NathanFearlessness
In Shanghai, the summer in the year 1941, the then-acting battalion commander Puller wen into a non-commissioned officers meeting. The air was heavy as the United States might have to go into the Second World War any time. A sergeant inquired Puller how he would handle the situation if Japan began “shooting war” to get the United States to fight in the Second Great War. Puller simply said, “I don’t know what the United States Government will do; I don’t know what Marine Headquarters will do; and I don’t know what the regiment will do. But – no orders to the contrary – I’ll take my battalion and fight my way the hell back to Frisco.”
Blowing Up
By the month of August in 1941, Lt. Puller took charge of the Marine battalion in North Carolina. He was going to be able to walk the walk this time around as Japan dropped a bomb in Pearl Harbor forcing America to join World War II. So in September the next year, Puller and his men were sent to the South Pacific island of Guadalcanal. These men would battle Germany, Japan, and Italy for 6 long months and this was only the start…
Fast Thinker
After reaching Guadalcanal, Puller and his men were deep in a ferocious battle. He ended up saving three of his troops’ lives. The Japanese force was bigger in number and was encircling them. Puller then dashed to shore to summon a United States Navy destroyer and lead this destroyer to fire against the enemies while the Marines were taken out of dangerous situations. Chesty Puller proved to everyone and himself that he was a man of his word, that he was no coward.
Third Navy Cross
Puller’s Guadalcanal episode went on to earn him his third Navy Cross when the year ended. His heroic deeds were worthy of a Hollywood movie. Tropical rainfall heavily poured from the South Pacific skies and Puller’s troops with another infantry unit were heavily firing at each other. Puller and his men were giving their all, protecting an air base the US had taken from the Japanese at the beginning of the year. So how did this play out?
During The Night Time
The Japanese tried hard to snatch the air base from the American troops by sending an excessive amount of men to combat which still proved to be fruitless. Puller and his crew had to ward off the Japanese crew for 3 long hours, which lead the Japanese men to give up. The Americans had 70 casualties while the Japanese had about 1,400. The citation of his award read “Courageously withstanding the enemy’s desperate and determined attacks,” adding that the now lieutenant colonel was “largely responsible for the successful defense of the sector assigned to his troops.”
Getting Wounded
Following the epic battle of holding down the airfield that night in October, Puller nominated two men from his crew to receive the Medals of Honor, something which he never got to receive. A battle in Guadalcanal, left him injured in the leg seven times by shrapnel in a single engagement. He responded to his doctor with these famous words where “Pullerisms,” was born. “Evacuate me, hell! Take that tag and label a bottle with it. I will remain in command!” the service newspaper Marine Corps Times had quoted him saying this in 1948.