Chesty Puller


Lewis Burwell Puller
Puller in 1950
Nickname(s)"Chesty"
Born(1898-06-26)June 26, 1898
West Point, Virginia, U.S.
DiedOctober 11, 1971(1971-10-11) (aged 73)
Hampton, Virginia, U.S.
Buried
AllegianceUnited States
Service/branchUnited States Marine Corps
Years of service1918–1955
RankLieutenant General
Unit1st Marine Division
Commands held2nd Marine Division
3rd Marine Division
1st Marines
1st Battalion, 7th Marines
2nd Battalion, 4th Marines
Battles/wars
AwardsNavy Cross (5)
Distinguished Service Cross
Silver Star
Legion of Merit w/ "V" Device (2)
Bronze Star Medal w/ "V" Device
Air Medal (3)
Purple Heart
Spouse(s)Virginia Montague Evans
RelationsLewis Burwell Puller, Jr. (son); William H. Dabney (son-in-law); Toddy Puller (daughter-in-law); Virginia McCandlish Puller-Dabney (daughter)

Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller (June 26, 1898 – October 11, 1971) was a United States Marine Corps officer. Beginning his career fighting guerillas in Haiti and Nicaragua as part of the Banana Wars, he later served with distinction in World War II and the Korean War as a senior officer. By the time of his retirement in 1955, he had reached the rank of lieutenant general.

Puller is the most decorated Marine in American history.[1] He was awarded five Navy Crosses and one Distinguished Service Cross. With six crosses, Puller is second behind Eddie Rickenbacker for citations of the nation's second-highest military award for valor.[2] Puller retired from the Marine Corps in 1955, after 37 years of service. He lived in Virginia and died in 1971 at age 73. Puller was a distant cousin to U.S. Army General George S. Patton.

  1. ^ "Gen. Chesty Puller Dies; Most Decorated Marine". The New York Times. October 12, 1971.
  2. ^ "Valor awards for Edward Vernon Rickenbacker". valor.militarytimes.com. Retrieved July 29, 2017.

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