Lewis Puller enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1918 at the age of twenty. That day he and the Corps formed a bond that would forever link them together in history. "Chesty" received his nickname for his barrel chest, but he became a legend in his own time while serving valiantly in Haiti, Nicaragua, the Pacific during WW2, and Korea. His record of earning five Navy Crosses for valor has never been matched, nor has his place in Marine Corps history as one of the finest combat officers ever. Good night, Chesty Puller, wherever you are!


Thursday, July 22, 2010

Eugene Sledge Video

Just found this video featuring Eugene Sledge talking about some of his combat experiences. I found it very interesting.

Warning, this video is graphic and contains some descriptions that are very vivid.

Sledge wrote the book, With The Old Breed, and was one of the main characters in the HBO miniseries The Pacific.







Learn more about Eugene Sledge Here. Or click the link below to purchase his book.

With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa 

God Bless You Sledge!

Monday, July 19, 2010

Chesty Puller Tribute Video

I just finished putting this video together on the life of Lewis "Chesty" Puller. It showcases his career in pictures.

Semper Fi! Enjoy!



Friday, July 16, 2010

William Foley Jr. -- A Rifleman in Patton's Ghost Corps

William Foley Jr. is a painter, author, and World War Two combat veteran. As a rifleman in the 94th Infantry Division, Foley Jr. saw war firsthand and he draws on those memories to create some of the finest battlefield artwork around. His experiences during the Battle of the Bulge became the backdrop for his many murals, painting, and sketches. Foley Jr. is also the author of Visions From a Foxhole: A Rifleman in Patton's Ghost Corps, and his artwork has been shown in museums, art galleries, and government buildings.

Visions From a Foxhole: A Rifleman in Patton's Ghost Corps

The selection below includes some my favorite artwork by William Foley Jr. on products from his Zazzle gallery. Enjoy!







Overrun on Hill 468 print
Overrun on Hill 468 by Visionsfromafoxhole
See all the posters at zazzle.com









Want more William Foley Jr. products?
- Click Here -
Visions From a Foxhole


Bonus -- I came across this article the other day on Mr. Foley -- Check It Out Here!

Friday, July 2, 2010

Lewis Puller Jr. -- A Hero's Son and A Hero

What would it be like growing up as the only son of the most decorated Marine in history?

Only one man knew, his name was Lewis Puller Jr. He grew up in the shadow of his famous father, Lewis "Chesty" Puller and he turned into a hero himself. Here is some info on a lesser know Marine Hero, Lewis Puller Jr.

Lewis' basic school platoon

Lewis Burwell Puller, Jr. (August 18, 1945 – May 11, 1994) was an attorney, Pulitzer prize winning author and officer in the United States Marine Corps. He was severely wounded in the Vietnam War.

Puller before shipping out for Vietnam

Lewis Burwell Puller Jr. was the son of Lt. General Lewis "Chesty" Puller, the most decorated Marine in the history of the Marine Corps. He followed in his father's footsteps and became a Marine officer. Puller graduated high school from Christchurch School in Christchurch, Virginia. Upon graduation from the College of William and Mary in 1967, Puller was shipped to Vietnam, where he was badly wounded when he tripped a booby-trapped howitzer round on October 11, 1968, losing both legs and most of his fingers in the explosion. The shell riddled his body with shrapnel, and he lingered near death for days with his weight dropping to 55 pounds, but Puller survived. Puller later recalled the first time his father saw him in the hospital. He described how his father broke down weeping and that hurt him more than any of his physical injuries. Those who knew him say that it was primarily because of his iron will and his stubborn refusal to die. Because of his wounds, Puller was medically discharged from the Marine Corps. During his short active-duty military career, Puller earned the Silver Star, two Purple Hearts, the Navy Commendation Medal and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry.

Lewis and Toddy at Philadelphia Naval Hospital

For years after he returned to a reasonably sound physical condition, the emotional ground underneath him remained shaky, though he got a law degree, had two children with the woman he had married before going to Vietnam, and raised a family. He even mounted an unsuccessful campaign for Congress in 1978, representing eastern Virginia. Throughout the years, he battled black periods of despondency and drank heavily until 1981, when he underwent treatment for alcoholism. Despite that treatment, Puller continued to suffer severe depression and occasional bouts of alcoholism.

Lewis Puller Jr. and His Son

In 1991, Puller told the story of his ordeal and its aftermath in a book titled Fortunate Son, an account that ended with Puller triumphing over his physical disabilities, and becoming emotionally at peace with himself. It won the Pulitzer Prize. The title of this autobiography was borrowed from the song "Fortunate Son" by Creedence Clearwater Revival, which he gives credit to in the opening pages of his book

Three Generations Of Pullers


According to friends and associates, Puller spent the last months of his life in turmoil. In the days leading up to his death, Puller fought a losing battle with the alcoholism that he had kept at bay for 13 years, and struggled with a more recent addiction, to painkillers initially prescribed to dull continuing pain from his wounds.

Puller and President Carter

On May 11, 1994 Puller died due to a self-inflicted gunshot. He and his wife, Linda T. (Toddy) Puller, had separated shortly before his death.

Lewis at a Marine Birthday Bash

He was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. A caisson drawn by six white horses and led by a seventh escorted his remains to the grave. As is the custom, the casket was draped in a U.S. flag. A Marine Corps honor guard led the way through the cemetery as members of the Marine Corps Band kept time. National, state and local lawmakers joined nearly 700 people paying their respects. An overflow crowd spilled out onto the grounds of Fort Myer Chapel. More than a dozen of the attendees were in wheelchairs, as Puller had been before his death. At that service, recalled the Reverend Robert W. Prichard, who delivered the homily, "He said he envied those people who had a faith that came without any sorrow, faith that came without wavering. He envied it for others, but he couldn't claim it for himself." Prichard said that most of the people who knew Puller wished that his life had been different, that his book, "Fortunate Son," would have propelled him from his despair. "We all wanted it that way," Prichard said. "From weakness to strength, from height to height, from victory to victory." But that was not to be.

Puller Jr. getting things done

Though wounded in the Vietnam War, Puller's name is not listed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which is reserved for those died or who are listed as missing in action. Instead, the nearby In Memory Memorial Plaque, represents those veterans, like Puller, who "...died after their service in the Vietnam war, but as a direct result of that service, and whose names are not otherwise eligible for placement on the memorial wall."

Lewis chatting with a Marine

Terry Anderson, a former Associated Press journalist, who was held hostage in Lebanon, recalled the same hope he had had for his friend, Puller. "This is a man who had so many burdens, so many things to bear. And he bore them well for 25 years," he said. "What did I miss?" Anderson asked. "I was his friend. I thought he was winning."


In a statement, Puller's wife, Toddy said, "Our family has been moved and humbled by the outpouring of affection for Lewis. The many acts of kindness from our friends across the country have helped us in this very difficult time. It is clear that Lewis affected the lives of people in ways that we never knew." Of her deceased husband, she said, "To the list of names of victims of the Vietnam War, add the name of Lewis Puller ... He suffered terrible wounds that never really healed." Toddy Puller had been elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1991.

In addition to his wife, Puller's survivors included their two children, Lewis III and Maggie, his twin sister, Martha Downs, and sister, Virginia Dabney.(source wiki  )


To learn more about Lewis Puller Jr. I highly recommend his book, Fortunate Son.
It is an outstanding book about an outstanding man.

Fortunate Son: The Healing of a Vietnam Vet

God Bless You Lewis!
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