Because he felt that he was suitable for the navy, he later joined the navy.
After graduating from middle school at the age of 15, he became a caddy at a country golf club. After joining the Army in 1934, he worked in the Philippines for three years. There, Basilone was a famous champion boxer. After retiring, he became a truck driver in Maryland. After working for a few months, he returned to Manila, feeling that the Marine Corps was a better fit for his development than the army. Therefore, in July 1940, Basilone enlisted in the Marine Corps in Baltimore, Maryland. Battle of Guadalcanal On October 24, 1942, American soldier John Basilone was attacked by about 3,000 Japanese troops in the Lunga area. The Japanese armed with heavy machine guns from the United States began to charge, killing 15 people in the class 12 times within 48 hours, leaving only Basilone and two other injured companions. To resist the Japanese attack, Basilone used two machine guns and a pistol. One of the machine guns malfunctioned and Basilone repaired it himself.
During the early morning reinforcements from the 24th to the 25th, they had to cross the fire line and collect ammunition everywhere to resist the attack. The Japanese suffered heavy casualties. Due to the use of a water-cooled machine gun, the bones in his hands were exposed when reinforcements found him. After the battle, Basilone returned to the United States as a war hero, advertised war bonds, and had his own patent. But he was unhappy and not enjoying his life. He missed the days of the military camp and his comrades who died in the war, and then submitted reports to return to the army many times. According to regulations, soldiers who have received the Medal of Honor can no longer enter the battlefield. But after repeatedly turning down positions such as trainer and urging him again to return to combat, the Marine Corps finally granted his request. He first went to Marine Corps training camp in California to train new recruits, where he fell in love with and married a female soldier of Italian descent. Later, he was assigned to fight in the 5th Marine Division.
On February 19, 1945, the Battle of Iwo Jima began. As the platoon leader, Basilone led his comrades to attack Hong Ertan. The Japanese army built many excellent fortifications on Iwo Jima, and their powerful firepower suppressed the American attack. He launched an attack, destroyed a Japanese bunker, and led the team to Airfield One. Along the way, he also helped a tank trapped in a Japanese minefield return to safety. Unfortunately, Basilone was killed by a mortar as he drove onto the edge of Airport One.