2012 John Basilone Memorial Parade in Raritan NJ this Weekend [AUDIO/VIDEO]
The 31st annual John Basilone Memorial Parade will take place this coming weekend, September 20th -22nd in Raritan Township.
Marine Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone was the recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor for gallant action during the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942 and the Navy Cross for heroism in the 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima where he was eventually killed. Basilone's stint in the army ended in 1937 and then joined the Marines in 1940. Basilone was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2011.
Here is a clip of John Basilone's character in HBO's mini series 'The Pacific' receiving the Medal of Honor.
Here is a schedule of the some of the notable events going on this weekend:
The celebration kicks off Friday, Sept. 21, at 7 p.m. when the Summerswing Orchestra performs World War II era big band music at the John Basilone statue where Somerset Street becomes Old York Road. The concert is free to the public.
On Saturday, Sept. 22, the Quantico Marine Corps Band will give its 23rd annual Commemorative Concert at Raritan Valley Community College at 2 and 7 p.m. The Marine Band concerts are free. Fans can get tickets at the RVCC theater Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-4 p.m., by calling the theater at 908-725-3420. (there is a $1 charge per ticket when ordering by phone)
The John Basilone Museum, in the Raritan Borough Library, will be open on Sunday, Sept. 23 at 10 a.m. The museum holds World War II memorabilia and artifacts as well as books, photographs and other materials specifically about or related to Basilone. It also holds photographs of borough veterans of the war.
Raritan Borough Mayor Jo-Ann Liptak called into Jim's show this morning to discuss the schedule of events and the excitement and patriotism the town shows each year for the event. You can listen to her interview with Jim in the audio player below.
[AUDIO://townsquare.media/site/385/files/2012/09/JOANNE-LIPTAK.mp3|titles=MayorJoAnnLiptak]