05/24/2026
Marine who fought side-by-side with Chesty Puller on Guadalcanal dies at 97
2018: “I served under one of the greatest Marines of all time, Gen. Lewis B. ‘Chesty’ Puller and I were personal friends with Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone … he always called me ‘Jackie’, just like my mom.”
Of course, “Chesty” Puller needs no introduction, nor does John Basilone. The former is a near-religious icon amongst Marines and remains the most decorated Marine in history. The latter was awarded the Medal of Honor for incredible feats of bravery and perseverance in combat before being killed during the invasion of Iwo Jima.
When Schoenecker fell ill with malaria, Basilone visited his parents to tell them he was alright.
“Basilone visited my parents before going to Iwo,” he recalled. “He assured them that I had not been wounded, that I only had a bad case of malaria, and that I’d be OK. He set my parents’ minds at ease.”
As a Quartermaster Supply Sergeant, Schoenecker was a popular guy with an impossible task—keeping Marines supplied even when there were few to no supplies to go around.
“The guys needed everything, ammo, c-rations, uniforms, water, and rifles- we replaced rifles,” he said. “We used 1903 bolt-action Springfields from WWI; the Army had the best rifles, the M-1 Garands.”
While supply troops in modern times are often far removed from the fighting, Schoenecker was regularly subjected to the horrors of war, often in a way best described as up close and personal.
“One night during a [naval] shelling, I was in a bunker with three other guys,” he said. “Well, nature called, so I left the bunker to visit the latrine. The bunker took a direct hit, killing those other three men.”
Schoenecker battled malaria for a long time, including when he was sent back to the States to attend Officer Candidate School. At one point, it became too much, and he was forced to call his wife, who was then an Army nurse.
“I called Margaret and told her how ill I was with malaria,” Schoenecker said. “She researched the disease, treated me, and helped me back to health. You know, I fell for Margaret on our first date; we went dancing, and we danced for the next 71 years.”
Never far at heart from his beloved Corps, Schoenecker was a regular at the Semper Fi Bar and Grill in Woodstock, Georgia, who broke the news of his passing.
While there, he participated in a great tradition during the Marine Corps Birthday on November 10. The tradition in question involves the oldest present Marine taking the first piece of cake and passing it to the youngest Marine, symbolizing the passing down of Marine traditions and values from one generation to another. -USMC Life
