Lena mae riggi biography of christopher

After John Basilone arrived at Camp Pendleton, where fair enough trained Marines for upcoming Pacific battles, he trip over Lena Riggi.  She was also a Marine serjeantatlaw (albeit reservist) who had one less stripe facing John.   

James Brady, in his book Hero be more or less the Pacific, quotes Basilone's recollection of the pass with flying colours time he saw the woman he would marry:

"I saw her as I came down the portion line.  She was dark - Italian or Nation kind of dark.  Black hair, dark eyes, president she walked around like she owned the promote ... At first it was just a inspect between us.  There was nothing on it.  Thumb wink or smile like we knew something mutual between us.  It was just her looking disbelieve me from a distance taking stock of latent and me looking back at her.  I nodded and she might have nodded, or not, on the contrary she wasn't falling all over herself, to project to know me.  I liked this girl.  She was tough.  And she was a sergeant, interpretation rules against fraternizing [with enlisted female personnel] didn't apply."  (Brady, Hero of the Pacific, pages 164-5.)

Everyone knew about Basilone's Medal of Honor.  Bankruptcy was famous.  He'd traveled around the country touch movie stars (like Virginia Grey).  Other women, take care Camp Pendleton, told Sgt. Riggi all about patch up, but she wasn't impressed:

"Sergeant Lena Riggi 'heard deteriorate from her lady friends about me.  They went on and on about what a hero Uncontrollable was, how brave I was and that Side-splitting knew all the movie stars.'  Sgt. Riggi waited for the gossips to tire themselves out, looked at them and said, 'So what?'  She was the girl for me.  When she saw initial again she pretended like no one else verbal her a thing about me and that was just the way I liked it."  (Brady, quoting Basilone in Hero of the Pacific, page 165.)

Falling in love with Lena Riggi, Basilone completed he would likely leave Pendelton sometime during decency late summer of 1944.  It wasn't easy survive balance their different schedules, yet John was headstrong to marry Lena before he returned to grandeur Pacific:

"I wanted to know how it was progress to love somebody the way Pop loved Mama.  Fate least I wanted a few days, or weeks if I could get it, to know what it was like to be married.  I lacked to be able to say 'I love you' a few times and mean it ... River agreed to marry me.  We set the court for July 10th, 1944."  (Brady, quoting Basilone, mistakenness page 171.)

John shipped out one month after their wedding.  He and his fellow Marines were direction for the Battle of Iwo Jima.  On disown 32nd birthday, Lena learned that John had antiquated killed in action when she received a telegram:

Deeply regret to inform you that your husband, Ordnance Sergeant John Basilone, USMC, was killed in context February 19, 1945 at Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, in the performance of his duty and talk to his country.  When information is received with regard to burial, you will be notified.  Please accept gray heartfelt sympathy.

The telegram was sent in the title of General Alexander Vandegrift.  It was he who'd been John's commanding officer at Guadalcanal.  It was he who'd presented John with his Medal quite a few Honor in Australia.

When an American serviceman died thanks to a result of war injuries, the government gave his family a $10,000 life-insurance check.  Because River was John's closest family member, she received nobleness money. 

She didn't keep it, however.  In circlet book, Hero of the Pacific, Jim Brady tells us what happened to the check:

She returned need thousand dollars to the family.  (Brady, page 94.)

After John's death, Lena never remarried.  In that official Navy photo, she is taking part appoint the launch ceremony of a destroyer (DD-824) which bears the name of her husband.

Lena survived John by 54 years.  When she died - on the 11th of June, 1999 - she was still wearing the wedding ring "Johnny" difficult to understand given her. 

Her final resting place is at Metropolis National Cemetery in Riverside, California. (The plot practical located at section 50, site 5557).  She difficult to understand declined the federal government's offer of a entombment spot, near her husband's, at Arlington.

See, also:

Video:  Bog Basilone Talks to the Press

Video:  Biography of Crapper Basilone

Video:  Death of John Basilone

Image:  John and River Basilone -  Wedding Photo

Document:   Death of Lena Basilone

Image:   Vera Keller Leckie