Lieutenant
General Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller (June
26, 1898 – October 11, 1971) was an
officer in the
United States Marine Corps.
Puller is the most decorated U.S. Marine in history, and the only
Marine to receive five
Navy Crosses,
the United States Navy's and Marines' second highest decoration
after the
Medal of Honor.
During his
career, he fought guerrillas in Haiti
and Nicaragua
, and participated in some of the bloodiest battles
of World War II and the Korean War. Puller retired from
the Marine Corps in 1955, spending the rest of his life in Virginia
.
Interwar years
Puller
attended the Virginia Military Institute
but left at the end of his first year as World War
I was still ongoing, saying that he wanted to go where the guns
are, although he never saw action in that war. During the
interwar period, Puller was
appointed to the pay grade of
Second Lieutenant in the
reserves on June 16, 1919, but
reduction in force following the war led to his being put on
inactive status on the 26th of that month.
Puller then opted to serve in the
Gendarmerie d'Haiti as
an enlisted man, seeing action in
Haiti. While
the United States was working under a treaty with Haiti, he
participated in over forty engagements during the ensuing five
years against the
Caco rebels.
In March 1924, he
returned stateside and was again commissioned as a Second
Lieutenant (service number O3158), afterward completing assignments
at the Marine
Barracks
in Norfolk,
Virginia
, The Basic School in Quantico,
Virginia
, and with the 10th Marine Artillery
Regiment in Quantico, Virginia. He was assigned to the Marine Barracks at
Pearl
Harbor
, Hawaii
in July 1926
and in San Diego,
California
in 1928.
In
December 1928, Puller was assigned to the Nicaraguan National
Guard detachment, where he earned his first Navy Cross for his actions from Feb 16 to Aug 19,
1930. He returned stateside in July 1931 and
completed the year-long Company Officers Course at Fort Benning,
Georgia
, thereafter returning to Nicaragua from Sep 20-Oct
01, 1932 to earn a second Navy Cross for leading "five successive
engagements against superior numbers of armed bandit forces, also
known as the cacos bandits, which in turn caused a lot of problems
for Chesty".
After his
service in Nicaragua, Puller
was assigned to the Marine detachment at the American Legation in Beijing,
China
commanding a unit of China
Marines. He then went on to serve aboard , a
cruiser in the
Asiatic
Fleet, which was commanded by then-Captain
Chester W. Nimitz. Puller returned to the States in
June 1936 as an instructor at the Basic School in
Philadelphia.
In May 1939, he returned to the
Augusta as commander of
the onboard Marine detachment, and then back to China, disembarking
in
Shanghai in May 1940 to serve as the
executive officer of
2nd Battalion, 4th Marines. He
later served as its
commanding
officer.
World War II
Puller on Guadalcanal in September,
1942.
Major Puller returned to the U.S. on August 28, 1941. After a short
leave, he was given command of
1st Battalion, 7th Marines (known
as
1/7) of the
1st Marine Division,
stationed at New River, the new Marine amphibious base which would
soon be renamed for the 13th Commandant of the Marine Corps, John
A.
Lejeune, MCB Camp
Lejeune
, North
Carolina
.
Early in the
Pacific theater the 7th
Marines formed the nucleus of the newly created 3rd Marine Brigade
and arrived to defend Samoa on May 8, 1942.
Later they were
redeployed from the Brigade and on September 4, 1942, they left
Samoa and rejoined the 1st Division at Guadalcanal
on September 18, 1942.
Soon after arriving on Guadalcanal, Puller led his battalion in a
fierce
action along the
Matanikau, in which Puller's quick thinking saved three of his
companies from annihilation. In the action, three of Puller's
companies were surrounded and cut-off by a larger Japanese force.
Puller ran to the shore, signaled a United States Navy destroyer,
and then directed the destroyer to provide fire support while
landing craft rescued his Marines from their precarious position,
actions that earned his
Bronze
Star.
Later on Guadalcanal, Puller earned his
third Navy Cross for action that was later known as the "Battle for
Henderson Field
", in which the 1/7 battalion was the only American
unit defending the airfield against a
regiment-strength Japanese
force. In a
firefight on the night of October 24–25, 1942,
lasting about three hours, 1/7 sustained 70 casualties; the
Japanese force suffered over 1,400 killed in action, and the
battalion held the airfield. While on Guadacanal, Puller was shot
by a sniper twice and wounded by shrapnel in three different
places; he was awarded the
Purple
Heart.
Following this action, Puller was made
executive officer of the
7th Marine Regiment.
While
serving in this capacity at Cape Gloucester
, Puller earned his fourth Navy Cross for overall
performance of duty between December 26, 1943 and January 19,
1944. During this time, when the battalion commanders of
3rd Battalion, 7th
Marines and, later, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, while under
heavy machine gun and mortar fire, he expertly reorganized the
battalion and led the successful attack against heavily fortified
Japanese defensive positions. He was promoted to Colonel effective
1 February 44 and by the end of the month, had been named Commander
of the 1st Marine Regiment. Colonel Puller would lead the 1st
Marines into the protracted battle on
Peleliu, one of the bloodiest battles in
Marine Corps history during September and October 1944, action
where he earned his first
Legion of
Merit. Also during the summer 1944, Puller's younger brother,
Samuel D. Puller, the Executive Officer of the
4th Marine Regiment, was
killed by a sniper on Guam.
Puller
returned to the United States in November 1944, was named executive
officer of the Infantry Training Regiment at Camp Lejeune
and, two weeks later, Commanding Officer.
After the
war, he was made Director of the 8th Reserve District at New Orleans,
Louisiana
, and later commanded the Marine Barracks at
Pearl
Harbor.
Korean War
Colonel Puller cutting the Marine
Corps birthday cake on November 10, 1950, during a brief reprieve
from battle during the Korean War
At the
outbreak of the Korean conflict, Puller
was once again assigned as commander of the 1st Marine Regiment,
with which he made a landing at Inchon
on September 15, 1950, earning his Silver Star. For leadership from
September 15 to November 2, he was awarded his second Legion of
Merit.
He
was awarded the Distinguished
Service Cross from the Army for action from November 29 to
December 5 of that same year, and his fifth Navy Cross during 5 to
10 December for action at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir
. It was during that battle when he made the
famous quote, "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now.
We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things."
In January, 1951, Puller was promoted to Brigadier General and was
assigned duty as assistant division commander (ADC) of the 1st
Marine Division. On February 24, however, his immediate superior,
Major General O. P. Smith, was hastily transferred to
command X Corps when its army commander,
Major General Moore, was killed. Smith’s
temporary transfer left Puller in command of his beloved 1st Marine
Division. Puller would serve as ADC until he completed his tour of
duty and returned to the United States on May 20, 1951.
Colonel Puller studies the terrain during the Korean War.
General Puller subsequently received promotions to
Major General and
Lieutenant General, and
served in various command capacities until his retirement due to
health reasons on November 1, 1955.
Later life and burial
Chesty Puller Grave Marker on Highway
33
Marines often adamantly allege that Chesty Puller was never awarded
the
Medal of Honor due to pressure
from senior Army officers and even President
Dwight D. Eisenhower, the retired hero general of
the US invasion of Europe in WW2. Marines still claim that senior
Army officers hated Puller out of inter-service rivalry, jealousy
and due to vocal and disparaging comments Puller often made about
some Army units that he felt did not fight admirably along the way
of the escape from Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War.
Earlier in the war he was reported to have ordered Marines to
gather all abandoned Army equipment of withdrawing soldiers and put
it to good use. He later reportedly told an Army colonel who
demanded return of the equipment: "It all has USMC markings on it
now and if you want it back, kick my ass." The equipment remained
in possession of the Marines.
Adding to a conspiracy theory is the fact that when Puller passed
out in the heat, while inspecting a formation of Marines in 1955,
he was ordered to Walter Reed Army Hospital for cardiac testing by
the defense department, vs. Bethesda Naval Hospital. Bethesda is a
Navy facility, staffed largely by Navy doctors, nurses and medical
personnel and it has historically treated primarily naval personnel
(Marines, Sailors and Coast Guard personnel). The official reason
stated by the Defense Department for sending Puller to Walter Reed
vs. Bethesda was that Walter Reed had a better cardiac diagnostic
lab. The cardiac lab was greatly expanded during the presidency of
Dwight Eisenhower, who as a President and a famous retired Army
5-star general, preferred to be treated at an Army medical
facility. Puller felt it was in fact a pretext to implement a
conspiracy to remove him, insisting he had simply been overcome by
the heat.
Following a series of cardiac tests at Walter Reed, Puller was
found by Army cardiologists to have a weakened heart. He was then
ordered into involuntary medical retirement, thus preventing him
from becoming a possible future candidate for Commandant of the
Marine Corps. He was denied appeals through Navy medical channels
to get a medical waiver, allowing him to remain on active duty. He
was embittered by that chapter in his life, feeling the Army had
cut him off at the knees and "stacked the deck" against him,
ensuring he was gotten rid of.
Puller and his wife, Virginia McCandlish Puller, retired to a quiet
life in rural Virginia. He would always welcome all passing or
visiting Marines in his home and would gladly talk to them about
the Marine Corps. A visit to Chesty Puller at his home was
considered a pilgrimage by many Marines, young and old alike,
especially those who served under his command.
In 1965, Puller requested he be reinstated into the Marine Corps in
order to see action in the
Vietnam War,
but the request was denied on the basis of his age.
Puller
died on October 11, 1971 in Saluda, Virginia
at age 73 and was buried in Christchurch Parish
Cemetery on the southeast side of Christchurch School off Highway 33 (also called "General
Puller Highway") in Christchurch,
Virginia. General Puller's widow, Virginia, died in 2006
at the age of 97 and was buried next to him.
Relations
Puller's son
Lewis Burwell
Puller, Jr. (generally known as Lewis Puller) also became a
highly-decorated Marine as a lieutenant in Vietnam. While serving
with 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines he was severely disabled and
confined to a wheelchair by a mine explosion, losing both legs, an
eye, parts of his hands and one arm. He went to law school and
became an attorney for the Department of Defense. Lewis Puller ran
an unsuccessful campaign for
Congress and later
admitted to being embittered over losing his bid as Democratic
candidate for the US House of Representatives to later-US Senator
Paul Tribble. Unlike his father, the younger Puller was a liberal
Democrat. He was a writer-in-residence at George Mason University
in Fairfax Virginia. His book "Fortunate Son" reflected on his life
as the son of the most decorated Marine in history, his tour in
Vietnam and his struggles after the war. He committed suicide in
1994 and was buried with full military honors.
His wife said at the time "To the list
of names of victims of the Vietnam War, add the name of Lewis
Puller ... He suffered terrible wounds that never really
healed."
General Puller was father-in-law to Colonel
William H. Dabney, a VMI graduate, who, as a Captain,
received the Navy Cross for his leadership as Commanding Officer of
two heavily reinforced rifle companies of the Third Battalion,
Twenty-Sixth Marines from 21 January to 14 April 1968. During the
entire period, Colonel Dabney's force stubbornly defended Hill
881S, a regional outpost vital to the defense of the Khe Sanh
Combat Base during the 77-day siege. Puller was distant cousin to
another famous hard-charging and decorated General with familial
roots in rural Virginia, Army general
George Smith Patton.
Awards and honors
Puller was the most decorated U.S. Marine in history and one of
only two people to receive the
Navy
Cross, the Navy's and Marines' second highest decoration, five
times (the other being Navy submarine commander
Roy Milton Davenport). With five
Navy Crosses and a
Distinguished
Service Cross, the Army's second highest decoration, Puller
received the nation's second highest military decoration a total of
six times.
Military awards
First Navy Cross citation
Citation:
:"For distinguished service in the line of his
professional while commanding a Nicaraguan National Guard
patrol.
First Lieutenant Lewis B.
Puller, United States Marine Corps, successfully led
his forces into five successful engagements against superior
numbers of armed bandit forces; namely, at LaVirgen on 16 February
1930, at Los Cedros on 6 June 1930, at Moncotal on 22 July 1930, at
Guapinol on 25 July 1930, and at Malacate on 19 August 1930, with
the result that the bandits were in each engagement completely
routed with losses of nine killed and many wounded.
By his intelligent and forceful leadership without
thought of his own personal safety, by great physical exertion and
by suffering many hardships, Lieutenant Puller surmounted all
obstacles and dealt five successive and severe blows against
organized banditry in the Republic of Nicaragua."
Second Navy Cross citation
Citation:
:"First Lieutenant Lewis B.
Puller, United States Marine Corps (Captain, Guardia
Nacional de Nicaragua) performed exceptionally meritorious service
in a duty of great responsibility while in command of a Guardia
Patrol from 20 September to 1 October 1932.
Lieutenant Puller and his command of forty Guardia and
Gunnery Sergeant William A.
Lee, United States Marine Corps, serving as a First
Lieutenant in the Guardia, penetrated the isolated mountainous
bandit territory for a distance of from eighty to one hundred miles
north of Jinotega, his nearest base.
This patrol was ambushed on 26 September 1932, at a
point northeast of Mount Kilambe by an insurgent force of one
hundred fifty in a well-prepared position armed with not less than
seven automatic weapons and various classes of small arms and
well-supplied with ammunition.
Early in the combat, Gunnery Sergeant Lee, the Second
in Command was seriously wounded and reported as dead.
The Guardia immediately behind Lieutenant Puller in the
point was killed by the first burst of fire, Lieutenant Puller,
with great courage, coolness and display of military judgment, so
directed the fire and movement of his men that the enemy were
driven first from the high ground on the right of his position, and
then by a flanking movement forced from the high ground to the left
and finally were scattered in confusion with a loss of ten killed
and many wounded by the persistent and well-directed attack of the
patrol.
The numerous casualties suffered by the enemy and the
Guardia losses of two killed and four wounded are indicative of the
severity of the enemy resistance.
This signal victory in jungle country, with no lines of
communication and a hundred miles from any supporting force, was
largely due to the indomitable courage and persistence of the
patrol commander.
Returning with the wounded to Jinotega, the patrol was
ambushed twice by superior forces on 30 September.
On both of the occasions the enemy was dispersed with
severe losses."
Third Navy Cross citation
Citation:
:"For extraordinary heroism as Commanding Officer of
the First Battalion, Seventh Marines, First Marine Division, during
the action against enemy Japanese forces on Guadalcanal, Solomon
Islands, on the night of 24 to 25 October 1942.
While Lieutenant Colonel Puller’s battalion was holding
a mile-long front in a heavy downpour of rain, a Japanese force,
superior in number, launched a vigorous assault against that
position of the line which passed through a dense
jungle.
Courageously withstanding the enemy’s desperate and
determined attacks, Lieutenant Colonel Puller not only held his
battalion to its position until reinforcements arrived three hours
later, but also effectively commanded the augmented force until
late in the afternoon of the next day.
By his tireless devotion to duty and cool judgment
under fire, he prevented a hostile penetration of our lines and was
largely responsible for the successful defense of the sector
assigned to his troops."
Fourth Navy Cross citation
Citation:
:"For extraordinary heroism as Executive Officer of the
Seventh Marines, First Marine Division, serving with the Sixth
United States Army, in combat against enemy Japanese forces at Cape
Gloucester, New Britain, from 26 December 1943 to 19 January
1944.
Assigned temporary command of the Third Battalion,
Seventh Marines, from 4 to 9 January, Lieutenant Colonel Puller
quickly reorganized and advanced his unit, effecting the seizure of
the objective without delay.
Assuming additional duty in command of the Third
Battalion, Fifth Marines, from 7 to 8 January, after the commanding
officer and executive officer had been wounded, Lieutenant Colonel
Puller unhesitatingly exposed himself to rifle, machine-gun and
mortar fire from strongly entrenched Japanese positions to move
from company to company in his front lines, reorganizing and
maintaining a critical position along a fire-swept
ridge.
His forceful leadership and gallant fighting spirit
under the most hazardous conditions were contributing factors in
the defeat of the enemy during this campaign and in keeping with
the highest traditions of the United States Naval
Service."
Fifth Navy Cross citation
Citation:
:"For extraordinary heroism as Commanding Officer of
the First Marines, First Marine Division (Reinforced), in action
against aggressor forces in the vicinity of Koto-ri, Korea, from 5
to 10 December 1950.
Fighting continuously in sub-zero weather against a
vastly outnumbering hostile force, Colonel Puller drove off
repeated and fanatical enemy attacks upon his Regimental defense
sector and supply points.
Although the area was frequently covered by grazing
machine-gun fire and intense artillery and mortar fire, he coolly
moved along his troops to insure their correct tactical employment,
reinforced the lines as the situation demanded, and successfully
defended the perimeter, keeping open the main supply routes for the
movement of the Division.
During the attack from Koto-ri to Hungnam, he expertly
utilized his Regiment as the Division rear guard, repelling two
fierce enemy assaults which severely threatened the security of the
unit, and personally supervised the care and prompt evacuation of
all casualties.
By his unflagging determination, he served to inspire
his men to heroic efforts in defense of their positions and assured
the safety of much valuable equipment which would otherwise have
been lost to the enemy.
His skilled leadership, superb courage and valiant
devotion to duty in the face of overwhelming odds reflect the
highest credit upon Colonel Puller and the United States Naval
Service."
Distinguished Service Cross citation
Citation:
:COLONEL LEWIS B.
PULLER, USMC for extraordinary heroism in military
operation against an armed enemy: Colonel Lewis B.
Puller, 03158, United States Marine Corps, Commanding
Officer, 1st Regiment, 1st Marine Division, distinguished himself
by extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations
against an armed enemy during the period 29 November to 4 December
1950.
His actions contributed materially to the breakthrough
of the 1st Marine Regiment in the Chosin Reservoir area and are in
keeping with the highest traditions of the military
service.
Namesakes and honors
In addition to his military awards Chesty Puller has received
numerous honors due to his Marine Corps service.
USS Lewis B. Puller (FFG-23)
The frigate
Lewis B.
Puller was
named after him.
Puller Hall
The
headquarters building for 2nd Fleet Antiterrorism Security
Team on Yorktown Naval Weapons
Station
in Yorktown, Virginia
is named Puller Hall in his honor.
Postage stamp
On November 10, 2005, the United States Postal Service issued its
Distinguished Marines stamps in which Puller was
honored.
Marine Corps mascot
The Marine Corps's mascot is perpetually named "Chesty Pullerton."
(e.g. Chesty Pullerton XIII) He is always an English Bulldog.
Chesty Puller in Marine Corps culture
Chesty Puller remains a well known figure in Marine Corps folklore, with both true and exaggerated tales of
his experiences being constantly recounted in the U.S. Marine
Corps.
A common incantation in Marine Corps boot camp is to end one's day
with the declaration, "Good night, Chesty Puller, wherever you
are!"
In military recruit training and
OCS
cadences, Marines chant "It was good for Chesty Puller/And it's
good enough for me" — Chesty is symbolic of the esprit de corps of the Marines.
Chesty is loved by enlisted men for his constant actions to improve
their lot. Puller insisted upon good equipment and discipline; once
he came upon a second lieutenant who had ordered an enlisted man to
salute him 100 times for missing a salute. Chesty told the
Lieutenant: "You were absolutely correct in making him salute you
100 times Lieutenant, but you know that an officer must return
every salute he receives. Now return them all."
While on duty in Hawaii and inspecting the armory, Puller fined
himself $100 for discharging a .45 caliber pistol, although the
charge for his men was only $20.
Quotes
- "All right, they're on our left, they're on our right,
they're in front of us, they're behind us...they can't get away
this time."
- "Great. Now we can shoot at those bastards from
every direction."
- "We’re surrounded. That simplifies our problem of
getting to these people and killing them." — November 1950,
during Chosin Reservoir campaign
- "Remember, you are the 1st Marines! Not all the
Communists in Hell can overrun you!" (at the Chosin
Reservoir)
- "Take me to the Brig. I want to see the real
Marines."
- "Alright you bastards, try and shoot me!" (to
Korean forces)
- "Where do you put the bayonet?" (upon seeing a
flamethrower for the first time)
- "You don't hurt 'em if you don't hit 'em."
See also
References
- Specific
- Burke Davis, Marine! The Life of Chesty Puller,
(Bantam Books, 1991 reprint)
- [1]
- General
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