Hero of the Pacific: The Life of Marine Legend John Basilone

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"A carefully reported, briskly written book . . . that could go a long way toward correcting . . . historical oversight."
Los Angeles Times
In the summer of 1943, John Basilone became one of the most famous and admired people in America. Having been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for extraordinary bravery under fire at Guadalcanal, the young Marine toured the nation with movie stars, shared podiums with mayors and governors, and was even rumored to have made a romantic connection with a beautiful actress.
Why would a man who had proven his courage beyond any doubt and was reaping the rewards of his service beg his commanding officers to break with tradition and send a Medal of Honor winner back into combat? In Hero of the Pacific, Marine Corps veteran and bestselling author James Brady tells the dramatic life story of a small–town boy who found his purpose on two of World War II′s most hellish battlefields and became a national hero, only to fade from memory after his death on Iwo Jima. You may never have heard of John Basilone, but once you read this powerful tale, you will never forget him.

"A carefully reported, briskly written book . . . that could go a long way toward correcting . . . historical oversight."
Los Angeles Times
In the summer of 1943, John Basilone became one of the most famous and admired people in America. Having been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for extraordinary bravery under fire at Guadalcanal, the young Marine toured the nation with movie stars, shared podiums with mayors and governors, and was even rumored to have made a romantic connection with a beautiful actress.
Why would a man who had proven his courage beyond any doubt and was reaping the rewards of his service beg his commanding officers to break with tradition and send a Medal of Honor winner back into combat? In Hero of the Pacific, Marine Corps veteran and bestselling author James Brady tells the dramatic life story of a small–town boy who found his purpose on two of World War II′s most hellish battlefields and became a national hero, only to fade from memory after his death on Iwo Jima. You may never have heard of John Basilone, but once you read this powerful tale, you will never forget him.

Acknowledgments. Prologue.
PART ONE GUADALCANAL.
PART TWO HOMETOWN.
PART THREE HOME FRONT.
PART FOUR IWO JIMA.
PART FIVE COMING HOME.
Epilogue.
Bibliography.
Illustration Credits.
Index.

The late James Brady commanded a Marine rifle platoon during the Korean War and was awarded a Bronze Star for valor. He authored eighteen books, among them several on the Marines, including the nonfiction Why Marines Fight and the New York Times bestselling novel The Marines of Autumn.