The United States Navy commissioned a new destroyer over the weekend in New York City and it was named after legendary World War II hero United States Marine Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone. Appropriately, the ship was commissioned on the weekend of the 249th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps and two days before Veterans Day. 

Basilone is a legend in American military history. He served in both the United States Army and the United States Marine Corps. He is known for his courageous exploits and acts of bravery during World War II, notably the Battle of Henderson Field in Guadalcanal, where his unit endured heavy gunfire from an estimated 3000 Japanese soldiers and numerous waves of hellacious attacks by Japanese troops.