The life of the tough-as-nails Marine who compiled an unmatched fighting record from the jungles of the Banana Wars and Guadalcanal, and from Peleliu to the Chosin Reservoir, in this documentary from Biography.
VIDEO HERE (42:49 minutes)
The life of the tough-as-nails Marine who compiled an unmatched fighting record from the jungles of the Banana Wars and Guadalcanal, and from Peleliu to the Chosin Reservoir, in this documentary from Biography.
VIDEO HERE (42:49 minutes)
Chesty was a great Marine who died peacefully in his bed at 73.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately his son, Lewis, Jr. wasn't as fortunate.
https://apnews.com/article/ebe90fada05665904dfa60757fdab6b7
my uncle jack served with him back in WW2. from the" canal" to Peleliu before going back to SD to train the guys going in on IWO. back when I was 11 or 12 I think we where down to see them and I asked who the guy was in the pictures with him. he sat me down and told me about one of the greatest marines who ever lived (his words)
ReplyDeletehe went from cpl.to Gunny by the time Peleliu was over. I asked how he made rank so fast years later, he told me, "everyone else died or got wounded" he also told me about how many marines they lost during the fight on that shithole island, it was a lot.
“Good Night, Chesty Puller, wherever you may be.” Usually stated right before lights out in Jarhead boot camp. “Uuurr-Rraahh”, I unashamedly bellow.
ReplyDeleteYou bet.
ReplyDeleteY’all know my basic was Marines busting my ass.
My BIL is a former Marine.
My Best Man at my (2nd) wedding is a former Marine.
I know loads of them in several places and circumstances.
Misguided Children
I was USN.
Fucked with new Marines all the time. Department of the Navy, United States Marine Corps.
Finally one, a CH-46 pilot call sign “Stretch” said, yeah but the Maine Corps is the mens department.
R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
Semper Fi
ReplyDeleteServed on board USS Lewis B Puller FFG-23. Mrs Puller commisioned the ship. We had a shadow box of Chesty's medals mounted on the bulkhead in the messdecks. Visiting Marines would stand for long periods just staring at them. Good Night Chesty!
ReplyDeleteI used to sometimes speak at church services for recruits at Edson Range on Camp Pendleton. I'd take a retired First Sergeant with me who served under Chesty Puller from Inchon to Chosin, where he earned two of his five purple hearts. When he started to speak to those recruits and laid out his credential it was like Moses on the mount as far as those recruits were concerned.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I have long contemplated, and studied, and listened about our wars, and I have come to the conclusion that the ONLY way we win, aside from heeding Sun Tzu, is through raw and total courage, REAL courage. It has a force field. It makes the numbers arrayed against you lose their aim. It pushes them back, makes their bodies WANT to retreat or to just lie down.
ReplyDeleteYes, very, very many of our most courageous heroes were killed while exhibiting Chesty-style soldiering, but they none-the-less pushed the enemy back, and saved many of their own men. I have heard so many stories that made tears squirt out my face, and they have been even from the lowliest battle grunts on up to Chesty's exploits.
I just don't think that even arms and provisions and marksmanship and training ever count for as much as TRUE courage in the end. It's not fearlessness either. They all felt fear. They just mastered it and did what had to be done. -- nines
It was a good video. I worked for one guy who was a natural leader, it was a very good experience.
ReplyDeleteRead his bio last year and wow is all I can say.
ReplyDeleteI used to run into this Marine at Oak Ridge, TN from time to time named "Mr. Queenie". He was a veteran of Chosin and just a wonderful man to speak with. He offered a lot of insight to the Korean War and the kind of man Chesty was. He would say, when you'd least expect it, in the late hours of the night or early morning, Chesty might appear at your foxhole offering words of encouragement. Mr. Queenie said Chesty had "aurora" around him and if you stood close enough, you could actually feel the energy radiating from him.
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine saw Chesty's son get hit. They were I believe in a sandy area. He looked and saw some Marines coming his way and boom. He and his buddies ran over and the medics were doing there job. It was later that he found out it was Chesty's son.
ReplyDelete