Gunfighter

Lodge2004 · Joined: 15 Jul 2007 Posts: 41 Location: Humble

"We've been looking for the enemy for several days now. We've finally found them. We're surrounded. That simplifies our problem of getting to these people and killing them."

Burke Davis provides a very readable biography of Chesty Puller - the greatest Marine ever. Although easy to read, the sheer number of combat exploits is difficult to grasp. This man was in and out of combat for 37 years!

If Puller were alive today, I suspect he would face many, if not more, of the same frustrations and roadblocks to training and leading marines. His early experiences with low intensity conflict would be invaluable in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He respected his opponents and learned from their strengths... "We'll have to get over the idea that we're the greatest people on earth in every respect, that we're infallible and that no one else has ideas worth considering. One of the reasons we had to fight against odds on Guadalcanal was this insufferable American notion of superiority, and our carelessness in face of danger. It goes back to Pearl Harbor and far beyond."

An amazing story about a rare breed of soldier that should be required reading.

yellowdog762 · Joined: 23 Jul 2007 Posts: 46

Chesty was a man's man. Excellent book.