New stamp will honor Chesty Puller (And Manila John Basilone)

Richmond Times Dispatch ^ | 8/26/2004

[asgardshill]

My favorite Chesty Puller story: When a journalist asked him about once being surrounded by 22 enemy divisions, he replied, "They are a damn site better than the U.S. Army, at least we know that THEY will be there in the morning."

[chesty_puller]

Thanks Lady, nice to know you're still hangin around.

[billhilly]

That is wonderful news. About forty years ago I read his biography, with the simple title of "Marine", and have been an admirer since then.

[billhilly]

"Retreat Hell! We're advancing backward."

[edfrank_1998]

[IronJack]

I came on this thread just to see if you were still here, ya old goat.

Glad to see ya are.

[IronJack]

Look at the jaw on that guy! Looks like he could bite through a tank track and spit out the rivets. Or chew a Jeep tire like a breath mint.

[Chieftain]

Ooorahh!! BUMP for Devil Dog HEROES!!

[SoCalPol]

My dad was a HM1 with the 1st Marines in the Korean War.
He still speaks of Chesty.

BTW Chesty a cousin of Gen Patton

[Chode]

got a list of what they all are??? a couple three of them sure have me stumped...

[Redleg Duke]

My favorite Chesty quote was when in Korea, he was inspecting the new 3.5" rocket launcher, developed to deal with the T-34s. He asked, "Where do you attach the bayonet?"

[edfrank_1998]

Here's a list, but since he served all over the planet (China, Nicaragua, Haiti, etc.), I'd be hardpressed to tell you which is which. This link has a number of pages with images of old medals.


found at: http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-medals/usa2.htm

The general holds the

Navy Cross with Gold Stars in lieu of four additional awards;

the Army Distinguished Service Cross;

the Army Silver Star Medal;

the Legion of Merit with Combat "V" and Gold Star in lieu of a second award;

the Bronze Star Medal;

the Air Medal with Gold Stars in lieu of second and third awards; and

the Purple Heart Medal.

His other medals and decorations include the

Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon with four bronze stars;

the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal with one bronze star;

the World War I Victory Medal with West Indies clasp;

the Haitian Campaign Medal;

the Second Nicaraguan Campaign Medal;

the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal with one bronze star;

the China Service Medal;

the American Defense Service Medal with Base clasp;

the American Area Campaign Medal;

the Asiatic-Pacific Area Campaign Medal with four bronze stars;

the World War II Victory Medal;

the National Defense Service Medal;

the Korean Service Medal with one silver star in lieu of five bronze stars;

the United Nations Service Medal;

the Haitian Medaille Militaire;

the Nicaraguan Presidential Medal of Merit with Diploma;

the Nicaraguan Cross of Valor with Diploma;

the Republic of Korea's Ulchi Medal with Gold Star; and

the Korean Presidential Unit Citation with Oak Leaf Cluster.

[Professional Engineer]

ping

[kellynla]

LIEUTENANT GENERAL LEWIS B. PULLER, USMC

NAMESAKE OF USS LEWIS B. PULLER (FFG 23)

Lieutenant General Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller was a colorful veteran of the Korean War, four World War II campaigns, and expeditionary service in China, Nicaragua, and Haiti. He was the only Marine to win the Navy Cross five times for heroism and gallantry in combat.

A Marine officer and enlisted man for 37 years, General Puller served at sea or overseas for all but ten of those years, including a hitch as commander of the "Horse Marines" in China. Excluding medals from foreign governments, he won a total of 14 personal decorations in combat, plus a long list of campaign medals, unit citation ribbons and other awards. In addition to the Navy Crosses, the highest honor the Navy can bestow, he holds its Army equivalent, the Distinguished Service Cross.

Born 26 June 1898, at West Point, Virginia, the general attended Virginia Military Institute until enlisting in the Marine Corps in August 1918. He was appointed a Marine Reserve second lieutenant 16 June 1919, but due to force reductions after World War I, was placed on inactive duty ten days later. He rejoined the Marines as an enlisted man to serve with the Gendarmerie d'Haiti, a military force in that country under a treaty with the United States. Most of its officers were U. S. Marines, while its enlisted personnel were Haitians.

After almost five years in Haiti, where he saw frequent action against the Caco rebels, Puller returned in March 1924 to the United States. He was commissioned a Marine second lieutenant that same month, and during the next two years, served at the Marine Barracks, Norfolk, Virginia, completed the Basic School at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and served with the 10th Marine Regiment at Quantico, Virginia.

In July of 1926, Puller embarked for a two-year tour of duty at the Marine Barracks, Pearl Harbor. Returning in June 1928, he served in San Diego, California, until he joined the Nicaraguan National Guard Detachment that December. After winning his first Navy Cross in Nicaragua, he returned to the United States in July 1931 to enter the Company Officers Course at the Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia. He completed the course in June 1932 and returned to Nicaragua the following month to begin the tour of duty that brought him a second Navy Cross.

In January 1933, Puller left Nicaragua for the United States. A month later he sailed from San Francisco to join the Marine Detachment of the American Legation at Peiping, China. There, in addition to other duties, he commanded the famed "Horse Marines." Without coming back to the United States, he began a tour of sea duty in USS AUGUSTA of the Asiatic Fleet. In June 1936 he returned to the United States to become an instructor in the Basic School at Philadelphia. He left there in May 1939 to serve another year as commander of the AUGUSTA's Marine Detachment, and from that cruiser, joined the 4th Marine Regiment at Shanghai, China, in May 1940.

After serving as a battalion executive and commanding officer with the 4th Marines, Puller sailed for the United States in August 1941. In September, he took command of the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, at Camp Lejeune. That Regiment was detached from the 1st Division in March 1942 and the following month, as part of the 3rd Marine Brigade, sailed for the Pacific theater. The 7th Regiment rejoined the 1st Marine Division in September 1942, and Puller, still commanding its 1st Battalion, went on to win his third Navy Cross at Guadalcanal.

The action that brought him that medal occurred on the night of October 24-25 1942. For a desperate three hours his battalion, stretched over a mile-long front, was the only defense between vital Henderson Airfield and a regiment of seasoned Japanese troops. In pouring jungle rain the Japanese smashed repeatedly at his thin line, as General Puller moved up and down its length to encourage his men and direct the defense. After reinforcements arrived, he commanded the augmented force until late the next afternoon. The defending Marines suffered less than 70 casualties in the engagement while 1400 of the enemy were killed and 17 truckloads of Japanese equipment were recovered by the Americans.

After Guadalcanal, Puller became executive officer of the 7th Marines. He was fighting in that capacity when he won his fourth Navy Cross at Cape Gloucester in January 1944. There, when the commanders of the two battalions were wounded, he took over their units and moved through heavy machine-gun and mortar fire to reorganize them for attack, then led them in taking a strongly fortified enemy position.

In February 1944, Puller took command of the 1st Marines at Cape Gloucester. After leading that regiment for the remainder of the campaign, he sailed with it for the Russell Islands in April 1944. He went on to command it at Peleliu in September and October 1944. He returned to the United States in November 1944, named executive officer of the Infantry Training Regiment at Camp Lejeune in January 1945, and took command of that regiment the next month.

In August 1946, Puller became Director of the 8th Marine Corps Reserve District, with headquarters at New Orleans, Louisiana. After that assignment, he commanded the Marine Barracks at Pearl Harbor until August 1950, when he arrived at Camp Pendleton, California, to re-establish and take command of the 1st Marines, the same regiment he had led at Cape Gloucester and Peleliu.

Landing with the 1st Marines at Inchon, Korea, in September 1950, he continued to head that regiment until January 1951, when he was promoted to brigadier general and named Assistant Commander of the 1st Marine Division. That May he returned to Camp Pendleton to command the newly reactivated 3rd Marine Division in January 1952. After that, he was assistant at division commander until he took over the Troop Training Unit, Pacific, at Coronado, California, that June. He was promoted to major general in September 1953, and in July 1954, assumed command of the 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune. Despite his illness, he retained that command until February 1955, when he was appointed Deputy Camp Commander. He served in that capacity until August, when he entered the U. S. Naval Hospital at Camp Lejeune prior to retirement.

In 1966, General Puller requested to return to active duty to serve in Vietnam, but was turned down because of his age. He died 11 October 1971 in Hampton, Virginia, after a long illness. He was 73.

[TigersEye]

A USPS gets some bump.

[fortheDeclaration]

"Retreat Hell! We're advancing backward."

I think ït went like this,
"Retreat Hell, we're just attacking in a different direction
And it wasn't 'Chesty' who said it, it was the commanding general of the 1st Marine Division

[tubebender]

Here is one for you...

[fortheDeclaration]

Also, his son was very badly wounded in Vietnam.

[Young Werther]

Rutgers '65 I had a chance to meet Manila John one dark and stormy night, (well Snoopy made me do it.) I was asked to navigate my friend's MG Midget car on a Time and distance Road Rally around New Brunswick area. We sped down this road into Raritan and then our instructions said "Take a right at Manila John". We entered the town square and went 'round and 'round. We finally stopped and I saw the plaque on the Statue of Manila John! We came in third in the rally but I went the RU Library the next day and did a search.

His story was chronicled in "Medal of Honor" and I couldn't be prouder of being a Joisy Ite!

[JLO]

Pretty cool.