LT Chesty Puller Leadership
LT Chesty Puller
By:
Russell C West IV
Leadership
LT Chesty Puller Lewis Burwell Puller, one of the most decorated and highly recognizable figures in the United States military history. Also known as LT Chesty Puller, he born in West Point, Virginia on June 26, 1898. At the age of 18 he tried to join the military. Due to his age at the time his mother didn’t allow him to go off, so in 1917 he attended the Virginia Military Institute, but only stayed for a year. He went off to Paris Islands, South Carolina to enlist in the United States Marine Corps. Even though he was a part of the military during the latter half of World War 1 he had yet gone to war. After graduating from Officer Candidates School in 1919, he became a Second Lieutenant in the Reserves, and was then given the rank as Corporal and was ordered to serve as a Lieutenant in the Gendarmerie d’Haiti. Throughout his many battles fought in Haiti he developed valuable fighting skills, and would soon become an officer once again after Haiti. He served in the Nicaragua after an unsuccessful run as an aviator, and volunteered for two year tours in 1928. After relentless battle, and a supposed bounty placed on his head, he was awarded his first Navy Cross. (Nettally, n.d) He left to join the Company Officers Course in Fort Benning, Georgia, at the Army Infantry School. Once he finished the Company Officers Course, he would then return to Nicaragua, and earn his second Navy Cross. He would soon continue to serve in the military as an executive and commanding officer, leading the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, earning a third Navy Cross. He led several more units at Cape Gloucester, Russell Islands, and Peleliu. He commanded the Marine Barracks at Pearl Harbor, and led the 1st Marines in Korea in 1950. He was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General, Assistant Commander of the 1st Marine Division, Major General, and appointed to the Deputy Camp Commander in 1955. Prior to
By:
Russell C West IV
Leadership
LT Chesty Puller Lewis Burwell Puller, one of the most decorated and highly recognizable figures in the United States military history. Also known as LT Chesty Puller, he born in West Point, Virginia on June 26, 1898. At the age of 18 he tried to join the military. Due to his age at the time his mother didn’t allow him to go off, so in 1917 he attended the Virginia Military Institute, but only stayed for a year. He went off to Paris Islands, South Carolina to enlist in the United States Marine Corps. Even though he was a part of the military during the latter half of World War 1 he had yet gone to war. After graduating from Officer Candidates School in 1919, he became a Second Lieutenant in the Reserves, and was then given the rank as Corporal and was ordered to serve as a Lieutenant in the Gendarmerie d’Haiti. Throughout his many battles fought in Haiti he developed valuable fighting skills, and would soon become an officer once again after Haiti. He served in the Nicaragua after an unsuccessful run as an aviator, and volunteered for two year tours in 1928. After relentless battle, and a supposed bounty placed on his head, he was awarded his first Navy Cross. (Nettally, n.d) He left to join the Company Officers Course in Fort Benning, Georgia, at the Army Infantry School. Once he finished the Company Officers Course, he would then return to Nicaragua, and earn his second Navy Cross. He would soon continue to serve in the military as an executive and commanding officer, leading the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, earning a third Navy Cross. He led several more units at Cape Gloucester, Russell Islands, and Peleliu. He commanded the Marine Barracks at Pearl Harbor, and led the 1st Marines in Korea in 1950. He was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General, Assistant Commander of the 1st Marine Division, Major General, and appointed to the Deputy Camp Commander in 1955. Prior to
References: Daft, Richard L. (2013). The Leadership Experience. Cengage Learning. Canada. Donigan, Maj Henry J. (1994). Peleliu: The Forgotten Battle. Marine Corps Association. Retrieved from https://www.mca-marines.org/leatherneck/peleliu-forgotten-battle Hickman, Kennedy. (2014). World War II/Korean War: Lieutenant General Lewis "Chesty" Puller. Military History. Retrieved from http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/WorldWarIILeaders/p/World-War-Ii-Korean-War-Lieutenant-General-Lewis-Chesty-Puller.htm Hoffman, John T. (2002). Chesty: The Story of Lieutenant General Lewis B. Puller, USMC. Random House Trade Paperbacks. Lieutenant General Lewis B. Puller, USMC. (n.d). Nettally. Retrieved from http://www.nettally.com/jrube/text/puller.htm Quintrall, Maj. Mickey L. (1998). The Chesty Puller Paragon: Leadership Dogma or Model Doctrine. United States Air Force. Print. Patrick, Bethanne Kelly. (2014). Lt. Gen. Lewis Berwell Puller. Military. Com. Retrieved from http://www.military.com/Content/MoreContent?file=ML_puller_bkp