BASILONE SWEATSHIRT

John Basilone (November 4, 1916 – February 19, 1945) was a United States Marine Corps gunnery sergeant who received the Medal of Honor for actions during the Battle for Henderson Field in the Guadalcanal campaign, and the Navy Cross posthumously for extraordinary heroism during the Battle of Iwo Jima. He was the only enlisted Marine to receive both of these decorations in World War II. Basilone attended St. Bernard Parochial School in Raritan, N.J. and after completing middle school at age 15, went to work as a golf caddy at the local country club, forgoing high school. A memorial parade for Basilone has been held annually along Somerset Street in Raritan since 1981.[ In 2022, five blocks of West Somerset Street, including the section that passes John Basilone Memorial Park, were renamed "Basilone Boulevard."