Younger
generations ask whose name is inscribed on monuments and flag posts or
on Federal properties; and in retelling these stories, we inspire young
Americans to appreciate the generations that came before in public
service. Sergeant Basilone, indeed, has a tremendous story. Born on November
4, 1916, in Buffalo, New York, he was 1 of 10 siblings born to
Salvatore and Dora Basilone. His father, an immigrant from Italy, and
his mother, a native of Manville, New Jersey, decided to raise their
family in the Somerset County, New Jersey, Borough of Raritan. At just barely 18 years of age, a young Basilone decided to enlist in
the United States Army in the 1930s. He would begin his military career
with a tour of the Philippines.
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immigrant