Memorial statue of Medal of Honor recipient U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone at the intersections of West Somerset Street and Colle Sannita Way in Raritan, N.J., Aug. 25, 2020. Basilone received the Medal of Honor for heroism above and beyond the call of duty during the Battle for Henderson Field in the Guadalcanal Campaign, while serving with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, in the Lunga Area, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, Oct. 24 and 25, 1942. Basilone was killed in action Feb. 19, 1945, and was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously for extraordinary heroism during the Battle of Iwo Jima. He was the only enlisted Marine to receive both decorations in World War II. On June 6, 1948, the John Basilone American Legion Post in Raritan dedicated the life-size statue of Basilone holding a water-cooled Browning machine gun. The statue was sculpted by childhood friend Phillip Orlando. (New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs photo by Mark C. Olsen)
Memorial statue of Medal of Honor recipient U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone at the intersections of West Somerset Street and Colle Sannita Way in Raritan, N.J., Aug. 25, 2020. Basilone received the Medal of Honor for heroism above and beyond the call of duty during the Battle for Henderson Field in the Guadalcanal Campaign, while serving with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, in the Lunga Area, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, Oct. 24 and 25, 1942. Basilone was killed in action Feb. 19, 1945, and was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously for extraordinary heroism during the Battle of Iwo Jima. He was the only enlisted Marine to receive both decorations in World War II. On June 6, 1948, the John Basilone American Legion Post in Raritan dedicated the life-size statue of Basilone holding a water-cooled Browning machine gun. The statue was sculpted by childhood friend Phillip Orlando. (New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs photo by Mark C. Olsen)
Memorial statue of Medal of Honor recipient U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone at the intersections of West Somerset Street and Colle Sannita Way in Raritan, N.J., Aug. 25, 2020. Basilone received the Medal of Honor for heroism above and beyond the call of duty during the Battle for Henderson Field in the Guadalcanal Campaign, while serving with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, in the Lunga Area, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, Oct. 24 and 25, 1942. Basilone was killed in action Feb. 19, 1945, and was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously for extraordinary heroism during the Battle of Iwo Jima. He was the only enlisted Marine to receive both decorations in World War II. On June 6, 1948, the John Basilone American Legion Post in Raritan dedicated the life-size statue of Basilone holding a water-cooled Browning machine gun. The statue was sculpted by childhood friend Phillip Orlando. (New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs photo by Mark C. Olsen)
Memorial statue of Medal of Honor recipient U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone at the intersections of West Somerset Street and Colle Sannita Way in Raritan, N.J., Aug. 25, 2020. Basilone received the Medal of Honor for heroism above and beyond the call of duty during the Battle for Henderson Field in the Guadalcanal Campaign, while serving with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, in the Lunga Area, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, Oct. 24 and 25, 1942. Basilone was killed in action Feb. 19, 1945, and was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously for extraordinary heroism during the Battle of Iwo Jima. He was the only enlisted Marine to receive both decorations in World War II. On June 6, 1948, the John Basilone American Legion Post in Raritan dedicated the life-size statue of Basilone holding a water-cooled Browning machine gun. The statue was sculpted by childhood friend Phillip Orlando. (New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs photo by Mark C. Olsen)
Memorial statue of Medal of Honor recipient U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone at the intersections of West Somerset Street and Colle Sannita Way in Raritan, N.J., Aug. 25, 2020. Basilone received the Medal of Honor for heroism above and beyond the call of duty during the Battle for Henderson Field in the Guadalcanal Campaign, while serving with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, in the Lunga Area, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, Oct. 24 and 25, 1942. Basilone was killed in action Feb. 19, 1945, and was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously for extraordinary heroism during the Battle of Iwo Jima. He was the only enlisted Marine to receive both decorations in World War II. On June 6, 1948, the John Basilone American Legion Post in Raritan dedicated the life-size statue of Basilone holding a water-cooled Browning machine gun. The statue was sculpted by childhood friend Phillip Orlando. (New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs photo by Mark C. Olsen)
Memorial statue of Medal of Honor recipient U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone at the intersections of West Somerset Street and Colle Sannita Way in Raritan, N.J., Aug. 25, 2020. Basilone received the Medal of Honor for heroism above and beyond the call of duty during the Battle for Henderson Field in the Guadalcanal Campaign, while serving with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, in the Lunga Area, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, Oct. 24 and 25, 1942. Basilone was killed in action Feb. 19, 1945, and was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously for extraordinary heroism during the Battle of Iwo Jima. He was the only enlisted Marine to receive both decorations in World War II. On June 6, 1948, the John Basilone American Legion Post in Raritan dedicated the life-size statue of Basilone holding a water-cooled Browning machine gun. The statue was sculpted by childhood friend Phillip Orlando. (New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs photo by Mark C. Olsen)
Memorial statue of Medal of Honor recipient U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone at the intersections of West Somerset Street and Colle Sannita Way in Raritan, N.J., Aug. 25, 2020. Basilone received the Medal of Honor for heroism above and beyond the call of duty during the Battle for Henderson Field in the Guadalcanal Campaign, while serving with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, in the Lunga Area, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, Oct. 24 and 25, 1942. Basilone was killed in action Feb. 19, 1945, and was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously for extraordinary heroism during the Battle of Iwo Jima. He was the only enlisted Marine to receive both decorations in World War II. On June 6, 1948, the John Basilone American Legion Post in Raritan dedicated the life-size statue of Basilone holding a water-cooled Browning machine gun. The statue was sculpted by childhood friend Phillip Orlando. (New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs photo by Mark C. Olsen)
We cleaned the Statue while I attended Troop 75-Raritan NJ in the 60’s. The annual parade began at this location west end of town.