'We were very proud to represent a hero': Honor platoon marks 60 years at Basilone parade

RARITAN BOROUGH – Earl Miller wasn't sure why he joined the Marine Corps.

He knew he had something to prove to himself, and with the inspiration from a neighbor's Marine son, Miller thought joining the military would be the avenue to achieve his goal.

In 1962, 17-year-old Miller, along with 74 other New Jersey recruits, found themselves headed to boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina, as members of the newly created John Basilone Honor Platoon 251, named after the Raritan-born and bred World War II hero. The platoon included Basilone's nephew, William D. Brownson from Clifton.

"It was a big deal at the time," said Miller, who was from Short Hills. "It was an unusual event with all 75 recruits from New Jersey. We knew that we were a special platoon because our senior drill instructor informed us about everything, and he was well-versed in Marine Corps history. We were very proud to represent a hero, especially one from New Jersey."

Miller confessed he didn’t know of Basilone before he headed to Parris Island. That new knowledge instilled even more pride and bonding among the Garden State recruits, and the experience, for Miller and many of the other young men, proved to be life-changing and life-affirming.

"I had a little bit of an insecurity complex, I guess, and I just said, 'If I make it through Marine Corps boot camp, I can make it through anything in life,’” said Miller, who celebrated his 18th birthday at Parris Island. "It was a challenge and it set a path for me wide and clear, and it certainly helped create the person that I, ultimately, have become. And, you know, President Reagan had said, 'Some people spend their entire lives wondering if they made a difference. Marines don't have that problem.'"

Today, the Basilone Honor Platoon is one of the first groups to march in the annual John Basilone Memorial Parade. On Sunday, about 10 members are expected to join to honor the platoon’s namesake at the 41st annual Basilone parade stepping off at 1 p.m.

This year's parade marks the platoon's 60th anniversary, said Angie Bowden, who took over the organizing effort a few years ago after Miller moved to Florida. Her father, George Marish Jr., an original member of the platoon, died in February 2021 at age 76. He had always been proud to march, Bowden said.

The John Basilone Memorial Parade is the only parade in the country honoring a World War II hero. Basilone, a member of the U.S. Marines, received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his action during the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942 and the Navy Cross posthumously for more heroism in the Battle of Iwo Jima where he was killed in 1945. He is the only Marine to have received both honors as well as return to action and then be killed in action.

The Basilone Honor Platoon first got together again to participate in the 2011 Basilone parade. The next year, about 30 platoon members marched to mark the platoon's 50th anniversary, complete with bright yellow matching T-shirts and red hats. Friends and family are always welcome to join, Bowden said.

After they march, the group and their friends and family head to the American Legion Post 12 in Somerville for a luncheon where about 25 are expected this year, Bowden said.

While some of the platoon members still live in the Garden State, others, like Miller, now make the trek from places such as Florida, Pennsylvania and Georgia. This year Miller, Bob Pruchnik, Jimmy O’Neill, Bill Boseski, Andy Liebhauser, Dave Jenkins, John Kovac, Bill Joseph and Ron Weckenman are planning to attend. One told Bowden that this year will be the first time he is joining the platoon to march, and another family member is coming for the first time to march in his father's honor, she said.

"It's really been amazing to see how this has evolved over the years," said Bowden. "Fewer of the platoon members are able to make it, so it has gotten less and less over the years, but we still have a good core group that want to keep this going."

"I think most of the people are just happy that we're able to get together," said Miller. "We have a couple of hours of camaraderie and it's just a wonderful afternoon. It's been really great to be able to reunite with people and their children and their children."

The group marches with a banner and a pair of 2½- ton trucks driven by Rick Pizzaia and Glenn Frank. The platoon members are known to toss candy at parade viewers along the route while Diane Hawkins, a niece of Basilone, usually marches alongside.

Bowden is grateful to Miller, who initiated getting the platoon back together and kept detailed records. Miller and Oliver Petit, a fellow Marine Corps veteran, were able to locate 61 members of the boot camp's graduating class. The effort began when Miller recognized Pruchnik behind an airline counter at Newark Liberty International Airport. Blanking on his name, Miller blurted out his platoon nickname: Sputnik.

"He told me about the John Basilone parade," said Miller, who said that members had met over the years for lunches at the Fontainebleau Diner in Piscataway. "That started it."

Like Brownson, Basilone’s nephew who died several years ago, and Miller, Bowden's father was only 17 when he enlisted.

"My father, who was from Bound Brook, signed up after some recruiters came to his high school," said Bowden, whose son Matthew also joined the Marine Corps following in his grandparents' footsteps. "My parents met in the Marine Corps. My mother was a Marine as well. They met and got married and when my dad's service was done, they moved back to Bound Brook. We lived there for a couple years, but then moved to Bridgewater."

After the Basilone Honor Platoon was created, a swearing-in ceremony was held at the recruiting station in Somerville and Basilone's father, Salvatore Basilone, attended for photos with the young men. On the day they left for Parris Island, the men gathered at the Basilone statue in Raritan, Bowden said. They then headed with a police escort in a line of about 50 cars to the airport.

"There is a picture of William Brownson going up the plane, he led the platoon up," said Bowden. "Once they graduated on Oct. 8, 1962, they then went their separate ways to do combat training and their own specific schooling or whatever their job is going to be. They split up then, but there were the guys that did boot camp together. Some went to Vietnam, some did not. Some made a career out of the military and some did their four years and went back to civilian life. Seventy-five went to boot camp and 69 graduated."

This is the second parade since Bowden's father died. Last year, she marched for the first time alongside the trucks.

"I'm usually in the truck, but I wanted to march for my dad. So I marched with the guys on the ground," said Bowden. "And I had one of my dad's dog tags. Just to kind of have his spirit there. This year, what would have been my father's 78th birthday will be on the day of the parade. And my brother's going to be here this year. So the two of us will be marching in our dad's honor. I'm really happy for that."

This year’s parade, which marches along Somerset Street, will include military groups and veterans’ organizations, floats, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, ROTC units, Civil Air Patrol Cadets, military vehicles, Marine detachments, fire companies, rescue squads and other civic and patriotic groups.

Korean War veteran Charles Wynn, a Somerville resident, has been selected as the grand marshal for this year's parade. Wynn joined the Marine Corps in 1951.

The weekend's events begin on Saturday with a 5K run, which will start at the Basilone statue at Somerset and Canal streets at 10 a.m., with registration beginning at 9 a.m. Preceding the parade on Sunday, the John Basilone Museum at the Raritan Public Library will be open to visitors at 10 a.m. and a memorial Mass will be celebrated at St. Ann Church at 10 a.m.

The parade was held each year since its inception in 1981 until 2020 when the COVID pandemic forced organizers to transition to a motorcade and ceremony at the Basilone statue.

Last year, despite the remnants of Hurricane Ida causing massive flood damage in the neighborhood nearest the statue, the parade returned.

email: cmakin@gannettnj.com

Cheryl Makin is an award-winning features and education reporter for MyCentralJersey.com, part of the USA Today Network. Contact: Cmakin@gannettnj.com or @CherylMakin. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: John Basilone Memorial Parade in Raritan NJ returns Sept. 18