Marine! The Life of Chesty Puller

I enjoyed every paragraph of this book. Rarely do you find a leader who seems to have an answer or every dilemma. It is obvious he one one of our greatest leaders in some respect maybe more so then Patton or McArthur. I don’t believe I have ever found a high raking officer that cared so much about his men and they toward him. An excellent book that all young people interested in a military career should be required to read.

What can I say, a must read for every American!! Even I as a child during WW11 knew Chesty Puller!...my family had its share of our young men i n the marines! They had respect and admiration for him . We listened to many stories of this positive, confident man. His firm belief in making a young man into a marine for life is still needed today! A love for country and price in serving our country Our country today has lost the price we had , people have strayed from upholding the values we once had. Our children have no true heros and no respect for others. Our peoples are so materiel minded, want everything right now and without earning it. I find this true story exciting, well written, the personal correspondence between Cheery and wife revealing the strength of their love endearing, revealing the softer side of this man,. He knew himself, believed in his self and his rose through the ranks, from private to general shows his focus on learning, working hard, and attaining his promotions one at a time. Remarkable man, astounding strength to stick to ideals of the true marine. Wish we had more Chesty Pul!ens

I was very skeptical of this book. Not even sure why i decided to buy it. I guess it was the fact that there was so much praise for this guy in the reviews that I read, yet I had never heard of him. I enjoyed history in school and this guys name never registered. But once you get into the stories and his adventures it became more and more fascinating. What a career. What a true leader of men. What a man who understood the art of war, took pride in going about it "the right way" and loved his country so much that he felt compelled into the service of it.

I read Chesty's son's pultzer-award-winning book, Fortunate Son. That book was very well written. It was sad but inspring at the same time (mostly sad). It made me further realize just how much so many men gave for our country. Don't google information on Lewis Puller Jr. until you're done with the book. Once I read THAT book, I had to order a book about his dad, who was known as the "marine's marine." This book, too, was also very interesting and very-well written. Again, it made me appreciate what our soldiers have done for our country. I have never been a reader of war books per se, but these two were excellent!

This outstanding work has brought the words, actions and philosophy of US Marine warfare to a world in need of a new hero in the embodiment of US Marine Chesty Puller. Semper Fidelis Chesty

Let me tell you first that I served in the Marine Corps, so I was familiar with Chesty. This book gave detail coverage of the campaigns that made Chesty such an iconic figure. Lots and lots of detail so you can know the difference between a Marine who has a job, and a Marine that answered a calling to serve their nation. Great study for any serviceman, whatever the branch of the military they joined.

Burke Davis’ biography of Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller vividly portrays the military life of a man who was a professional in the best sense of that word. He studied the men and the tactics they employed in the U. S. Civil War before he enlisted in the Marines. As a sergeant he led patrols fighting guerrillas in Haiti and Nicaragua. Later, as an officer, he led Marines in China as CO of the 2nd Battalion, Fourth Marines. (I served in 2/4 and other parts of the Fourth Marines from 1959 to 1962 when it was located on Oahu.) He strongly believed that tough training and knowledge of the enemy were keys to success in battle. The book also details Chesty’s leadership in the First Marines during the battle of Guadalcanal. The Army was so impressed with him that soldiers were added to Chesty’s battalion so they could learn how to defeat the Japanese. Chesty believed that a leader should be out in front with his troops, setting the example, and inspiring them to accomplish the mission no matter how desperate the situation. He did this during the invasion of Peleliu and later in Korea during the Inchon landing, the capture of Seoul, and in the freezing terror of the Chosin Reservoir. He must have had a guardian angel watching over him during all this combat for he was wounded only once in his leg with shrapnel. Many legends sprung up about Chesty. When informed at the Chosin that they were surrounded by the enemy, he replied in a positive way; the Marines could now shoot in ay direction and hit the enemy. Chesty was a devoted family man and wrote daily to his wife, Virginia, who looked after their daughter, also named Virginia, and later their son, Lewis Jr. After the Korean War was over, Chesty commanded units on both U. S. coasts, the latter one at Camp Lejeune, NC. During this time he became ill and was required to have tests performed at the Naval Hospital in Bethesda, MD. He adamantly maintained that he was fit for duty but the medical authorities mandated his retirement. There is still an aura of some skulduggery about this; many in the military believed that Chesty was being punished for being “politically incorrect,” always speaking his mind while ignoring the consequences. Chesty retired as a Lieutenant General in October 1955 at age 57 and lived until 1971. In March 1980, the U. S. S. Lewis B. Puller (FFG-23) was launched and sponsored by Mrs. Puller. My youngest son, Chris, served on this ship in the early 1990s and I had the opportunity to spend time with him for a “Family Day” cruise from Long Beach Harbor out into the Pacific Ocean. In the wardroom there is a display of Chesty’s fifty-three medals and ribbons including his five Navy Crosses and the Army’s Distinguished Service Cross, testifying that he was the most decorated Marine in our country’s history.

"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." Burke Davis provides a very readable biography of Chesty Puller - the greatest Marine ever. Although easy to read, the sheer number of combat exploits is difficult to grasp. This man was in and out of combat for 37 years! If Puller were alive today, I suspect he would face many, if not more, of the same frustrations and roadblocks to training and leading marines. His early experiences with low intensity conflict would be invaluable in Iraq and Afghanistan. He respected his opponents and learned from their strengths... "We'll have to get over the idea that we're the greatest people on earth in every respect, that we're infallible and that no one else has ideas worth considering. One of the reasons we had to fight against odds on Guadalcanal was this insufferable American notion of superiority, and our carelessness in face of danger. It goes back to Pearl Harbor and far beyond." An amazing story about a rare breed of soldier that should be required reading.

A story of the life and advancement of the most decorated Marine in the history of the Marine Corp, from boy to retired General. A man incapable of being petty or mean-spirited. he was known as having a heart as big as the great outdoors. He was devoted to the Corp and the men he led. WW 1 ended after he finished boot camp so he began his military experience in Haiti where he was so successful suppressing bandits in the hills that he was asked to become Governor while still in his early twenties. A relation of Robert E. Lee and General Patton he was a proud Virginian whose love for his wife was transcended only by his beloved Corp. A fascinating read for military lovers and even those who aren't. His leadership at Guadalcanal and Korea remained outstanding. He was revered by every man he led in battle or out. The men he led and who knew him became his fan club. A book difficult to put down. Highly recommended.

Outstanding Must Read for young generation of soldiers for future Well written book covered the life of an INSPIRATIONAL general

Chesty Puller è la dimostrazione che un comandante di uomini lo è per carattere, non per studio o perché ha intrapreso la carriera delle armi. Lui sapeva cosa fare d'istinto, dava l'esempio e si esponeva sempre in prima persona. Per rispetto e per il bene dei soldati, diceva sempre quello che pensava, soprattutto se era dell'opinione che scelte tattiche, strategiche e anche comportamenti e regolamenti, non erano giusti. Come ogni soldato della sua razza, appena tacevano le armi diventava ingombrante e le gerarchie lo ostracizzavano. Un delitto, sempre pagato con il sangue dai soldati impiegati nelle guerre successive, che perdevano la possibilità di usufruire dell'esperienza di questo genere di Guerrieri. Marine! è un libro illuminante, che a mio parere andrebbe letto insieme a diversi altri riguardanti la guerra nel Pacifico e la guerra di Corea. Aiuta a capire molte cose!!! Consiglio per il Pacifico (tra molti altri) "With the Old Breed At Peleliu and Okinawa", "Helmet for my Pillow", per la Corea "The Last Stand of Fox Company", "Colder than Hell" e, per avere una panoramica incredibilmente dettagliata della guerra di Corea, "The Forgotten War", di Clay Blair. Un libro che spiega come siano potute succedere molte delle cose descritte in Marine! Insomma, un libro interessante, pieno di aneddoti e che rappresenta un tassello importante per chi ama lo studio dell'arte del comando.

I like very good

However, I am very pleased Chesty is dead and gone. It would break his heart to see the ultimate victory of the Communists over a once proud America. It is a mercy that he does not have to witness what America has become, taking a knee to her arch enemy. Having said that, I believe that Chesty Puller was the single best leader America has produced throughout her entire history. May he rest in peace.