[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 146 (Monday, October 3, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1736]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


               HONORING THE JOHN BASILONE MEMORIAL PARADE

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. RODNEY P. FRELINGHUYSEN

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 3, 2011

  Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the organizers 
of the John Basilone Memorial Parade which takes place in Somerset 
County, New Jersey. This year they celebrate 30 years of remembrance 
for an American hero.
  Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone was awarded the Congressional Medal of 
Honor for his valiant efforts at the Battle of Guadalcanal on October 
24, 1942. After his 15-man unit was reduced to himself and two others 
by Japanese forces, Gunnery Sgt. Basilone took command of two sections 
of machine guns and bravely fought for 48 hours with his two fellow 
Marines. When ammunition became scarce, he battled through enemy 
grounds to gather more. And, by the end of the fight, the Japanese 
troops were nearly destroyed.
  Upon his return to his hometown in the Borough of Raritan, New 
Jersey, Gunnery Sgt. Basilone was welcomed home with a parade held in 
his honor on September 21, 1943. The first parade was covered by both 
Life magazine and the Fox Movietone News. The Newsreel was then shown 
in movie theatres throughout the country.
  Tragically, after requesting to return to the fleet, Gunnery Sgt. 
Basilone lost his life during the invasion of Iwo Jima on February 19, 
1945. For his duty in Iwo Jima, Sgt. Basilone posthumously received the 
Navy Cross, becoming the only Marine enlisted in World War II to 
receive both the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross.
  Sgt. Basilone's memory was not forgotten in his hometown, and in 
1981, the John Basilone Memorial Parade began and is now in its 30th 
year. Every September, the Borough of Raritan and neighboring 
communities come together to not only remember our fallen war hero, but 
to honor our military and unite as a community. The John Basilone 
Parade is more than just a parade, it is an opportunity for Americans 
to come together and celebrate the freedoms we share and those who 
fight to protect them.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in recognizing 
the organizers of the John Basilone Memorial Parade for honoring not 
only one American hero, but all those who fight for our country.

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