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77 Years Ago Today - Guadalcanal


AUinHsv

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https://www.historynet.com/second-naval-battle-of-guadalcanal-turning-point-in-the-pacific-war.htm

Found this link on another football forum. The second naval battle pretty much decided tat the US would win Guadalcanal. It wasn't mentioned but Lee was absolutely the right man to be in charge of gunnery. Before Mark Spitz won 7 Olympic gold medals the record was 5 by Lee - all in shooting.  He then specialized in gunnery in the Navy. He viewed the 16 inch guns on a battleship as part of a "gunfight" with other ships.  It's a little dramatic - one ship versus a lot of others but still a good read on how the Washington carried the fight. I think Lee's message to the PT boats that couldn't identify him was "This is Lee, stand aside and I am coming thru".  The challenge then was what was written in the article.

Edited by AUinHsv
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he President of the United States in the name of The Congress takes pleasure in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to

SERGEANT

JOHN “MANILLA JOHN” BASILONE

MARINE CORPS

for service as set forth in the following

CITATION:

For The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Sergeant John Manila John” Basilone (MCSN: 287506), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry in action against enemy Japanese forces, above and beyond the call of duty, while serving with the First Battalion, Seventh Marines, FIRST Marine Division in the Lunga Area. Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on the night of 24 – 25 October 1942. While the enemy was hammering at the Marines’ defensive positions, Sergeant Basilone, in charge of two 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 Sergeant Basilone’s sections, with its guncrews, was put out of action, leaving only two 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, Sergeant 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.

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The episode of HBO's The Pacific that covers Guadalcanal battle is riveting. Basilone was a badass that exposed himself to enemy fire moving dead Japanese bodies out of the way so his gunners would have a clear shot.

Edited by RPM
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17 hours ago, RPM said:

The episode of HBO's The Pacific that covers Guadalcanal battle is riveting. Basilone was a badass that exposed himself to enemy fire moving dead Japanese bodies out of the way so his gunners would have a clear shot.

Thx @RPM

I was going to ask if this was part of The Pacific.  Been awhile since I saw it.  Time to watch again.

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I've become booked on reading WWII biographies; right now I'm reading about William "Bull" Halsey.
Currently reading Halsleys Typhoon, a fascinating in-depth look into the typhoon that hit the fleet during the battle of the Philippines.


Those book’s conclusions are all wrong. Halsey acted stupidly.
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