BUFFALO, N.Y. — The U.S. Navy commissioned the USS John Basilone into service this weekend.
The ship bears the name of a Buffalo native and marine who served during World War II.
John Basilone won the medal of honor for heroism during the Battle of Henderson Field at Guadalcanal one of the Solomon Islands, in the South Pacific, fending off incoming Japanese forces with a machine gun. When ammunition ran out shortly before dawn, he used a pistol and a machete.
Basilone was also posthumously awarded the Navy Cross after being killed at Iwo Jima. The Navy Cross is the U.S. military's second-highest decoration for valor, and it is given to people who show extraordinary heroism or distinguished service while serving in the Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard.