15 Marines vs 3000 - The Unstoppable John Basilone

People die twice. Once when their body gives out and the 2nd time when their name is no longer spoken. Your keeping these wonderful men alive with your work.

*Fat Electrician* *pours his literal heart, blood, soul into his work*
“Guys i dont think i can tell this story good enough”
Fat, we love you man. You do amazing work.

“I don’t think I can do this justice” proceeds to bring a grown man to tears. You have a the gift.

I work for a Shipyard in Maine building Arleigh Burke Class Destroyers for the navy. The most recent destroyer we built and delivered to the navy is the USS John Basilone

The most Marine thing I have heard "You can't keep shooting at the small birds with Browning Machine Guns because they won't shut up." 🤣

Saint John Basilone,
Guardian of the belt-fed and champion of the crew-served,
Look upon your humble gunner in this hour of need.
As my sights wobble and my barrel grows hot,
Grant me steady hands and a reliable feed tray.
Deliver me from misfires, double feeds, and the cursed runaway gun.
Guide my assistant gunner to remember the oil can,
And let my squad leader understand that ammo is heavy
And my back is not a pack mule.
Bless my rounds, that they may find their mark or at least suppress the hell out of the enemy.
Forgive me for swearing at my weapon when it jams,
For you know, Saint John, that a gunner’s wrath is holy and righteous.
Grant me strength to carry the extra barrel and
Patience when someone asks why my weapon weighs so much.
May my sling never snap, and my bipod never fail.
And when my tour is done, and I stand before you,
May you greet me with a grin,
An endless belt of ammunition,
And a firing line with the best view in heaven.
Through the sound of brass hitting the deck and the roar of the bolt,
I lift this prayer to you.
Amen.

Hey, not sure if you'll see this or not, but Basilone here. Firstly I want to say how beautiful this was and thank you for taking your time and doing your research. My family is incredibly honored to have Johns story told to the depths and respect you did. But I just wanted to correct 1 thing. As had been relayed to my family and taught to us our whole lives, and confirmed by my mother (a cousin of his) John Died alone on the shores that day. Everyone had been wiped out and he single handedly held off the Japanese with that machine gun in his bare hands until backup could arrive. Also John has a Road, Ship and Bridge named after him as well as a Parade held solely in his honor every year to this day in his home town in NJ. He also has a memorial in San Diego CA, Feat. a bust of his likeness (which if you ask me personally looks more like Chesty than John). And of course he's buried in Arlington. Thank you again.

19:42 That cameo by Eli doing a Japanese accent is B.E.A. UTIFUL! I now have subway sandwich sprayed all over my work desk because of how hilarious that was!

I met Chuck Tatum several years ago when he visited a church near me. I got a personally signed copy of his book, "Red Blood, Black Sand." Great book. I talked to him for a little while. I asked him what it was like serving under John Basilone and he said the only reason we had to drop the atomic bombs is because a lucky mortor took out Basilone on that beach.

Hi mate, I know you'll never ever see this message as it'll be drowned under all of the comments here. There is no way, ever, that you'll never do any story the justice that it deserves. One of THE best channels on this platform and I've been following you forever. Keep up the awesome work you do bud.

"..and I'm worried I'm not gonna do 'em justice..." My electrician who is fat, you bow to no one. You're an absolute unit of a storyteller. Bro has brought me to tears talking about these heroes, bringing them to life in a way that's so damn engaging and memorable. Thanks for doing what you do, man. (COMMUNISM SUCKS!)

I saw your face...and understood the pause....I watched it twice. Many parts of this I rewound and watched over and over again, just to hear it again....I laughed, I cheered, I fought back tears...I pause in writing this....to reflect and take it all in. A man among men. An inspiration to warriors everywhere.

We all hate endings like this because they're a stark reminder that war is not to be romanticized. Young men fight, young men die.
I will say that I loved where you tied some of your previous stories into this one. Most well done, as usual.

Eli's cameo broke me.
Fun fact: The Superintendent of Schools for all 9 years I attended Ray School was Robert Chastain, a former Marine Raider who served with distinction at Guadalcanal, was instrumental in brings MCJROCT to Ray High School in 1974. Bob died a few years ago and I buried him with all the honors due to a Devil Dog of such high report.

There is no way you couldn’t do any story justice Nic. You are an excellent storyteller and educator. Your lessons should be the format they teach kids in because it’s so engaging and entertaining. Thank you for your work!

You should definitely take up more stories that you feel intimidated by. The amount is of emotion and soul you poured into this one stands out above most of your other videos. 10/10 this is definitely one of my favorites that you have done

I'm a simple Marine grunt. I see a video about John Basilone, I watch and like.

Don't worry, Nic, you've done him justice. As always, here again for the algorithm.
Pepperbox is well better.

0:22 OK FULL STOP YOU DO EVERY STORY JUSTICE THATS WHY WE ARE

To my heavily tattooed and comedic friend,
This is the first RUclips comment that I have ever made. I am a former Army Armoured Reconnaissance reservist of the Canadian Armed Forces. I only served for 6 years, lots of it being part time, but my exposure to military culture as a whole has allowed me to enjoy every video that you have posted to what I believe is the fullest extent. Your humility and military sense of humor has taken otherwise boring, obscure, and/or underappreciated topics of military history and presented them in a way that is not only tolerable to listen to, but invigorating and emotional. First off, amazing job. Second, I have recently started watching Rogue Heroes (Amazon Prime TV Series), which more-or-less covers the origins and early major accomplishments of the SAS. I would love a video that details their history! Otherwise, keep up the great work!

As a Basilone I thanks you for honoring him with your story. I actually learned a little more about our families war hero. He was definitely a bad ass!

Nic.
You did GySgt Basilone more than justice.
I know these stories hurt (we’re all blaming cut onions right now).
But you may just be the only person honoring and immortalizing their stories in the best way possible.
I like to believe your time as Doc yourself gives you a more rare viewpoint and admiration for these badass warriors than any production company can even fathom.
Never fear for not doing them justice, you are still just a man doing his absolute best.
I’ll go even further.
Every story you tell always makes me smile, cry, and I salute the sky because of how you exalted our Passed Brothers. Probably goofy as fuck but it just feels right.
Every time, you make us all more proud to be Americans.
Every.
Time.
Now. “Do one for Chesty”.

There isn't a SINGLE person in this world that could tell people's stories better than you.

Ayo.... Don't EVER doubt yourself again g. I whole heartedly believe you did this man's story the justice it deserved. I sent this to my old Gunny (now MGySgt) and Kill hat DI ( retired SgtMaj) and they loved it. So from at least 3 Marines.....Bravo good sir. Take your bow. Yet another hit video... love your content and energy. Keep neing great big dog. ✌🏾❤🤙🏾

As a Marine (1994-2006) John Basilone is my literal Hero. Thank you for covering him. I know you think you can't do his story justice, but sir, you just nailed it. Marines NEVER die, and you just kept his name alive for a generation that has zero clue who John was or how heroic he is. Thank you. Semper Fi John, you forever live in the hearts and minds of EVERY Marine, past and present.

How dare RUclips hide this from me for 45 seconds

38:34 Me too.

You did his story far beyond more justice than any paper I've seen thank you Nic You're keeping these legends alive with your words of their stories

You can hear the sadness in Nick’s voice when he has to tell us that a hero didn’t make it home at the end of these videos.

"He was in a good emplacement, and causing the Japanese lots of trouble, not only firing his machine gun, but also using his pistol" - Recollection from Private First Class Nash W. Phillips, because when John Moses Browning's MG doesn't work, the 1911 is there to make sure.

The fact that Basilone wanted to go back and be with his men, despite having a way home because he got the Medal of Honor doing press tours and war bonds tours, speaks volumes to his character. He is the example that every soldier, sailor, and Marine should follow; selfless, brave, and tenacious.
Every story you tell you do these heroes justice. Thank you for keeping these legends alive.

I’m a nobody brother but I have NEVER seen you not do a story all of the justice it deserves. You have a natural talent and I love seeing you on the podcast as well.

As you paused to reflect his life in that teary eyed moment, John was whispering in all of our ears, "Death or Dishonor".

Dude.... you gave him one of the best memorials that could have ever been asked for. I hope... his family finds this.
Truly appreciate the work you do.

Thank you. As a United States Marine. I fully appreciate the honor you gave to John Basilone....You have no Idea that it swells the heart of a Marine have a sense of honor and duty. That you had enough respect to Honor A truly great Marine and Man.. I my way this is the best I can Thank you for what you have done...God Bless you....

Man, im just a trucker in the south. I was told i couldnt join the military back in 02. Due to medical issues. I think you did a great job telling this story. Brought me to tears. Thank you.

Every year since 1981, the town of Raritan NJ holds a parade in John's honor, aptly named, The Basilone parade, held rain or shine. It's the only parade like it in the country (that I am aware of). For the last 13 years I had the honor and pleasure of participating in that very special parade as part of an Irish bagpipe band. It's a fantastic day. The people of Raritan love John. Many different military units participate in the parade which ends at the John Basilone Memorial Park where you can see a statue of John holding a machine gun. A great tribute to a great American.

Your fear of "not doing a story justice" has been blown out of the water in just 39 and a half minutes. If the history teachers in my high school did half as good a job as you do, consistently, I would have learned a lot more about history then instead of watching RUclips in my 60s. Thank you.

What is great about your stories is that you tell it as one soldier would talk about another soldier. Not some dry-assed historian who never lifted a gun or smelled the cordite. Your narration breathes life into the story, not just the words, but the emotion of the time. Thanks again for such stories.

Brother, you're one of the best storytellers of our generation! You mix empathy with humor and make history relatable to so many people. I'd say you're absolutely doing justice for all of these guys.

I know you hate it, we can see the pain in your eyes. But thank you so much brother for bringing these Heroes to each of our homes. My family gets to listen, learn and honor them. My kids get to hear first hand stories of bravery and courage. Thank you, it means the world to us.

From a Marine that’s heard that story told a thousand ways, as with all your other stories, you did the Gunny a service. Rah Doc

They say you die twice. Once upon brain death and a second when the last person utters your name or your story. Here's to the immortality of John Basilone.

The way you can tell the story to your viewers, it feels like we’re watching firsthand!!!!!!!!! Thank you sir for telling the story’s of our beloved heroes .
The fire you light inside each and every young man makes them want to serve…

The fact that you didn’t feel you’d do GySgt Basilone justice in telling this story but in truth knocked it out the fucking park, proves the dedication and hard work you put in to your craft. As a fellow veteran who has his degree in history as well… you are the best at what you do my friend 🫡

My grandfather was in the 5th Marines, he was with them when they hit guadal canal. He survived a couple weeks when he and a couple buddies were blowing up an ammo Depot the charge went off to soon they couldn't get far enough away and it killed his friends and fucked him up. He was then sent to Hawaii to recuperate. He healed up just in time to join the assault on Iwo Jima. From what my dad told me he caught a round that grazed the front of his throat effectively injuring him again. I don't know the results of the whole situation. But I do know that he was able to come home and have three kids and I am the results of one of those kids. Thank you Grandpa, I miss you a lot. SEMPER Fi. My dad did 20 years in the Navy. I myself joined thw Marine corps. Thanks Nic

You know someone is the main character as you're learning about their life when this quote is on repeat in your head:
"Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't."
-Mark Twain

I'm so glad you do these types of videos, keeping our heroes alive that would more than likely never heard of be forgotten. They help inspire our youth. Also makes quality educational conversations, retelling your stories. So thank you from my family to yours.✌️👊🎆

"Never fear your enemy but always respect them." Rest in victory, Gunny Basilone.

No one likes stories that end this way but its those stories that need the most telling so the people in them are not forgotten. That you for sharing these stories.

I just started watching, and i already know this is gonna be awesome. The Average Weight Electron Man never misses.

You tell the best stories the best ive ever heard, and I am 72 years old. I live near Camp Pendleton and have driven on Basilone Street multiple times but never had any idea of how or why it got that name. Now I know and will drive it with full respect. Thank you for your continued service to our country.

I was one of those rare few who had the beyond RARE opportunity to actually LAND on IWO JIMA in 1990 with 1st Battalion 1st Marines during a west pack in the Marines. We did the traditional amphibious landing and "assaulted the beach" as our forefather had done. We climbed the beach and to the top of the bluff where we did our promotions and re-enlistment ceremonies. I will never ever forget that. We all disembarked our tracks and ran up the beach, that same black soot and sand buried our legs up to our shins. We stopped at the beach head and looked at Suribachi thinking. How the hell did our grandfathers do this? Standing here getting shot to hell, mortared and having artillery fall on you.. to move forward or die.. man.. that moment hit us all like bolts of lightning.
Never forget that.. Semper Fi Marines..

Congratulations for being the only guy on RUclips to always select the perfect topic and always adequately cover it.
I thank you for your service *almost* as much as Gen. Brandon Hererra…

That 92bpm cadence really hit with this one, Nic. Incredible job telling this story.

Dude you put up some of the most inspirational stories that most of us never knew! I sincerely thank you for what you do and the amount of humility that you have is contagious and humbling to the most arrogant parts of me and I am sure many others.
Sometimes it's hard to get inspired in this day and age but you tell these inspiring tales of true heroes. It makes me want to get up and be a human being again and fight against the wrongs and protect those that deserve it! I appreciate you're commitment and your integrity!
I've posted this before and is parry of a eulogy I wrote for a Navy Vet but I think that it applies to you.
"The true measure of a man is the breadth of the positive wake that he leaves behind him" I am part of the wake that you and the warriors you speak have left behind them and I thank you for that!
You are doing something that makes a difference Bro!

Damn. I’m an army brat of a Vietnam vet and army wife of an Afghanistan vet. I love your military content. You’re a great storyteller, and I think today was the first time I just wanted you to end the story with a fictitious alternate ending. You made me cry.

I'm still not sure if you'll ever cover Audie Murphy given how famous he is already, but I feel like that video would be a magnum opus full of callbacks to the other stories you've covered already.
"Remember how Simo Hayha grew up on a farm, living a do-or-die lifestyle where he could not afford to quit? Same for Audie Murphy."
"Remember all of those other WWII soldiers who started working at a young age to support their poor families? Yeah, same for Audie Murphy."
"Remember Roy Benavidez, who was rejected from the Army for being too short and scrawny? I already told you that Murphy was his hero, pay the f--- attention."

Bro, you were a medic. While not a Corpsman, still pretty badass. I appreciate the humility in tackling these huge stories.

@0:20 worried that you won't give them justice? Yet here you are giving this story justice!!! 💯

I've been waiting for this one. The Pacific did a good job with John. One of the most gutwrenching scenes in the show is when Lena Basilone takes his Medal of Honor to his family, since she would never have his kids to pas it down to

I marched in the John Basilone parade in his hometown this past year with the USMMA band!

My favorite part of the story is that lena never remarried. She stayed faithful till she passed away in 1999.

When I saw the title, I knew who it was immediately. I didn't know all the details of his story but I remembered reading about him. The dude went through Gadacanal, practically uninjured, and is on iwo jima for only a few hours at most and dies. I think I read a quote that one of the guys he served with said we all thought he was invincible. And when we had heard he died, we couldn't believe it. That it couldn't have been Bastione, that he was fine and people mis saw what happened. To the men he served with, he was a living legend, a man larger than life. Thank you for all that you do, Mr. Electrician. You bring life to these stories and these people. History was my favorite subject in school, and you have reminded me of that love. Thank you.

As an old 0331, we still considered him our patron saint. May he always keep our belts clean and free of clinks, and we always have inter-locking fields of fire.

I met one of his assistant gunners at a Braum's in Norman OK once, there was this sick SL450 convertible out front with a 1st Marines bumper sticker, went in and saw an old timer in a 1st Marines cap, said I loved his car, we got to talking and he complained about some VA stuff he was going through, pulled out the papers from his appointment to illustrate. On the cover sheet there was a very general, high level service record thing that I guess the docs use for diagnosis help. First line said --- NAVY CROSS--. Dude never even mentioned it. Hell of a guy. From the 1st MARDIV thing and his age, and because earlier we had shared what we did in the service, I asked if he was on Guad, and he said yes, asked if he knew John B, he said as well as any vice guns can. Hell of a guy.

Thanks!

Videos like this is why I and so many others are drawn to your channel. While things like the history channel and other standard documentaries would tell us of Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone who served in WWII and tragically lost his life while serving his country you're different. You tell us the story of John Basilone, the marine who learned to gamble when he was 14, loved to box, tilted his hat when drinking, and slept with anything in a skirt. You tell us of the person and although that makes the story all the more tragic, it also makes it all that more important. Stories like these need to be shared and I'm glad you're the one doing it.

wow, imagine getting off a 16hr shift, driving home 20 mins, and booting up yee ole PC, and seeing TFE uploaded at the exact same time. Fantastic day

He is a legend among Marines. Come on down to South Carolina, water front, for a free 13 week course of John and other absolute units of the beloved Corps. All inclusive.

"My father is from Naples."
The simplicity of that statement with the preceding blunt end of his life, I can't help but tear up. Something about his story leading up to an abrupt end while the video stops at his own words like that gets me.
That's that. That's life.

You know,some of these stories bring me to tears,but please don't stop,these men need to be remembered and there story needs to be told,thank you.

He was the first MoH recipient I learned about in boot camp 🇺🇸 and you always do every story the justice it deserves 🇺🇸

This show proves that if you grow up in a depression. Have bad eyesight or walk with a limp. You will go on to be an unstoppable force against insurmountable odds! 🇺🇸

The Eli part almost made me piss myself!! Yall are the best please keep it up!!!

During his MOH actions on Guadalcanal, he suffered serious burns on both hands because he was handling red hot barrels, but continued to fight like a demon. It's depicted in the miniseries The Pacific.

You're probably one of the best historical story tellers on the platform. I don't think there is a story you couldn't do justice. Thank you for kicking ass both online and off.

Not only did you tell this "story good enough", you told it perfectly. I've read a lot about John Basilone but in 38 minutes you managed to tell the whole story in a way I had never envisioned it. The emotion in your voice was evident and this was your best story telling yet...and that is saying a lot.

Thank you so much! John Basilones grandson lives in my hometown here on Alaska and runs one of the best pizza places in AK and is one of the best dudes to work for. He has a whole binder of John’s story in the dining room for customers to check out too. He also gives back to our community with his business and himself so much it’s awesome. Basilones are built different

1st. Story telling of ones culture is insanely important. 2. You are the most enthusiastic energetic and involved story teller. 3. I do know what you thought someone else could tell the story better. But. You rocked it. Yes i hate endings like that too. But gosh damn it! What a story. What a legend. I now know of thanks to you.

One of my grandpas brothers served in John Basilone’s company. My grandpa said his brother was trained by John, and lived thru the battle of Iwo Jima to see the colors raised on the mountain. My grandpas brother died long before i was born, and my grandpa died October of 2023. i wish i had recorded the stories and asked every question under the sun while i had the chance. but listening to these videos reminds me my grandpa isnt fully gone

Time to drop everything and watch Fat Electrician

These guys are literal heroes. Kids today don’t watch HBO waiting for the next episode of The Pacific to drop. They watch clips like this. The humor and storytelling speaks to them in the kind of way that we used to pass down stories through generations.
You have nothing to apologize for. Heroes like Dick Winters and John Basilone are the reason that I decided to join the military. I figured that I’d be forever grateful to serve the same cause as these men. I hope that some number of kids see videos like yours and feel inspired to go volunteer for some stupid shit, like we did years ago.
Reagan said “To those who say we that we’re in a time when there are no heroes, they just don’t know where to look.”
Keep up the good work man.

I remember doing the John Basilone challenge at Marine Corp boot camp during the crucible. Me and two others needed to run up a hill about 100 yards at a steep iincline carrying ammunition. Two groups would go up at a time, and the slower group needed to go back down and do it again. My group was able to do it so fast that we passed the losing group that started before us. The drill instructor thought we were the losing group and told us to go back down, but we said sir these recuites raced that group and pointed at the group still halfway down the hill. The drill instructor looked at us for a few seconds turn to the group we passed and asked them if they were racing the group still climbing when then said no he turned to us smiled and said go stand over there, pointing to where the other winning group was waiting. Then he told the group we passed to head back down and try again. I felt proud i was able to do well enough to make the drill iinstructor question us. we do many of these challenges during the crucible all of them centered around various Marines that have distinguished themselves. We start off each challenge learning about each Marine and what they did, it always puts a little fire in your chest hearing about them and what they did.

New fat electrician video on John Basilone? FUCK YES!
Also I'm honestly surprised you haven't done a video on Basilone until now.
Also, I have to say that you did his story more justice than the miniseries The Pacific did, and that is honestly one of my all time favorite depictions of the Pacific Theatre.

Thanks Nick for making me want to watch HBO's "The Pacific" again.

33:53 Chefs Kiss!! Woke up the whole house laughing at this

30:08 the kookaburra is a majestic bird and I will not stand for any disrespect towards them

Thank you for that video. When I was roughly 10 I read about John Basilone and was astonished, he became one of my heroes. At one day shy of a month from turning 70 years old I am still as astonished by the bravery, determination and dedication of John Basilone. I hope one day in the future there will be a video about Lt. General Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller ... another nearly lifelong hero of mine.

The foresight of him seeing that they aren't gone they are waiting for everyone to land would be a horrific moment of reality

As a 40+ year old man with tears in his eyes, I would say you did his story justice. Thank you for keeping history alive in a time that seems so desperate to bury it.

I am a Marine Recruiter in Florida and I show my appreciation Poolee’s and guests your videos to motivate the shit out of them. I use your vids to show a piece of our history and culture. Good shit man, I appreciate you. If you’re in Florida’s east coast hmu I’ll let you speak to my guys.

The exit off the CA freeway down near San Onofre is named after USMC Basilone. Every time we drive down there to surf we tip our hats to the hero.

this is a story that can not be told "good enough". that hammer you drove home at the end that hit so hard you had to do a video cut, was the justice this man deserves and was felt by every single person that was listening! Thank you, Nick...

I just realized John basilone had adhd the fact he can't pay attention in school so much it bores him is a signature sign of adhd

I've never found anyone else who can tell stories as good as you can, you're comprehensive, funny, and high quality. if there was anyone who could do it, its you.

The way you tell the stories always shows major respect and reverence for the source material. The fact that you consider not being able to paying due respect to the people you honor in your videos goes to show that youre the man for the job. You absolutely kill it man, no need to second guess yourself. Thanks for the entertainment bro.

My dad enlisted in April of 42, at 17 days after he graduated from high school. My grandfather didn't want him to enlist! Well grandma had just went through a double mastectomy, the first one,,, atthe Mayo clinic in Rochester mn. They had one son. He managed to survive! Life's Golden. Dad died at 53, fat and hardcore happy in 1979! I was 14. Loved his family, my mother and his service! This is what we used to hear every, and i mean every morning, " rise and shine sun shine, it's a great day to be a live! I'm 60 and I miss him.

As a Former Marine and a Buffalo native, you knocked this one out of the park. Been watching your content for years and this one was one of the best ones you’ve done. The amount of effort you put into these videos keeps history alive in ways that no one else does. Keep it up brother

Bro, you and your wife do the funniest ads on RUclips, hands down. That said, you are exactly who should do these heroes justice through the retelling of their stories. Your work ethic in researching and relaying their stories is what has put you on the road to 5 million subs, and higher. We as consumers have endorsed you with the subs, keep it going!