Lewis Burwell “Chesty” Puller served as a United States Marine Corps officer. Beginning his career fighting guerillas in Haiti and Nicaragua as part of the Banana Wars, he later served with distinction in World War II and the Korean War as a senior officer. By the time of his retirement in 1955, he had reached the rank of lieutenant general. These Chesty Puller quotes will motivate you.
Best Chesty Puller Quotes
- “They’re on our right, they’re on our left, they’re in front of us, they’re behind us; they can’t get away from us this time.” ~ Chesty Puller
- “Old breed? New breed? There’s not a damn bit of difference so long as it’s the Marine breed.” ~ Chesty Puller
- “So they’ve got us surrounded, good! Now we can fire in any direction, those b*****ds won’t get away this time!” ~ Chesty Puller
-
“We’re surrounded. That simplifies the problem!” ~ Chesty Puller
- “Take me to the Brig. I want to see the “real Marines”.” ~ Chesty Puller
- “I want to go where the guns are!” ~ Chesty Puller
- “The mail service has been excellent out here, and in my opinion, this is all that the Air Force has accomplished during the war.” ~ Chesty Puller
- “There are not enough chinamen in the world to stop a fully armed Marine regiment from going where ever they want to go.” ~ Chesty Puller
- “Pain is weakness leaving the body.” ~ Chesty Puller
-
“Paperwork will ruin any military force.” ~ Chesty Puller
- “In the Confederate Army, an officer was judged by stark courage alone, and this made it possible for the Confederacy to live four years.” ~ Chesty Puller
- “My definition, the definition that I’ve always believed in, is that esprit de corps means love for one’s own military legion – in my case, the United States Marine Corps. It means more than self-preservation, religion, or patriotism. I’ve also learned that this loyalty to one’s corps travels both ways: up and down.” ~ Chesty Puller
- “In the Marine Corps, your buddy is not only your classmate or fellow officer, but he is also the Marine under your command. If you don’t prepare yourself to properly train him, lead him, and support him on the battlefield, then you’re going to let him down. That is unforgivable in the Marine Corps.” ~ Chesty Puller
-
“You don’t hurt ’em if you don’t hit ’em.” ~ Chesty Puller
- “If you want to get the most out of your men, give them a break! Don’t make them work completely in the dark. If you do, they won’t do a bit more than they have to. But if they comprehend, they’ll work like mad.” ~ Chesty Puller
- “What the American people want to do is fight a war without getting hurt. You can’t do that any more than you can get into a barroom fight without getting hurt… Unless the American people are willing to send their sons out to fight an aggressor, there just isn’t going to be any United States.” ~ Chesty Puller
-
“Where the hell do you put the bayonet?” ~ Chesty Puller
- “I’ve always believed that no officer’s life, regardless of rank, is of such great value to his country that he should seek safety in the rear… Officers should be forward with their men at the point of impact.” ~ Chesty Puller
- “My definition, a definition in the drill books from the time that General Von Steuben wrote the regulations for General George Washington, the definition of the object of military training is success in battle… It wouldn’t be any sense to have a military organization on the backs of the American taxpayers with any other definition.” ~ Chesty Puller
- “If we are going to win the next war, in my opinion, 50 percent of the time of training should be allotted to night training.” ~ Chesty Puller
