wish i could have known her. There are few like them. And your efforts have been repaid many times over I am sure, by those who now know more about her. John Basilone, who had already served three years in the Phillippines with the U.S. Army when he joined the Marines in 1940 as a machine gunner with C Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine . The were either Green Berets or medics, a supply clerk and even grunts. but those were the times and conditions because I think Americans wanted a quicker end to WWII. John's wife, Lena, originally from Oregon, remained in California after John's death and never remarried. He went to recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, followed by training at Marine Corps Base Quantico and New River. Few veterans around the world have a system like and we can make it better. She is my hero. When she reached adulthood she left Oregon to attend business school. He gallantly gave his life in the service of his country. Lena did not have John very long, in fact 7 months. Thank You Robin, Hi Robin and Barbara:I was recently out to my old home at Anaheim. May they rest in peace. It had a few details that were not accurate and you were correct. Celebrity Birthdays; Celebrity Deaths; . I had to settle for the Army. She was such a compassionate, no nonsense, spirited lady. Hi Paul: I was a young kid when Vietnam went down. Lena was the pioneer and was a very strong Non commissioned officer and ran a very good mess hall. His widow, Lena M. Basilone, died June 11, 1999, aged 86, and is buried at Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California. If any of you served with or knew Lena please let me know. I found your blog by chance and thoroughly enjoyed this article about Lena. The lady was happy to know that Lena was also a Portland Marine. Lena never remarried and she lived in California until her death in 1999. But the cynicism did not last, and Lena and John married in the summer of 1944: I tried my hardest through the years to get Lena to consent to be buried in Arlington Natioal Cemetary with her Johnny. John Basilone killed at Iwo Jima Marc Lancaster Feb 19, 2022 1 Among the approximately 300,000 Americans killed in action in World War II, John Basilone's death on Feb. 19, 1945 holds a unique place in the history of the conflict. Basilone, a member of the U.S. Marines, received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his action . She even said when you had the best,who wants the rest especially after John was killed at Iwo Jima. After his request to return to the fleet was approved, Basilone was assigned to "C" Company, 1st Battalion, 27th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division. 456 John Basilone died a painful death in the dirt near Motoyama Airfield Number One. On her 32nd birthday she receive word of Johns death on Iwo Jima.He was one of the many who laid their lives down for not only fellow Marines, but also for US Army airmen in crippled B29s who could not return to the Mariana Island base and would have had to face the perils of the Pacific. I needed urgent medical care at a VA medical center.Lena help cut much of the red tape get me in for care that very day.I have never forgotten what she did. Peter J. Basilone, register of wills for Baltimore County and a former state legislator, died Thursday of liver cancer at his Towson residence. The gave us a lot and we appreciated their help in return as they helped us vets adjust. John Basilone (November 4, 1916 February 19, 1945) was a United States Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant who received the Medal of Honor for actions during the Battle for Henderson Field in the Guadalcanal campaign, and the Navy Cross posthumously for extraordinary heroism during the Battle of Iwo Jima. I know your comment is from many years ago, but I do hope this finds you well! I think you went through a tougher ringer than I did with exception for Iraq. This may include medical bills, eviction notices, or other relevant documents. Thank You very much for being Lenas family. I am not the Richard who posted this excellent comment. If so where can I find it. Lena never remarried. I have had female cousins who were excellent NCOs and officers.in the Israeli army.If it was not for Marines like Lena Basilone and John Basilone the marines would not be the organization they are today. BASILONE, JOHN United States Marine Corps VETERAN SERVICE DATES: Unknown DATE OF DEATH: 02/19/1945 DATE OF INTERMENT: 04/20/1948 BURIED AT: SECTION 12 SITE 384 ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. My daddy was killed in Germany at the battle at the Remagen Bridge in 1945. He was offered a commission, which he turned down, and was later offered an assignment as an instructor, but refused this as well. Lena Basilone ran an extremely well regarded mess hall and led her Marines. us army combat medic i, FORT HOOD, Texas (Dec.11, 2022) Members of the search fire and rescue team, assigned to the Marine Corps Chemical, Biological Incident Response Force, saws through concrete while conducting a rescue during Exercise Sudden Response 23 at Fort Hood, Texas Dec. 11, 2022. If I myself was able to sacrifice myself to save even 2 people I had never met, believe me, I would do that. My father served in the Pacific and took part in the Central Pacific and Palau campaign(Peleliu). We also appreciated the material contributions you made to the war effort.As medics, my father and I kept many people alive when injured but we also kept them up mentally and maintained their health. Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on 24 and 25 October 1942. Thank you for your comments.My father and your fathers dedicated service in the Pacific will not be forgotten by me.The Basilones John and Lena were legends. This is what I remember about Lena. I have a flag and it has the names of family and friends named on it. That she and Gunnery Sgt. I think this battlespooked him. Virginia Grey dated John Basilone in the past, but they have since broken up. [17][18][19], His actions helped Marines penetrate the Japanese defense and get off the landing beach during the critical early stages of the invasion. I served from 73-2007 Vietnam era to Iraq. Thank you? Although she was just. I guess being a diabetic with a full ankle replacement i would just be more of a problem for the military rather than a help. He was the only enlisted Marine to receive both of these . She helped a lot of vets navigate the system at LAs VA. We were both combat medics and had extra duties our units needed including water purification and distribution. Parents Salvatore and Theadora Basilone. HBO did a wonderful job and I wish to see more great documentarylike shows that can bring history to life. He rarely talked about WW2 like a lot of other vets. Thank you for your insights. Donald Basilone was the youngest sibling of the Basilone family, and brother of GySgt. John Basilone was a United States Marine who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during the Battle of Guadalcanal in World War II. I found Lena in both the 1930 and 1940 censusand was very surprised and excited to learn that not only was she an Oregonian, shes was basically for me a local girl! She was raised and lived and worked in places less than an hours drive from where I live now! In later life she served at the VA ;and everyone she came into contact with. For the next seven months, they made the best of their time together before Basilone left for Iwo Jima with his regiment. One of her few, if not only, public appearances after Johns death was about nine months after he died. Aside from numerous decorations, Basilone received other honors for his bravery.
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