✅Five Navy Crosses. ✅A chest supposedly made of steel. ✅Unshakable determination. ✅Patriotism in his bones. 🇺🇸 Meet "Chesty" Puller, the legendary Leatherneck. Lieutenant General Lewis Burwell Puller is widely recognized as the most decorated Marine in U.S. history, and the only Marine ever awarded five Navy Crosses. But why "Chesty"? The usual explanation points to his barrel chest and unmistakable posture: shoulders back, chest thrust forward. The nickname’s exact origins remain uncertain. Then came the joke: his chest had supposedly been damaged in battle and replaced with a steel plate. That was Marine folklore, not medical history. The man was formidable enough without the imaginary armor. On the night of October 24–25, 1942, Puller commanded the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, part of the 1st Marine Division, on Guadalcanal. His men defended the approaches to Henderson Field against repeated Japanese attacks. In darkness and pouring rain, Puller moved along the line, directing the defense and encouraging his Marines. Reinforcements helped them hold. He earned his third Navy Cross there (He had earned his first two Navy Crosses leading Nicaraguan troops against insurgents in 1930 and 1932, repeatedly facing superior enemy forces). His fourth came at Cape Gloucester in January 1944, where he took charge after two battalion commanders were wounded, reorganized their units under fire and led an attack against a fortified position. He later commanded the 1st Marines at Peleliu. In Korea, his leadership during the withdrawal from the Chosin Reservoir earned him a fifth Navy Cross. He also received the Army’s Distinguished Service Cross. Puller retired in 1955 after 37 years of service. He died on October 11, 1971, aged 73. The steel chest was a joke. The courage behind the legend was real! 💬 Did anyone in your family serve with the 1st Marine Division during World War II or Korea? Follow @Vanguard_WW2 for more stories of the people behind World War II.