In 1981, a group of students from the John F. Kennedy school in Raritan were on a local field trip when they passed the statue of John Basilone, World War II hero and recipient of the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross for his heroics at the Battles of Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima respectively.
One of the students asked why the town didn’t have a parade in honor of such a hero.
The teacher paused and had no good answer. Soon thereafter, there was a parade to honor John Basilone’s memory.
Now, 44 years later, the parade is an annual tradition in Basilone’s adopted hometown of Raritan.
People from all across the state center on this Somerset County hamlet each September to remember one of America’s most extraordinary military heroes.
“The parade continues to grow, both in terms of participants and viewers,” said Kim Van Note, founder of the Basilone Memorial Foundation in Raritan. She remains the driving force behind the parade.
This year’s parade begins at 1 pm.
Usually more than 50 organizations participate in the parade including community groups, schools, military members and first responders.
The parade’s tradition is that there are two grand marshalls each year. This year, the marshalls are both World War II veterans. One is Benjamin Jackson, a marine who saw combat in the Philippines. The second is Roy Ruffa, who served in the Army Air Corp and saw action in the Pacific Theater.
Before his service, Ruffa caddied at the Raritan Valley Country Club with Basilone, and on one memorable day, the two caddied for Hollywood legends Clark Gable and Leslie Howard.
Interested groups can sign up to march in the parade here.
The day prior, September 20, the Basilone Foundation will host its annual “Manila Madness 5K Run” at 10 am. The Foundation has sponsored this race for more than 10 years and now, more than 200 people participate.
The course, which runs through the town of Raritan, is USATF certified.
Registration for the 5K is $30. Interested parties can sign up here as late as the morning of the race.
The Basilone Foundation is a non-profit that raises funds from these two events – and other events – to help ensure a better quality of life for U.S. military veterans and also people impacted by cancer.
