General Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller, is to this date, the most awarded Marine in history, with 5 Navy Crosses, and an Army Distinguished Service Cross. Joined as a Private but retired as a Lieutenant General after 37 years of service.
At Guadalcanal, Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone killed 38 enemies with a machine gun then rushed behind enemy lines to resupply trapped Marines. He destroyed a Japanese blockhouse alone, and even escorted a tank through a minefield!
Daniel "Chappie" James Jr. was the first black 4 star general. He became a fighter pilot in the Air Forces and later trained the famous Tuskegee Airmen. Earned 3 Distinguished Service Medals, 2 Legions of Merit, 3 Distinguished Flying Crosses, a Meritorious Service Medal, and 14 Air Medals.
Colonel William Lendrum Mitchell, was an advocate for air power, and the need for an independent Air Force. He was so outspoken in his defense of air superiority, he often alienated his superiors and counterparts. Today he is known as one of the "Fathers of the Air Force."
General George Smith Patton Jr., is regarded as one of the most successful US field commanders in any war. A very brash and prominent figure in WWII, he liberated many concentration camps in Germany and instituted a policy, adopted by other commanders, that forced German citizens to tour the camps.
General John Joseph Pershing was a man known for his strict discipline, and was responsible for creating and leading the American Expeditionary Force in WWI. He was later named "General of the Armies," higher than a 5 star general, and the highest possible Army rank.
Fleet Admiral Chester William Nimitz was the commander of the entire Pacific fleet in WWII and created the "island hopping" strategy that led to the crippling of Japanese naval and air power. The first ship of a new class of nuclear powered aircraft carriers, USS Nimitz, was named after him for his accomplishments.
General Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold was the Air Force's only 5 star general. A prominent figure in WWII, he retired with 3 Distinguished Service Crosses, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, and other decorations from Morocco, Brazil, Yugoslavia, Peru, France, Mexico, and Great Britain.
Brigadier General Charles Elwood Yeager was the first human in history to ever break the sound barrier by flying the experimental Bell X-1 at Mach 1 in 1947. Throughout his life he flew more than 360 different types of aircraft over 70 years.
Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock was one of America's greatest snipers. Had 93 confirmed kills, including a 2,500 yard kill of a guerrilla soldier with an M2 .50 cal machine gun in single shot mode. Beat out 3000 others to win the Wimbeldon Cup for Snipers.
Lieutenant Junior Grade Neil Alden Armstrong was an accomplished naval aviator and flew reconnaissance missions in the Korean War. He later went on to become an astronaut and was one of the first men on the moon. He's been awarded the Space Medal of Honor and Medal of Freedom.
General Colin Luther Powell was the first black Secretary of State, and is a retired 4 star general. General Powell was a prominent figure in the Persian Gulf War, and Operation JUST CAUSE, which led to Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega being overthrown.
Lieutenant Jonathan Kim was a medic and sniper with SEAL Team 3, awarded a Silver Star for saving wounded Iraqi soldiers under enemy fire. He earned a degree in mathematics and an MD from Harvard. He was 1 of 12 chosen from 18,300 astronaut candidates and currently awaits his flight in the Artemis Program with NASA.
Lieutenant Commander Richard Marcinko is the founder of the famous SEAL Team 6. During the Iranian Hostage Crisis, the Navy saw the need for a special team dedicated to hostage rescue and counter-terrorism. While he was in command of SEAL Team 2, he was awarded the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.
General Dwight David Eisenhower was a 5 star general and Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force during WWII, who later went on to be the 34th President of the United States. Led the invasion against the Nazi's in Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944.
Lieutenant Michael Patrick Murphy was a Navy SEAL and earned the Medal of Honor. When his team came under fire, he left cover to get a clear signal to request support for his team. He finished the transmission and fought to the end. His favorite workout involved a mile run, 100 pull ups, 200 push ups, and 300 squats, while wearing a 20lb vest was renamed "Murph" in his honor.
Nicknamed "The Grand Old Man of the Marine Corps," Colonel Archibald Henderson holds the record for the longest time served as Commandant of the Marine Corps. He was the Commandant for 38 years and his years of service included The War of 1812 and The Mexican War.
Colonel George Everett "Bud" Day started as an enlisted Marine, then later joined the Air National Guard. He was shot down, tortured, beaten, and sent to the infamous "Hanoi Hilton." A year later, he was sent to "The Zoo," a camp for the most defiant POWs. At his most defiant, he would stare down his guards, singing the Star-Spangled Banner in their face.
Sergeant Major Daniel Daly received two Medals of Honor. The first was for single-handedly holding a wall in China as Chinese snipers and other soldiers tried to pick him off. The second was awarded for his role in resisting an ambush by Caco rebels in Haiti and then leading a dawn counterattack against them.
During a fight in the Argonne Forest, Sergeant Henry Johnson and one of his buddies came under attack by a dozen Germans. Johnson held them off with grenades and rifle fire until he ran out of ammo, then he finished the job with a knife, saving the rest of his unit. He was from the famous regiment known as the "Harlem Hellfighters."
Admiral Alfred C. Richmond received the Bronze Star Medal for the Normandy Invasion, where he assisted in organizing Coast Guard Forces preparing for the invasion and contributed to the efficiency of the merchant marine ships sailing invasion routes. The French Government awarded him the Croix de Guerre "for exceptional services rendered in the liberation of France."
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