Puller, Lewis (1898-1971), was a highly decorated lieutenant general in the United States Marine Corps. He is the only Marine to have received five Navy Cross medals, the second highest decoration for valor in the naval services. Puller’s courage was legendary. Nicknamed “Chesty,” he became a Marine Corps icon for his leadership both on and off the battlefield.
Lewis Burwell Puller was born in West Point, Virginia, on June 26, 1898. Puller attended the Virginia Military Institute, but he left in 1918 to enlist in the Marine Corps. The United States was involved in World War I at that time, but the war ended while Puller was still in officer training. In 1919, Puller achieved the rank of second lieutenant but was then released from active duty. He reenlisted as a private and was sent to Haiti, where the Marine Corps was helping to suppress armed rebels opposed to the Haitian government. As an acting officer in command of Haitian troops, Puller gained valuable combat experience. He returned to the United States in 1923 and regained his commission as a second lieutenant the next year.
Puller was sent to Nicaragua in 1928. In 1930, he took command of a company of the Nicaraguan Guardia Nacional (National Guard), a Marine-led force that fought rebels in that country. Puller and his Nicaraguan troops penetrated deep into rebel territory with no support and won battle after battle against superior numbers. He earned his first two Navy Crosses in Nicaragua, as well as the nickname “Chesty” for his barrel chest and firm determination.
During World War II (1939-1945), Puller fought in several major battles in the south Pacific. He had reached the rank of lieutenant colonel when he led a battalion of Marines in late 1942 during the Guadalcanal Campaign. Puller showed great leadership in the fight and made the welfare of his soldiers a top priority. As a result, his troops liked and trusted him. Puller was promoted to colonel after the campaign at Cape Gloucester on the island of New Britain (now part of Papua New Guinea). He then led the 1st Marine Regiment in the bloody battle to take the island of Peleliu in 1944.
During the Korean War (1950-1953), Puller commanded the 1st Marine Regiment through a landing at Incheon (also called Inchon), intense fighting within the city of Seoul, and a bitter winter battle near the Jangjin (also called Chosin or Changjin) Reservoir. His role in these campaigns helped make him a symbol of the strength, courage, and determination of the Marines. Puller retired as a lieutenant general in 1955. He died on Oct. 11, 1971.
Puller’s son, Lewis B. Puller, Jr., also served in the Marine Corps. He was severely wounded in the Vietnam War (1957-1975), losing both his legs. The younger Puller won a Pulitzer Prize for writing Fortunate Son (1991), a book about his fight to recover from his battle wounds, as well as from depression and alcohol addiction.
