In his 37 years of service to the United States Marine Corps, Lewis Burwell Puller, nicknamed “Chesty,” rose through the ranks from private to lieutenant general and became the most decorated Marine in American history. Generations of Marines still measure toughness against his name.
How Do You Get a Nickname Like “Chesty”?
Nobody is completely sure. One story says it came from his barrel chest and ramrod posture. A Marine once described his torso as looking like a full-size beer keg full of lead bricks. There is also a myth that his chest had been shot away and replaced with a steel plate. Others say “chesty” was old Marine slang for cocky. Puller himself was never certain how he came by the name, but he wore it well.
A Southern Boy From Virginia
Puller was born in 1898 in West Point, Virginia, and grew up on stories of Confederate veterans. He briefly attended the Virginia Military Institute before leaving in 1918 to enlist in the Marine Corps, eager to get into the fight in World War I. The war ended before he reached France, but his career was just beginning.
He fought in Haiti and Nicaragua in the 1920s and 1930s, where he earned his first two Navy Crosses leading patrols against guerrilla forces in the jungle. Then came World War II and Korea. By the end of his career he had earned five Navy Crosses, the nation’s second-highest award for valor in the naval services, plus the Army’s Distinguished Service Cross, a Silver Star, two Legions of Merit, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart and more. Well, you get the idea.
Guadalcanal: Hailing a Destroyer
Thousands of words cannot do the man justice, but here are a few. On Guadalcanal in September 1942, several companies of Puller’s battalion were cut off and surrounded near the Matanikau River. Rescue efforts had failed. Puller went down to the beach, flagged down the destroyer USS Monssen, climbed aboard and directed its guns onto the enemy. The shelling opened a path, and landing craft pulled the trapped Marines off the beach under fire.
That October his battalion held the line against waves of Japanese attacks in the fight for Henderson Field, earning Puller his third Navy Cross. By the time he left Guadalcanal, he had been wounded by shrapnel. He earned his fourth Navy Cross at Cape Gloucester in New Britain, and later led the 1st Marine Regiment at Peleliu, one of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific war.
Leading From the Front
Puller’s men admired him and his enemies feared him. He led from the front, shared the hardships of his men, and never flinched under fire. Marine lore is full of stories about him. In one, a grenade landed nearby, the men around him dove for cover, and Puller glanced at it and said, “Oh, that. It’s a dud.” The story is told and retold, though it is part of the Puller legend more than the official record. Well, it probably wasn’t a dud until Puller said so.
Korea: “They Can’t Get Away This Time”
In Korea, Puller commanded the 1st Marines in the Inchon landing and the liberation of Seoul in 1950. That winter, at the Chosin Reservoir, the 1st Marine Division was surrounded by overwhelming numbers of Chinese troops in brutal subzero cold. When told his Marines were surrounded, Puller is widely quoted as saying:
“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.”
Like many Puller lines, it has been repeated in several versions, but it captures his spirit perfectly. He earned his fifth Navy Cross for the fighting withdrawal from Chosin, as his Marines fought their way out, bringing their wounded and their equipment with them.
The Marine’s Marine
Chesty Puller inspired loyalty and courage. He treated his enlisted men well, demanded the best equipment and discipline for his troops, and had little patience for officers who put their own comfort first. His fearlessness and refusal to quit won him those countless medals, citations and ribbons.
He retired in 1955 and died in 1971 in his native Virginia. Today he is remembered as the toughest Marine ever to wear the uniform. The Marine Corps’ official bulldog mascot at Marine Barracks Washington is traditionally named Chesty in his honor.
And to this day, Marine recruits end their day at boot camp by saying:
“Good night, Chesty Puller, wherever you are!”
Honor Chesty and the Corps he loved by flying the scarlet and gold. Browse our Marine Corps flags, from the standard 3×5 USMC flag to heavy-duty double nylon embroidered flags. Semper Fi!
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