Chesty Puller's 3rd Navy Cross Citation

NAVY CROSS ( 2nd Gold Star)
Rank and Service: Lieutenant Colonel , U.S. Marine Corps (03158)
Organization: 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division
Conflict: World War II
Date of Action: 24 to 25 October 1942
Place of Action: Guadalcanal, British Solomon Islands
Authorized by: The Navy Department Board of Decorations and Medals

 Citation: For extraordinary heroism as Commanding Officer of the First Battalion, Seventh Marines, First Marine Division, during the action against enemy Japanese forces on Guadalcanal , Solomon Islands , on the night of 24 to 25 October 1942. While Lieutenant Colonel Puller's battalion was holding a mile-long front in a heavy downpour of rain, a Japanese force, superior in number, launched a vigorous assault against that position of the line which passed through a dense jungle. Courageously withstanding the enemy's desperate and determined attacks, Lieutenant Colonel Puller not only held his battalion to its position until reinforcements arrived three hours later, but also effectively commanded the augmented force until late in the afternoon of the next day. By his tireless devotion to duty and cool judgment under fire, he prevented a hostile penetration of our lines and was largely responsible for the successful defense of the sector assigned to his troops.