Passenger Trains > NJT & the John Basilone Parade...

For thirty-six years the town of Raritan (NJ) has honored one of its own ‘home town heroes’ by having a parade to remember his sacrifice during World War II. This Marine’s name is John Basilone and he was a Medal of Honor recipient. After coming home to receive his medal for his actions against the Japanese during the Battle of Guadalcanal, he returned to combat and was killed in action in Iwo Jima in 1945. The parade route crosses NJT’s Raritan Valley Line at the Thompson Street grade crossing and, at times, can be temporarily halted for a departing or arriving passenger train. This year’s parade line up had a variety of vintage military equipment. Before this parade can continue NJT’s train 5523 has to clear the grade crossing on what was an unseasonably hot autumn Sunday afternoon. The parade represents a nice salute to all veterans to thank them for their service and have sacrificed so much over the years.

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Thank you for posting. Looks like much more has changed on the railroad since the early 1970s than in the surrounding neighborhoods. Perhaps the gates and flashing lights at the crossing are the same.

John

Trivia piece: Sgt. Basilone was honored by the Navy, which named a destroyer for him: USS Basilone (DD-824).

NJ also named the original Raritan Parkway bridge after Sgt. Basildon.

And later renamed it for Gov Driscoll.

Posted from Android

And there's a whole bunch of stuff named for him at Camp Pendleton too.