Posted on 02/20/2009 4:00:55 PM PST by SandRat
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — More than three decades after his death, the Marine Corps has found something that may even be too heavy for his famous chest.
A monument is being built for the late Lt. Gen. Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller to commemorate his 37 years of service to the Corps.
“It should only take a year, from the time we raise the funds required, for the sculptor to complete the work,” said retired 1st Sgt. Jim Barnett, Chesty Puller Statue Committee.
A spot has been selected for the statue in Semper Fidelis Memorial Park, in Triangle, Va., next to the National Museum of the Marine Corps. Puller’s monument will be placed in the same park as the 13th Commandant of the Marine Corps Lt. Gen. John A. Lejeune’s monument, as well as other figures from Marine Corps history.
“We had the spot in Semper Fi Park before we had full approval for the statue, but if it were to go anywhere else, it would probably be the Virginia Military Institute, where he enrolled in school before joining the Marine Corps,” said Barnett.
The design for the statue depicts Puller standing beside a Marine carrying a radio and a rifle. The uniform Puller is wearing on the statue places him in either World War II or the Korean War, the two conflicts he served in with distinction.
On the front of the four-foot granite base are the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Marine Division logos. On one side of the base will be a list of Puller’s decorations, and on another will be the logo for the Seagoing Marine Association, which is funding the project.
“We only went through basically one design for the statue, which wasn’t very different from the one we have now. The original had one other Marine and a palm tree, but we took those out to better fit in with the overall look,” said Barnett.
Along with being one of the most recognized figures in Marine Corps history, Puller is one of the most decorated as well. His most notable achievements include earning five Navy Crosses, the second highest decoration awarded by the Navy and Marine Corps. Among his other accolades are two Legion of Merit medals with combat-distinguishing devices, the Bronze Star with combat-distinguishing device and a Presidential Unit Citation with four bronze stars. Puller also received the United Nations Service Medal, the Korea Presidential Unit Citation with Bronze star and the Republic of Korea Ulchi Medal with gold star.
Puller’s legacy, while not set into stone or metal until now, has been set into something more permanent, the mindset of being a Marine.
I read the same book about Chesty Puller “MARINE! The Life of Chesty Puller”. Quite the story.
Avoid the one written by his son, very sad.
Yes, that was the same book.
Chesty is my hero even though I was a doggie.
Been one of my heroes a long, long time.
I was moving from TX to DE around that time (I know, from the penthouse to the outhouse)and called his home to see if he was taking visitors. His wife said that the man was feeling poorly. However, he did come on the phone and thanked me for calling.
He died a week later. His words will stay with me until the day I die.
Good night Chesty, rest easy.
Semper fi, do or die
Semper Fi!
Lewis B. Puller and George S. Patton - true sons of the South, first cousins and grandchildren of War Between The States heroes.
Here is a observation Chesty made that is more germane today than when he was still with us:
“Our Country won’t go on forever if we stay soft as we are now. There won’t be any AMERICA because some foreign soldiery will invade us and take our women and breed a hardier race!”
—Lt. Gen. Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller, USMC
Puller had asthma and today would most likely be deemed medically unfit to serve in the Corps. His exercise regimen, adopted to give him greater lung capacity to compensate for the asthma, produced his barrel chest and gained him the nickname Chesty
Yes, I have read that asthma can cause that “barrel chest”.
That simplifies the problem."
I love the Marines.
A real hero!!
I heard the rest of it was
“We’ve got them just where we want them
They won’t get away this time”
Right up there with Gen O.P.Smith’s
There are more——Chinese behind us than in front of us
so we”re attacking to the rear!
Grim humor in thr face of adversity-—a Marine tradition.
I was there at the Chosin with Col. Ray Murray’s 5th Marines
(Chesty had the the !st)
Gen. Murray was another larger- than-life Marine legend.
R.I.P
Semper Fidelis Chesty
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