On October 11th 1971, Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller, age 73, passed away. Puller was a decorated lieutenant general in the United States Marine Corps who served in World War II, Korea, and retired in 1955. He is considered one of the most renowned Marines in U.S. history with a distinguished military career, having earned five Navy Crosses, the U.S. military’s second highest decoration for valor in combat. During his 37 years of service, he accrued two Legions of Merits, a Distinguished Service Medal, two Bronze Stars with V device, and four Purple Hearts. He was born in West Point, Virginia in 1898 and graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in 1918. After serving in World War I, Puller enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1920. In that same year, he embarked on a career that would become legendary among his peers -- earning a reputation for fearlessness and tireless devotion to duty. Puller will be mourned by all citizens of the U.S. and remembered by future generations of Marines around the world in the coming decades.