The Pacific (89 page)

159
Thomas J. "Stumpy" Stanley, " To All Hands," 1982, SCAU.

160
"Chock to Chock."

161
Jean Micheel interview with author.

162
John, Carlo, and Angelo Basilone, November 9, 1943, LWO 5833, GR11, 6B3, Library of Congress.

163
Dorothy Zimmer letter to John Basilone, November 10, 1943, Basilone Family Collection.

164
Cpl. Carolyn M. Orchovic letters to John Basilone, October 23, November 1, and December 14, 1943, Basilone Family Collection.

165
Thomas Gallaher, "The Marine Who Had to Go Back," undated article from unidentified magazine, USMC Archives.

166
Don Basilone interviews and e-mails with author, November 2008, author's collection.

167
Interview with Mary Basilone, in the documentary
The Saga of Manila John,
undated, Chuck Tatum Productions.

168
Sgt. James J. Nicholl to John Basilone, November 15, 1943, Basilone Family Collection.

169
Since the war, other escapees have written books about their experience. All sorts of differences exist, of course, in the details. Shofner's memo to MacArthur's HQ, dated 3 December 1943, was used here in combination with his memoir and his diary because this is Shofner's story. See also: Stephen Mellnik,
Philippine War Diary
; Jack Hawkins,
Never Say Die
; Sam Grashio and Bernard Norling,
Return to Freedom
; Ed Dyess's serialized account in the
Chicago Daily Tribune
(beginning January 30, 1944); Melvyn McCoy and Stephen Mellnik,
Ten Escaped Tojo
; and Michael Dobervich's letter dated December 4, 1995, to Dear Shof and Family, SCAU.

170
Martin Shofner e-mail to author, author's collection.

171
Flyer and photos of this event are available at
www.cimorelli.com/pie/heroes/basilone
.

172
"Invest in America," undated photo,
New York Journal- American
, Basilone Family Collection.

173
Ibid. A lot of Basilone's biographers assert that Basilone spoke to Vandegrift at this event, asking to be reassigned. A close reading of the documents, however, reveals that no definitive date on which Basilone made this request can be ascertained. The underlying assumption, that Basilone would have needed help from Vandegrift to get reassigned, has not been proven and remains suspect. It seems clear that if Basilone did speak to Vandegrift here, he had to repeat his request later. For the author, the date inscribed upon the base of John Basilone's statue in Raritan, combined with the recollection of his sister Mary Basilone, is instructive. The base lists his return date as December 27, 1943. This date does not correlate with John's transfer orders or with any of the official paperwork related to his transfer. It is the date when he departed Raritan to return to active duty in D.C. This date, when combined with the Mary Basilone quote as well as the tiny news item "Guadalcanal Hero Tires of Talk, Wants Action" in the Basilone Family Collection, points to John telling his parents before he left for D.C. that he was going to request reassignment. He did not return home, and therefore December 27 became the date his mother gave the sculptor. The first request for John's transfer made by the commandant's office was dated December 29, 1943, but it does not name the commandant. Given the date, the commandant referred to would have been Gen. Thomas Holcomb, Vandegrift's predecessor.

174
"Service Men Honored," December 11, 1943, clipping from unidentified newspaper, Basilone Family Collection.

175
Richard Greer to John Basilone, November 27, 1943, Basilone Family Collection.

176
"Chock to Chock."

177
The story of meeting his girlfriend, as related on p. 70 of Shofner's "WWII Memories," was confirmed by the author's interview with Col. Jack Hawkins. Much of the rest of Shofner's description in his memoir of his visit to D.C. is, however, at odds with the official records in his personnel file, with the reports he wrote, and with his diary.

178
Col. Jack Hawkins interview, author's collection. This film was never made because, according to Colonel Hawkins, the censors rejected the screenplays. Hawkins returned to active duty and served in the Battle of Okinawa.

179
The diary of John W. Tatum provided the date on which his company was briefed on the details of the invasion. The details themselves are found in "Phase II, Part II, Green Beach Landings," Special Action Report of the First Marines, Box 232, RG 127, NARA.

180
"A Family Look at John Basilone,"
Observer
, February 11, 1988, p. 9, RPL; see also interviews with his family members in
The Saga of Manila John
, a documentary produced by Chuck Tatum Productions.

181
John Basilone USMC Service Record Book, Personnel Records, NRC.

182
Interview with Mary Basilone, in the documentary
The Saga of Manila John,
undated, Chuck Tatum Productions.

183
Interviews with Angelo and Carlo Basilone, in the documentary
The Saga of Manila John,
undated, Chuck Tatum Productions.

184
"Guadalcanal Hero Tires of Talk, Wants Action," undated clipping from unidentified newspaper, Basilone Family Collection. This brief news item appeared after John had departed for California.

185
"Sergeant John Basilone, Hero of Marines Killed on Iwo Jima," undated clipping from unidentified newspaper, RPL.

186
"Guadalcanal Hero Tires of Talk, Wants Action," undated newspaper clipping.

187
"Basilone Killed While Leading Platoon on Iwo,"
Courier News
, March 8, 1945.

ACT IV

1
"Phase II, Part II, Green Beach Landings," Special Action Report of the First Marines, Box 232, RG 127, NARA.

2
The Special Action Report of the First Marines states that the enemy hit G Company. However, Tatum's diary and Phillips's memoir make clear that How Company sustained the majority of the casualties.

3
This figure comes from Tatum's diary. The actual figure of enemy dead, according to Masters's report, was 83. The enemy wounded had been dragged away.

4
"Chock to Chock."

5
John McCarthy, in his memoir "Scouting Six at Midway," available at
www.cv6.org
, discusses these fuel-saving procedures.

6
"Chock to Chock."

7
Ibid.

8
"Phase II, Part II, Green Beach Landings," Special Action Report of the First Marines, Box 232, RG 127, NARA.

9
Robert Witty,
Marines of the Margarita: The Story of Camp Pendleton
, 1970, p. 10. A veteran made some of this book available to the author, but the publishing information was not included.

10
Charles W. Tatum,
Iwo Jima: Red Blood Black Sand Pacific Apocalypse
(Stockton, California: Chuck Tatum Productions, 2002), p. 36.

11
Howard M. Conner,
The Spearhead: The WWII History of the Fifth Marine Division
(Nashville, Tennessee: The Battery Press, 1950), p. 2.

12
Walter Bandyk interview, Headquarters Company, 27 Regiment, author's collection.

13
Interview with Lt. Col. Justin Duryea, in the documentary
The Saga of Manila John,
Chuck Tatum Productions.

14
Tatum,
Red Blood Black Sand
, p. 41; Chuck Tatum interviews, author's collection. Basilone's Service Book does not show he ever served in B Company, 1/27, but he was assigned to the battalion HQ for a period before being assigned to C/1/27.

15
"I'm Glad to Get Overseas Duty," by GySgt. John Basilone, USMC Archives.

16
Tatum,
Red Blood Black Sand
, p. 33.

17
Lt. John Keith Wells,
Give Me Fifty Marines Not Afraid to Die
(privately published, 1995), p. 89.

18
Tatum,
Red Blood Black Sand
, p. 38.

19
Charles Tatum interview, Playtone Collection, 07B.

20
Tatum,
Red Blood Black Sand
, p. 39.

21
John Basilone to Dear Mom and Pop, undated, Basilone Family Collection.

22
Letter to John Basilone, signature illegible, dated Tuesday 25th [January] 1944, Basilone Family Collection.

23
Proceedings and Debates of the 78th Congress, 2nd Session, Appendix, Vol. 90, Part 11, "General MacArthur's Role in the War Against Japan, Remarks by Hon. Carl Hatch," pp. A3943-A4906. Hatch quotes Governor Thomas Dewey of New York, who delivered the remarks cited here.

24
www.imdb.com
.

25
Senate of the United States, "Exchange and Treatment of Prisoners of War: Remarks of Hon. Elbert D. Thomas," 78th Congress, 1st Session, November 18, 1943, p. 1. Senator Thomas of Utah stated that "the office of practically every Senator is calling my office and asking questions regarding war prisoners held in the Far East."

26
"Promotion of Certain American Prisoners of War," Hearings Before the Committee of Military Affairs, United States Senate, 78th Congress, First and Second Sessions (October 15-December 1, 1943), pp. 1, 29.

27
Ibid. p. 11.

28
Lt. Col. W. E. Dyess, "Dyess--One Man Scourge of Jap Supply Fleet Off Bataan,"
Chicago Daily Tribune
, February 2, 1944, p. 1.

29
"The Beasts of the Pacific,"
Chicago Daily Tribune
, January 29, 1944, p. 10.

30
John H. Criders, "Ruin Japan!"
The New York Times
, January 29, 1944, p. 1; see also "War Bond Sales Soar Here in Reaction to Atrocities,"
The New York Times
, January 29, 1944, p. 1.

31
"Promotion of Certain American Prisoners of War," Hearings Before the Committee of Military Affairs, p. 23.

32
Condit and Turnbladh,
Hold High the Torch
, p. 195.

33
"Chock to Chock."

34
After Action Report, VB-2, author's copy courtesy of the National Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola, Florida.

35
Charles Tatum interview, Playtone Collection; Tatum,
Red Blood Black Sand
, pp. 45-46.

36
Wells,
Give Me Fifty Marines
, p. 97; Tatum,
Red Blood Black Sand
, p. 33.

37
Conner,
The Spearhead
, p. 1.

38
Wells,
Give Me Fifty Marines
, pp. 95-96.

39
Charles Tatum interview, Playtone Collection.

40
William Douglas Lansford, "The Life and Death of 'Manila John,' "
Leatherneck
, October 2002, vol. 85, #10.

41
Charles Tatum interview, Playtone Collection.

42
Interview with Roy Elsner, Lucille Otis, and Clinton Watters, author's collection.

43
"Brother: Johnny Went Back to 'Those Kids' at War," undated clipping from unidentified newspaper, RPL.

44
Tatum,
Red Blood Black Sand
, p. 67.

45
Charles Tatum interview with author, author's collection.

46
Charles Tatum interview, Playtone Collection; Tatum,
Red Blood Black Sand
, p. 67. The line promotion is dated February 11 in Service Record Book, Medical Records, Basilone USMC Personnel File, NRC.

47
"Public Voucher for 6 Months Death Gratuity Pay," John Basilone Personnel File, NRC.

48
Sledge's letter announcing his arrival was dated February 17, 1943; the date of arrival listed in his USMC Personnel File is April 16, 1943.

49
Jack Hawkins interviews, author's collection; Grashio and Norling,
Return to Freedom
.

50
"I'm Glad to Get Overseas Duty," by GySgt. John Basilone, USMC Archives. The polished writing and use of obscure words make it obvious that Basilone did not write this article himself. The piece was not picked up immediately by any newspapers so it likely was a proactive effort on the part of the USMC, possibly at Basilone's instigation. The mention of the "girl back East" means it was written before he met Lena and after his promotion to gunnery sergeant.

51
John Basilone to Dearest Mother and Dad, undated letter, Basilone Family Collection. John begins it with a reference to his brother George's survival of the 4th Division's invasion of the Marshall Islands.

52
Clinton Watters interview, author's collection; C-1-27 Muster Roll, January 31, 1945.

53
Clinton Watters letter to author, July 5, 2007.

54
Ibid.; Watters letter to author, November 22, 2007.

55
"Basilone Legacy Lives On in Heart of WWII Veteran," undated news item in the
Scout
, the newspaper of the USMC base at Camp Pendleton (hereafter Lena Basilone interview,
Scout
Article); Lucille Otis interview with Dustin Spence, author's collection. All of the participants disagree as to the exact date of their meeting. Lena herself gave different statements. Her most powerful memory--of going on leave the day after she met him--has been tracked to her USMC Personnel File, which lists the date of that leave.

56
Lena Basilone interview, Traditions Military Video,
www.militaryvideo.com
.

57
Ibid.

58
Scout
Article.

59
Cmdr. Harold L. Buell USNR, "Death of a Captain,"
Proceedings
, February 1986, p. 92.

60
USS
Hornet
(CV-12) War Diary, Box 953, RG 38, NARA.

61
Ibid.

62
Bush Memoir.

63
Ibid.

64
Reynolds,
On the Warpath
, p. 327.

65
USS
Hornet
(CV-12) War Diary, Box 953, RG 38, NARA.