Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller was a United States Marine Corps lieutenant general who served during the World War II and the Korean War. In the history of his country, he is the most decorated marine of all time. Born in a blue-collar family, Puller lost his father when he was ten years old. In his youth, he loved to listen to old Civil War stories and idolized Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson. He first enlisted in the Marine Corps during the height of the World War I although he never saw combat in that war. Then he went on to attend the Officer Candidates School (OCS). He first saw action as a lieutenant in Haiti and later was sent to Nicaragua, where he won his first two Navy Crosses. In the mid-1930s, he spent considerable time in China and then returned to the US to serve as an instructor. During the World War II, Puller was one of the most prominent figures in the Pacific Ocean theatre and played a key role in America’s decisive victory over the Axis powers in the Pacific and Asia. During the Korean War, Puller served his country with similar distinction and was promoted to the rank of major general. He continued to be part of the Marine Corps after the Korean War ended and eventually retired in 1955, after suffering a stroke. Puller passed away in 1971 after a long illness. He was 73 years old.