Why Marines loved Chesty Puller

Hatboro, PA

In 1951, the corporal in the bed nest to me in the San Diego Naval Hospital had lost one eye while fighting in Korea. He wrote a letter to Maj. Gen. Puller stating that he wanted to remain in the Corps but was being forced to retire in a 50 percent pension. In the letter he asked if Gen. Puller could help him stay in the Corps. Instead of receiving a letter from Chesty, he was invited to have lunch with him at Camp Pendleton. Chesty sent his staff car to pick him up, and then face to face he told this corporal there was nothing he could do to help him. After lunch the staff car returned him to the hospital. This is another example of why all Marines loved Chesty. No dry meaningless letter. But face to face and Marine General to Marine Corporal, he showed that he cared. THIS WAS CHESTY.

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