Follow That Man!

'The Pacific'

By William Douglas Lansford

May 3, 2010


“(Sunday's episode of "The Pacific" — the eighth of the 10-part HBO miniseries — depicted the death of Congressional Medal of Honor recipient John Basilone during the first day of fighting on Iwo Jima. William Lansford, a Marine and Angeleno, also fought that day in Iwo Jima and recalls his friendship with the famous Marine gunnery sergeant and his last day.)

In Pendleton I reported and was assigned to Company C, 27th Regiment of the newly formed 5th Division, but being early, I was told I'd find the area deserted. They were right. The new barracks stood empty, the bunks had no mattresses, the rifle racks were bare, the empty halls echoing.

Outside again, I was surprised to see a young Marine smiling at me. He wore khaki, with sergeant's stripes, and in no way resembled the muscular giant depicted in oils on a recent cover of Collier's magazine. Actually, he looked much like any other Marine, but what caught my eye was the tiny blue ribbon spangled with white stars pinned over his other ribbons. It was, unmistakably, the Congressional Medal of Honor and the smiling guy was John Basilone.

Serving with Basilone was a brief but golden period of the war for me. He never barked like the other gunnery sergeants but ruled like a wiser, older brother looking after his younger siblings, with humor and a style all his own. Under the hot California sun, with our faces stuck in the dust of Camp Pendleton, he could pick up a draggy machine gun drill with "Awright, ya goldbricks. Ya cut the time on settin' them guns up or don't expect no liberty come Friday!" And we did it because we knew he was the best machine gunner in the Corps and we wanted to be like him.

Basilone did more than train the men. He taught our recruits the meaning of esprit de corps, and in those of us who had fought, he rekindled a willingness to fight again. His simplicity, his cheerfulness, his grasp of human nature — the charm and easy grace with which he carried his honors — gave us not only confidence but pride. We were "Basilone's boys" and were envied for it throughout the division.”

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-et-basilone-20100503,0,2802009.story


I know this is a long post, and most of it is quoted from the L.A. Times article, but it moved me so to think of that type of leadership, and how I long to see it again.

Leadership can be based in fear or inspiration. The former will breed what fear always breeds, mistrust, violence, chaos. The ;atter breeds character. It brings out the best in people and creates aspirations beyond most of our natural ambition. I want to be that kind of leader, and I want to follow that kind of person. IMHO, that’s what has made this such a great country; we can choose who to follow and obey, becuas eoif great leaders like John Basilone