“There is a certain enthusiasm in liberty, that makes human nature rise above itself, in acts of bravery and heroism.” —Alexander Hamilton (1775)

This week, we celebrate National Medal of Honor Day, an opportunity to recognize all recipients of our nation’s highest military award for their “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.” In doing so, we honor their extraordinary service and sacrifice on behalf of their brothers in arms, in keeping with their oaths “to support and defend” our Constitution and the American Liberty it enshrines.

It marks the anniversary observance of the first Medals awarded on March 25, 1863, for actions by Andrews’ Raiders. The first recipients were volunteers from three Ohio infantry regiments, and their valorous actions were memorialized in books and films as “The Great Locomotive Chase.”

Since those first Medals were awarded, American presidents and military commanders have, in the name of Congress, presented 3,535 Medals of Honor to a very elite few among the almost 40 million American veterans who have served our nation since 1861. In a country of some 330 million people today, there are only 61 living recipients.

Traditionally, I would devote this column to a Medal of Honor recipient, but today, I devote it to a man who, by all accounts, should be a recipient. In doing so, we join others who, likewise, are advocating for a Medal of Honor review and consideration.

In a recent Profile of Valor on Georgia native Maj. Gen. James Livingston, I noted, “When contemplating a Marine’s Marine, the first name that comes to mind is Lt. Gen. Lewis Burwell Puller.” (He got the nickname “Chesty” because, in his typical aggressive stance, his barrel chest protruded.“)

Over the course of his 37-year career, "Chesty” Puller commanded the 1st Marine Division, 2nd Marine Division, 3rd Marine Division, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Battalion/7th Marines, and 2nd Battalion/4th Marines. His theaters of service included Haiti, Nicaragua, World War II (Guadalcanal, Operation Cartwheel, Mariana, and Palau Islands), and the Korean War (Battle of Inchon, Second Battle of Seoul, and Battle of Chosin Reservoir).

He is the recipient of five Navy Cross citations (the nation’s second-highest Navy/Marine award for valor in combat), a Distinguished Service Cross (Army), a Silver Star, two Legion of Merit medals for valor, a Bronze Star for valor, three Air Medals, and a Purple Heart.

Puller is the most decorated Marine in American history.

Puller was born in West Point, Virginia, and his ancestors had been in Virginia since 1621. His father owned a small grocery store, but he died in 1908 when Lewis was 10 years old, adding to his family responsibilities. Growing up on a steady historical study of distinguished Virginia military men, including his idol, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, he wanted to enlist for the Border War with Mexico in 1916 but was too young. He then attended Virginia Military Institute, but in August 1918, during World War I, he left VMI, insisting he wanted to “go where the guns are!”

Taking inspiration from the actions of the 5th Marines at Belleau Wood, he enlisted in the Marine Corps and departed for boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina. After completing boot camp, he attended the non-commissioned officer school at Paris Island and then Officer Candidates School at Quantico, Virginia. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant, but 10 days later, as the numbers of officers were cut drastically after World War I, he was put on inactive status as a Corporal.

Serving in various military actions during the interwar years, he earned his first Navy Cross in Nicaragua for his actions from February 16 to August 19, 1930, when he led “five successive engagements against superior numbers of armed bandit forces.” His citation notes, “By his intelligent and forceful leadership without thought of his own personal safety, by great physical exertion and by suffering many hardships, Lieutenant Puller surmounted all obstacles and dealt five successive and severe blows against organized banditry in the Republic of Nicaragua.”

He was awarded a second Navy Cross for leading American Marines and Nicaraguan National Guardsmen into battle against Sandinista rebels in what would be the last major engagement of the Sandino Rebellion on December 26, 1932. According to his citation, Puller’s patrol “was ambushed on 26 September 1932, at a point northeast of Mount Kilambe by an insurgent force of one hundred fifty in a well-prepared position armed with not less than seven automatic weapons and various classes of small arms and well-supplied with ammunition.” Then, “Returning with the wounded to Jinotega, the patrol was ambushed twice by superior forces on 30 September. On both of the occasions the enemy was dispersed with severe losses.”

Puller’s third Navy Cross was earned during World War II while serving as commanding officer of the 1st Marine Division’s 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, on Guadalcanal. His citation notes: “Courageously withstanding the enemy’s desperate and determined attacks, Lieutenant Colonel Puller not only held his battalion to its position until reinforcements arrived three hours later, but also effectively commanded the augmented force until late in the afternoon of the next day. By his tireless devotion to duty and cool judgment under fire, he prevented a hostile penetration of our lines and was largely responsible for the successful defense of the sector assigned to his troops.”

His fourth Navy Cross was earned while serving as executive officer of the 7th Marines during the Battle of Cape Gloucester on the island of New Britain in 1944. His citation notes: “Assigned temporary command of the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, from Jan. 4-9, Lieutenant Colonel Puller quickly reorganized and advanced his unit, effecting the seizure of the objective without delay. Assuming additional duty in command of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines Jan. 7-8, after the commanding officer and executive officer had been wounded, Lieutenant Colonel Puller unhesitatingly exposed himself to rifle, machine-gun and mortar fire from strongly entrenched Japanese positions to move from company to company in his front lines, reorganizing and maintaining a critical position along a fire-swept ridge. His forceful leadership and gallant fighting spirit under the most hazardous conditions were contributing factors in the defeat of the enemy during this campaign.”

His fifth Navy Cross and his Distinguished Service Cross were earned in Korea while serving as commanding officer of the 1st Marine Regiment. Upon learning that he and his Marines were completely surrounded by tens of thousands of Communist Chinese soldiers, he declared, “We’ve been looking for the enemy for several days now, we’ve finally found them. We’re surrounded. That simplifies our problem of getting to these people and killing them.” His citation notes: “Colonel Puller drove off repeated and fanatical enemy attacks upon his regimental defense sector and supply points. Although the area was frequently covered by grazing machine-gun fire and intense artillery and mortar fire, he coolly moved along his troops to insure their correct tactical employment, reinforced the lines as the situation demanded, and successfully defended the perimeter, keeping open the main supply routes for the movement of the Division. During the attack from Koto-ri to Hungnam, he expertly utilized his Regiment as the Division rear guard, repelling two fierce enemy assaults, which severely threatened the security of the unit, and personally supervised the care and prompt evacuation of all casualties. By his unflagging determination, he served to inspire his men to heroic efforts in defense of their positions and assured the safety of much valuable equipment, which would otherwise have been lost to the enemy. His skilled leadership, superb courage and valiant devotion to duty in the face of overwhelming odds reflect the highest credit upon Colonel Puller and the United States Naval Service.”

It was for this action that he also was awarded the Army’s equivalent of the Navy Cross for, according to his citation, his “extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving as commanding officer, 1st Marines … Colonel Puller’s actions contributed materially to the breakthrough of the 1st Marine Regiment in the Chosin Reservoir area and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service.”

(You can read more detail of his service and actions here and here.)

Beyond his classic response about being surrounded by overwhelming enemy forces — “That simplifies our problem of getting to these people and killing them” — here are a few more that exemplify this Marine’s Marine: “Old breed? New breed? There’s not a damn bit of difference so long as it’s the Marine breed. … Don’t forget that you’re First Marines! Not all the Communists in hell can overrun you! … You don’t hurt ‘em if you don’t hit 'em. … Hit hard, hit fast, hit often. … Oh, that. It’s a dud [after a grenade landed next to him but did not detonate]. … Take me to the Brig. I want to see the real Marines. … Where the hell do you put the bayonet [during a flamethrower demonstration]? … They are in front of us, behind us, and we are flanked on both sides by an enemy that outnumbers us! They can’t get away from us now! … Great. Now we can shoot at those bastards from every direction. … Alright, you bastards, try and shoot me [yelled at North Koreans]! … There are not enough chinamen in the world to stop a fully armed Marine regiment from going wherever they want to go.”

There were some occasional digs at service branches: “They are a damn site better than the U.S. Army, at least we know that they will be there in the morning. … The mail service has been excellent out here, and in my opinion, this is all that the Air Force has accomplished during the war.”

Finally, his response to a young Marine who asked permission to marry: “Son, when the Marine Corps wants you to have a wife, you will be issued one.”

LtGen Chesty Puller was admired by enlisted Marines for his efforts to improve their quarters, equipment, and discipline. And notable in Puller folklore is the time he addressed a 2nd Lieutenant who, after an enlisted man failed to salute him, ordered that he be saluted 100 times. Puller told the Lieutenant, “You were absolutely correct in making him salute you 100 times, Lieutenant, but you know that an officer must return every salute he receives. Now return them all.”

Regarding his personal life, Chesty Puller was married to Virginia Montague Evans, and they had two children, Martha and Lewis Burwell Puller Jr. Lewis Jr. was a highly decorated Marine who served in Vietnam. While serving with 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, he was grievously wounded when he tripped a booby-trapped howitzer round, losing both legs and parts of his hands. His father sobbed upon seeing him in the hospital, where he hovered near death for days, and his weight fell to 55 pounds.

Battling alcoholism and despair, Lewis Jr. struggled to rebuild his life. In 1991, he published a bestselling memoir, Fortunate Son, which won the Pulitzer Prize. He never overcame his demons, though, and on May 11, 1994, he died at age 48 of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Puller’s son-in-law, Marine LtCol William H. Dabney, was also a VMI graduate and a distinguished Vietnam Veteran. Dabney would receive the Navy Cross for his actions defending Hill 881 South during the 77-day siege of the Khe Sanh Combat Base.

Chesty Puller died on October 11, 1971, at age 73. He is buried next to his wife at Christ Church Parish Cemetery in Virginia. To this day, a common incantation at the end of a training day in Marine Corps boot camp is to declare: “Good night, Chesty Puller, wherever you are!”

Military writer Michael Lane Smith wrote of Puller: “Born in the 19th century, fought in the heaviest fighting of the 20th century and is now a legend in this century. The most decorated Marine to ever wear the uniform, and also the most beloved, Puller left a mark on the Marine Corps that would define its culture for years to come.”

(Watch Chesty Puller’s story.)

In his honor, the guided-missile frigate USS Lewis B. Puller (FFG-23) was commissioned on 17 April 1982, and the USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB-3) expeditionary mobile base vessel was commissioned in August 2017. The headquarters building for 2nd Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team on Yorktown Naval Weapons Station in Yorktown, Virginia, is named Puller Hall in his honor. And the Marine Corps mascot is perpetually named “Chesty Pullerton” (e.g., Chesty Pullerton XIII), always an English Bulldog.

Puller was a military leader whose service stood in stark contrast to the Pentagon brass tapped by the recently departed Biden/Harris regime, which eroded military readiness and morale. Fortunately, military recruiting and morale are rising under Commander-in-Chief Donald Trump.

In consideration of his extraordinary service and unprecedented military decorations, including the aforementioned five Navy Crosses, second only to the Medal of Honor, I believe it is past time that his service and citations be reviewed for upgrade to a Medal of Honor. Despite two previous attempts to upgrade one of his Navy Cross awards, I hope that President Trump and SecDef Pete Hegseth will again take up this mantle.

LtGen Lewis “Chesty” Puller: Your example of valor — a humble American Patriot defending Liberty for all above and beyond the call of duty and in disregard for the peril to your own life — is eternal.

Semper Fi!

“Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

Live your life worthy of his sacrifice.

(Read more Profiles of Valor here.)

Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis
Pro Deo et Libertate — 1776

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