MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- More than three decades after his death, the Marine Corps has found something that may even be too heavy for his famous chest.
A monument is being built for the late Lt. Gen. Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller to commemorate his 37 years of service to the Corps.
“It should only take a year, from the time we raise the funds required, for the sculptor to complete the work,” said retired 1st Sgt. Jim Barnett, Chesty Puller Statue Committee.
A spot has been selected for the statue in Semper Fidelis Memorial Park, in Triangle, Va., next to the National Museum of the Marine Corps. Puller’s monument will be placed in the same park as the 13th Commandant of the Marine Corps Lt. Gen. John A. Lejeune’s monument, as well as other figures from Marine Corps history.
“We had the spot in Semper Fi Park before we had full approval for the statue, but if it were to go anywhere else, it would probably be the Virginia Military Institute, where he enrolled in school before joining the Marine Corps,” said Barnett.
The design for the statue depicts Puller standing beside a Marine carrying a radio and a rifle. The uniform Puller is wearing on the statue places him in either World War II or the Korean War, the two conflicts he served in with distinction.
On the front of the four-foot granite base are the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Marine Division logos. On one side of the base will be a list of Puller’s decorations, and on another will be the logo for the Seagoing Marine Association, which is funding the project.
“We only went through basically one design for the statue, which wasn’t very different from the one we have now. The original had one other Marine and a palm tree, but we took those out to better fit in with the overall look,” said Barnett.
Along with being one of the most recognized figures in Marine Corps history, Puller is one of the most decorated as well. His most notable achievements include earning five Navy Crosses, the second highest decoration awarded by the Navy and Marine Corps. Among his other accolades are two Legion of Merit medals with combat-distinguishing devices, the Bronze Star with combat-distinguishing device and a Presidential Unit Citation with four bronze stars. Puller also received the United Nations Service Medal, the Korea Presidential Unit Citation with Bronze star and the Republic of Korea Ulchi Medal with gold star.
Puller’s legacy, while not set into stone or metal until now, has been set into something more permanent, the mindset of being a Marine.