USMC: Chesty's Pipe

[fnord]

Folks:
My family and I attended son Ben's graduation from Officer Candidates School at Quantico, VA on Thursday and had the great pleasure of spending several hours touring their astonishing National Museum of the Marine Corps.
One of the museum highlights, for a piper at least, was seeing the following display:

Lt. Gen. Lewis Puller was a five time honoree of the Navy Cross and one of my all time heroes. He also smoked a pouch of burley every day and ran through pipes like most of us go through Kleenex.
Good night, Chesty, wherever you are.
Fnord

 

[cmdrmcbragg]

Chesty used his bare thumb to tamp his lit bowl when he couldn't use a 2nd LT's or one from a dead enemy.
True story.

 

[topd]

Chesty passed away while I was in boot camp in October of '71. We had to bow our heads all day.

 

[cortezattic]

:clap: Congrats on Ben's graduation from Officer Candidates School. You should be damned proud of that fine young man.

 

[tbradsim1]

What an honor, Jim he's starting now, with you as his guide he will make a fine officer . Top thank you for the long years you spent serving our Country. Chesty they don't make em like you anymore.

 

[conlejm]

Congratulations to your son! You and your family must be very proud. Thank you for his service, and your service!
Thanks for this post. I think it is important for us civilians to appreciate and remember the heroes that protect this great country of ours. I just read a brief bio of Gen. Puller and now understand why he inspires such awe. What a great man. One of the most highly decorated military men. Some quotes of his that showed his true character:

"They are in front of us, behind us, and we are flanked on both sides by an enemy that outnumbers us 29:1. They can't get away from us now!"

"Great. Now we can shoot at those bastards from every direction."

"We're surrounded. That simplifies our problem of getting to these people and killing them."

Thanks, and congratulations again.

 

[kcvet67]

Congratulations to Ben and to you!

 

[dread]

Congratulations to you and your son - again, you must be a proud dad! And it love the story - Chesty was a great American.

 

[mso489]

I'm afraid Chesty wouldn't have much patience with our commissioned pipes and expensive blends. What

was his tobacco? Sounds like maybe a Prince Albert, Carter Hall, or Granger guy.

 

[cuchulain]

 

[ejames]

Congratulations on your sons graduation Jim! Any idea what kind of pipe is in that display?

 

[cmdrmcbragg]

+1 cuchulain. Love Terminal Lance and the Duffel Blog, though I was a squid.

 

[dread]

LOL cuchulain, funny stuff!

 

[ravkesef]

Congrats, Jim, your son is a man to be proud of.
Retired Naval Officer

 

[settersbrace]

A proud moment to be sure. Thank You for your service and for permitting your son to do the same.

 

[fnord]

Guys:
I'm in awe of my son. What he's been through these past six weeks would've crushed me in three days. Maybe less.
Ed, there was a white "O" on the mouthpiece and, due to the angle and protective glass, I couldn't make out any additional nomenclature. Maybe a Yello-Bole? (But that's just a shot in the dark.)
After watching William Sadler perform a very capable Chesty Puller in the Spielberg/Hanks production of "The Pacific" I'd like to see those two take on that damned early 50's meat grinder.
I'm very sorry that I didn't get a pix of legendary Marine General Oliver P. Smith's aluminum Nimrod lighter. Smith choreographed the Marine breakout at the Chosin Reservoir and was a gentleman that Chesty Puller saluted on a right regular basis.
The museum also hosts the fabled second U.S. flag that went up over Iwo Jima and, for all you jarheads out there, a visit should be one of the Holy Grails on your bucket list.
You Teufelhundens are always on the pointed end of the spear and will forever be in my prayers.
Fnord

 

[irish]

Outstanding Jim. Tell your son Congrats and thank him for his service to this great nation.

Thanks for the pic of the pipe.

 

[yazamitaz]

Congrats Jim, you must be proud of your boy. There is nothing like a Marine Corps graduation and I am glad that you were there for him.
I also think Chesty's quotes are amazing. I remember being in boot camp and our DI's would be talking about Chesty and the situations he was in and how he handled stress gave me a whole new outlook on life. I try to still maintain that same composure 25 years later.