Born June 26, 1898 in West Point, Virginia, Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller rose from the rugged small-town South to become the most decorated Marine in U.S. history. He earned five Navy Crosses and an Army Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary valor.
In conflicts from the Banana Wars in Haiti and Nicaragua to the jungles of Guadalcanal in WWII, and the frozen valleys of Korea, Puller led from the front. At the fateful battle of the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir in Korea, when his Marines found themselves encircled, he is credited with saying:
“We’ve been looking for the enemy for some time now. We’ve finally found him. We’re surrounded. That simplifies things.”
Puller’s leadership mantra — summed up in his quote above — reflected his belief that clear communication, shared hardship, and front-line presence matter more than distance from the fight. His men didn’t follow him because of rank alone; they followed because he would stand with them.
Retiring in 1955 at the rank of Lieutenant General, Puller passed on October 11, 1971, but his legacy lives on. His name is still spoken in Marine training: “Good night, Chesty, wherever you are.”
