Chesty of course was none other than Lt. Col Lewis Puller, commanding officer of the marine battalion at Guadalcanal in 1942. They held their own, facing a force overpowering them some 29 to 1. And when finally driven back into the ocean, they were rescued by the US Coastguard, headed by British Columbia born Douglas Munro and others.
Munro was killed in the action and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. This was the only MOH award to a serving member of the Coast Guard in its history. Another MOH went to a member but it was after CG service and then with the Army, as noted on this site in the past. Search ... the snake... at this site for details.
Munro's heroism was recognized by Puller, a later Lt. General and the most decorated marine in US Marine Corps history.
Puller and Munro and so many thousands of others have their names carved in stone. Part of each of their stories is the fact that when everything possible went wrong... they went right ... and pushed on, regardless of the obstacles to overcome.
Read their stories and pass them on to those who too, will come across roadblocks to their own success. Roadblocks that chipped up, make wonderful smaller stepping stones to make a new path around the obstacles sent to challenge us.
Search this site for the stories of James Allen, who lost his parents before the age of 5... but kept going and going and going like the rabbit in the commercial and having a Medal of Honor pinned to his chest. Search this site for the numerous mentions to Rowland Bourke, who lost an eye and none of the military services in Canada or the US would allow him to sign up for war service. But he kept going until Britain issued him a uniform. The very one His Royal Highness would later pin a Victoria Cross onto.
These are just two of well over 100 stories, in over 450 blogs, that have reminded every reader of our own duty to ... "Ask not what your county can do for you, but what you can do for your country."
Then there is the story of "Red." He volunteered to serve but was rebuffed. But even they were to find that it is never too late to correct a wrong.
Born and bred in Texas, Red attended a military school and several colleges there and in New Mexico but schooling was not his thing. Poor marks saw him bounce around. He took up flying and had an industrial accident that saw him break his neck, but recovered. He would even try his hand in Fiji on a pineapple plantation as a supervisor but by the late 1930's he was back in Texas where he became a married man destined to settle down... not. It would only last a few years, in the midst of which he tried to join up with the US air services but was declined. His record of schooling and a bad neck no doubt put a halt on that front.
Like thousands before him during the Great War, and throughout WWll Red turned his efforts northbound and headed for Canada. Like his countrymen of earlier days, he applied for, and was accepted into the RCAF. Training in several parts of the country soon saw him wearing Sgt's stripes and shipped off to England and attached to the Royal Air Force where he would fight in at least 12 missions, but still in Canadian uniform.
Munro was killed in the action and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. This was the only MOH award to a serving member of the Coast Guard in its history. Another MOH went to a member but it was after CG service and then with the Army, as noted on this site in the past. Search ... the snake... at this site for details.
Munro's heroism was recognized by Puller, a later Lt. General and the most decorated marine in US Marine Corps history.
Puller and Munro and so many thousands of others have their names carved in stone. Part of each of their stories is the fact that when everything possible went wrong... they went right ... and pushed on, regardless of the obstacles to overcome.
Read their stories and pass them on to those who too, will come across roadblocks to their own success. Roadblocks that chipped up, make wonderful smaller stepping stones to make a new path around the obstacles sent to challenge us.
Search this site for the stories of James Allen, who lost his parents before the age of 5... but kept going and going and going like the rabbit in the commercial and having a Medal of Honor pinned to his chest. Search this site for the numerous mentions to Rowland Bourke, who lost an eye and none of the military services in Canada or the US would allow him to sign up for war service. But he kept going until Britain issued him a uniform. The very one His Royal Highness would later pin a Victoria Cross onto.
These are just two of well over 100 stories, in over 450 blogs, that have reminded every reader of our own duty to ... "Ask not what your county can do for you, but what you can do for your country."
Then there is the story of "Red." He volunteered to serve but was rebuffed. But even they were to find that it is never too late to correct a wrong.
Born and bred in Texas, Red attended a military school and several colleges there and in New Mexico but schooling was not his thing. Poor marks saw him bounce around. He took up flying and had an industrial accident that saw him break his neck, but recovered. He would even try his hand in Fiji on a pineapple plantation as a supervisor but by the late 1930's he was back in Texas where he became a married man destined to settle down... not. It would only last a few years, in the midst of which he tried to join up with the US air services but was declined. His record of schooling and a bad neck no doubt put a halt on that front.
Like thousands before him during the Great War, and throughout WWll Red turned his efforts northbound and headed for Canada. Like his countrymen of earlier days, he applied for, and was accepted into the RCAF. Training in several parts of the country soon saw him wearing Sgt's stripes and shipped off to England and attached to the Royal Air Force where he would fight in at least 12 missions, but still in Canadian uniform.
John Gillespie McGee was not only the poet who wrote this poem, he was also a hands on pilot. Born in China to an American father and British mother, he would take the same steps from the US to Canada to join the Air Force prior to America's official joining of the war.
McGee actually also flew with Red. But his time in the RAF lasted only 10 weeks. While in his 19th year of age, he and another youth pilot were killed when their two planes crashed in a mid-air accident over England.
In March 1943 Red finally saw his goal come to life. The US not only entered the war, but now, due to the training that Red had received, allowed him to transfer over to the US and its Army Air Force. Along with the paper work came a promotion to Flight Officer.
I will share more about his heroism next Sunday.
Bart
McGee actually also flew with Red. But his time in the RAF lasted only 10 weeks. While in his 19th year of age, he and another youth pilot were killed when their two planes crashed in a mid-air accident over England.
In March 1943 Red finally saw his goal come to life. The US not only entered the war, but now, due to the training that Red had received, allowed him to transfer over to the US and its Army Air Force. Along with the paper work came a promotion to Flight Officer.
I will share more about his heroism next Sunday.
Bart
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