NathanSurrounded Doesn’t Mean Lost
To show just how Communists from Japanese his prowess, Puller once again commanded the First Marine Regiment to victory at Incheon in South Korea in the month of September 1950. He went on to win a Silver Star because of his work and after three months his involvement at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir got him his fifth Navy Cross. While fighting in the Korean War, Puller let out on his most famous Pullerisms ever. “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.”
Most Decorated Marine
To add his to his incredible five Navy Crosses and various medals that Puller had already won, Puller then received an Army Distinguished Service Cross, thereby positioning him as the most decorated militant of all United States Marines in history without getting to receive the Medal of Honor still. Puller has once revealed, “it takes a lifetime to become a good officer.” Even if he did not receive the Medal Of Honor, it has not stopped Puller to be considered one of the most talked about personalities of militants in US history.
Lewis Burwell Puller, Jr.
Puller had a son whom he named Lewis Burwell Puller Jr. who was also a Marine lieutenant just like his father. he served in the Vietnam War and during the time he served in the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, Puller Jr. lived through a mine explosion that wounded him severely. This was while he had a battle with the Viet Cong insurgents. Chesty could not hold back his tears seeing his son get terribly wounded at the hospital. Lewis Jr. was a literary man too. He took home the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for his autobiography Fortunate Son: The Healing of a Vietnam Vet. The family had a bloodline strong with warriors and brave men if you look at their family tree.
Military Giants
Army General George S. Patton was actually Chesty Puller’s fourth cousin. George S. Patton was one of the leading men who led the World War II victory for the USA. Puller was also related to Lewis Burwell, a colonel who served in the Virginia militia while the American Revolutionary War took place. Chesty’s granddad was even a Confederate Major in the Civil War plus 4 great-uncles on his from his mom’s side of the family also participated in the War Between the States. His great-uncle leads the Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg too…
Puller’s Hero
Like we had said before, Puller drew a lot of his inspirations from the civil war while growing up. The Civil War got over by 1865 which was actually 30 years he was even born. He met a lot of those war veterans who ended up being his heroes as a young man. His biggest idol was Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. He had similar traits with the rigid general too. Puller was famous for his cigar-chewing and his strong jawline and his lack of tolerance for America’s enemies. His sheer determination and diligence is something that ranks him on the same level as his idols.
A Legacy
His unprecedented leadership skills and fearlessness is something that has set Puller’s legacy in stone. The Marine Corps’ mascot, a purebred English bulldog is named “Chesty Pullerton.” Marines would often close off the night by chanting, “Good night, Chesty Puller, wherever you are!” They would also shout out while shoving each other, “Chesty Puller never quit!” In boot camp, a marine’s comfort is to tell themselves, “It was good for Chesty Puller, and it’s good enough for me.” Every year, a Marine Corps detachment from Fort Lee, Virginia, would run a 66-mile distance all the way to Puller’s grave in his honor. His legacy lives on indeed.