John Basilone and the Stand at Henderson Field

Quick answer: What did John Basilone do at Guadalcanal?

During the October 1942 Japanese assault near Henderson Field on Guadalcanal, Marine machine gun section leader John Basilone, 25, moved between gun positions under fire, repaired jammed weapons in darkness, carried heavy ammunition along a trail overrun by enemy troops, and held the line with pistol and machete. He received the Medal of Honor.

October 1942, Guadalcanal. The Japanese launched a full-scale assault on the Marine perimeter near Henderson Field. It was dark, the jungle thick with mud and mosquitoes. Machine guns were jamming from overuse and ammunition was low. In a critical sector held by the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, a 25-year-old machine gun section leader named John Basilone took control. Over many hours, John writes, he moved between gun positions under fire, repaired jammed weapons in pitch darkness, carried ammunition on foot along a trail overrun by Japanese troops, and returned to hold off the final wave with his pistol and a machete. He kept his crews alive and helped prevent a breakthrough. Asked about it later, he said, “I did what any Marine would do.” He received the Medal of Honor. Then, offered a safe assignment at home, he volunteered to go back. He was killed at Iwo Jima in 1945 leading his men off the beach. Courage isn't the absence of fear, John writes. It's action in spite of it.

Why it matters for leaders: When the mission matters more than the man, stay in the fight, again and again, until the job is done.

Q: What did Basilone say about it?

A: “I did what any Marine would do.”

Q: What happened to Basilone later?

A: Offered a safe assignment at home, he volunteered to return to combat and was killed at Iwo Jima in 1945 leading his men off the beach.

Read the full essay on Substack → https://heroespath.substack.com/p/john-basilone-and-the-last-45-minutes

By John Fenzel, founder and CEO of Heroes' Path Foundation