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The Jewish Home | JULY 14, 2022
Forgotten Her es
Legends in the Marines By Avi Heiligman
A statue in New Jersey depicting John Basilone
T
he American Marine Corps has a fascinating history dating back over 200 years that has taken on
Dan Daly
a persona much different than the other branches of the military. While some battlefield heroes are known – especial-
Hershel Woody Williams was the last living World War II Medal of Honor recipient
ly those who have served in public office after leaving the military – others like John Basilone or Dan Daly have stories that should be remembered. Here are some stories of marines that often are overlooked when it comes to battlefield heroes. There have been several double recipients of the Medal of Honor, but none were quite like Dan Daly. His first Medal of Honor came for actions during the Boxer Revolution in China in 1900. He single-handedly defended a position against an enemy that attacked repeatedly and inflicted 200 casualties. In 1915, Daly was a gunnery sergeant with the 2nd Marine Regiment during a conflict in Haiti when they were attacked by 400 enemy soldiers from three sides. Daly led the marine detachment of about 40 men into a better fighting position, in the process, scattering the enemy. The attack continued through the night, and the retreating marines lost their only machine gun. Daniel Daly returned and retrieved the gun while fighting off several Haitians with his knife. His detachment made it to the safety of a nearby fort. During the Battle of Belleau Wood, in June 1918, he reportedly said to his men, “Come on, do you want to live forever?” Daly was awarded the Navy Cross for singlehandedly capturing a machine gun nest with grenades and a pistol. Daly was repeatedly put into
battle situations where the odds were stacked against him and his men, and yet every time, he came out victorious. Major General Smedley Butler said about Daly that he was “the fightin’est Marine I ever knew!” Butler was one to know about fighting marines himself, as he was also awarded the Medal of Honor twice along with a host of other medals for bravery in combat.
Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone was a former enlisted soldier in the army before joining the marines in 1940. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the U.S. spent months on the defensive and finally in August 1942 was ready to invade Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. Basilone was with D Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division during the Battle of Henderson Field, an airfield on the Pacific island, in late October 1942. He commanded two machine gun sections against a Japanese regiment of 3,000 soldiers. For three days, with no food or sleep, Basilone took charge and fought the oncoming enemy troops. After running out of ammunition, he ran through Japanese lines with just a pistol and a machete so that his men could keep on fighting. The battle ended once the Japanese forces ceased to exist as a fighting force. Just two other Americans besides Basilone
