John Basilone’s Medal of Honor feat on “The Pacific” episode 2

 

 

Episode two of "The Pacific" focuses on John Basilone on Guadalcanal.  It features the night action where Basilone behaved with incredible bravery.  The night when he earned his Medal of Honor was October 25, 1942.   He became the most famous combat Marine associated with Guadalcanal.  The episode covers the Battle of Henderson Field.  How close is the scene to reality?

The scene begins with Basilone in a bunker with several other Marines including another machine gun team.  They get a call from Chesty Puller that a large Japanese force is heading their way.  The enemy opens with a brief artillery barrage.  Then they see Japanese working their way through the barbed wire. It is a human wave attack.  The Japanese are slaughtered.  The Marines are running out of ammunition.  Basilone clears a jam in the other machine gun.  He and his team leave when they are informed that the Japanese have broken through at another part of the line.  Basilone leaves without his glove that he used for holding the barrel while firing.  On the way, he and his two men run into some Japanese.  Basilone kills all six.  They reach another bunker where he mows down another attack.  In a lull, he runs out and moves some Japanese bodies to create a field of fire.  He leaves to get more ammo.  On the way, Rodriguez saves his life by killing two Japanese. He is stunned by an artillery round.  He gets back to resume slaughtering.

The action did open with an artillery barrage and the Japanese did have to get through the barbed wire.  About 3,000 Japanese were in the attack, although they weren’t all coming at Basilone. It just seemed that way.  Basilone was in command of two machine gun sections.  That was about 16 men.  The two sections were mowing down the Japanese when the bunker nearby was disabled by Japanese gunfire and grenades (no grenades are shown in the scene).  Basilone grabbed a spare machine gun and carried it 200 yards through enemy fire to the other bunker.  He was accompanied by two other Marines.  Basilone shot two Japanese with his Colt .45 on the way.  He was carrying about 90 pounds of machine gun and ammunition.  When they arrived at the bunker, the other two got to killing while Basilone repaired a damaged machine gun and opened fire.  Basilone spent the rest of the night moving between the two sections, clearing jams and encouraging his men.  Twice he went for ammunition.  At one point, he opened fire with a machine gun that he held by the gun barrel.  He did not have his protective gloves on so he blistered his hands.  After the battle, he was credited with killing 38 Japanese.

The episode does not show the Japanese using human bridges to get over the barbed wire.  That would have been cool.  And even though it was made for HBO, somehow they did not include the Marines peeing on the machine gun barrels to cool them.  Basilone  did not go through the jungle to get to the other section, he ran through no man’s land.  Rodriquez saving his life is apparently historical license.  I found nothing about clearing a field of fire.

In conclusion, the scene is fairly accurate.  It does add a Ramboesque killing of the six Japanese.  I assume this bloody action was put in to show that he had his blood lust up. If the episode wanted to show this, it could have included the part of the battle when he used a pistol and a machete to hold off the Japanese!  It forces Rodriguez in by having him save Basilone’s life.  It changes the trip to the other section to get the Rambo action in.  Another problem is the battle lasted the whole night.  Not surprisingly, the episode makes it seem like it was brief. Basilone was all over the place for three day and nights without food or rest.

 Here is his Medal of Honor citation:

BASILONE, JOHN

Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 4 November 1916, Buffalo, N.Y. Accredited to: New Jersey. Other Navy award: Navy Cross. Citation: For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry in action against enemy Japanese forces, above and beyond the call of duty, while serving with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division in the Lunga Area. Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on 24 and 25 October 1942. While the enemy was hammering at the Marines’ defensive positions, Sgt. Basilone, in charge of 2 sections of heavy machineguns, fought valiantly to check the savage and determined assault. In a fierce frontal attack with the Japanese blasting his guns with grenades and mortar fire, one of Sgt. Basilone’s sections, with its guncrews, was put out of action, leaving only 2 men able to carry on. Moving an extra gun into position, he placed it in action, then, under continual fire, repaired another and personally manned it, gallantly holding his line until replacements arrived. A little later, with ammunition critically low and the supply lines cut off, Sgt. Basilone, at great risk of his life and in the face of continued enemy attack, battled his way through hostile lines with urgently needed shells for his gunners, thereby contributing in large measure to the virtual annihilation of a Japanese regiment. His great personal valor and courageous initiative were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.