Lewis ‘Chesty’ Puller on Guadalcanal - Matanikau and Henderson Field
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- Lewis ‘Chesty’ Puller on Guadalcanal
With Dave Holland
Part of Footsteps in the Pacific Week on WW2TV
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More WW2TV content about New Guinea and the Solomon Islands
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With special guest Dave R. Holland who is originally from the US but now resides in Australia. Dave is a former US Marine Infantry (8 years) and Battlefield Guide in Guadalcanal.
He runs the Facebook and UA-cam channels - Guadalcanal - Walking a Battlefield.
/ @guadalcanal-walkingab...
Dave lived and worked on Guadalcanal for several years starting from 2009 until 2020 and is in the process of writing a book on his research and experiences on the battlefield walks there. He has carried out research and editing work for several Guadalcanal authors and is involved in several groups focussing on the preservation of Solomon Islands WW2 history.
In today's show Dave will be talking 1st Battalion 7th Marines and their legendary commander Lewis ‘Chesty’ Puller. We will talk about the Matanikau fights, the Battle of Henderson Field and the Koli Point fight. This show is a continuation of Dave's first appearance. • Guadalcanal 1942 - The...
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Superb episode. Dave's months & months on Guadalcanal walking the battlefields shows through so clearly. An expert, and I don't use that term lightly.
Post your favorite quote from Chesty here.
Mine: “Where the Hell do you put the bayonet?” Upon inspecting a flamethrower for the first time.
Are you guys thawed out yet?
Thanks for the mention of the USCG. Doug Monroe is highly revered in our service. He is a stud. Retired Gunnersmate Chief sends. God Bless
In 1968 I joined the U.S. Marine Corps. I liked it so much I stayed for 27 years!😎👊🏻 GOD BLESS CHESTY WHEREVER YOU!🇺🇸🪖👊🏻
Absolutely great show; a tribute to an American hero who deserves to be remembered. Glad to hear that all Marines learn about him.
Dave’s incredible knowledge of this history is so deep that he’s able to explain it in a manner that is both educational AND entertaining. A true masterclass. Well done & thank you!
This guys detailed knowledge of the campaign is fantastic. A great historian.
Another great show Dave is a one of a kind. To be able to live on Guadalcanal and walk these battle fields like he has is unmatched. Look forward to his next appearance.
Goodnight Chesty wherever you are!
I could listen to this former Marine speak all day. His obvious knowledge and familiarity with the ground helped to transport us in time to the battles he describes. I am looking forward to hear what he has to say about the U.S. Army during the campaign very much. I have read some fairly good histories of the Guadalcanal campaign, but with the help of Dave Holland, the fighting there has come alive for me. Semper Fidelis Marine from an old U.S. Army NCO! If I ever had to be in a firefight, I hope that a fella like you is nearby.
Matanikau was the Battle where the 1stMarDiv at division, regimental, and battalion level really started learning how to employ their units at that level in the offence. Their offensive in that area later on the campaign showed a much higher level of sophistication.
This is real good stuff, and "Goodnight Chesty Puller, wherever you are"...
Chesty Puller: "Hey, my eyes are up here!" ; )
So what? I don't want to look at your eyes....
The Australian army in WW2 was lead by many very experienced soldiers from WW1 and generally had seen more active combat than US WW1 officers. The Australian officers had seen various forms of combat during WW1 that did include passive/aggressive/active patrolling and very well-planned combined arms battles. The patroling used on the Western Front in WW1 was done in a variety of different ways with different objectives. Usually, the patrols sought intelligence and captured Germans. Some larger patrols would actually capture parts of the German front line. And a purpose of all patrols was to prevent German patrols and dominate no man's land. And most of these patrols were at night. So this type of trench warfare was very applicable to jungle warfare using stealth, good planning, good navigation, ambushes, gaining ascendancy over the enemy, leadership and sometimes very aggressive action. Competence was vital for gaining rank in the 1st AIF in WW1. And many enlisted men rose to officer ranks. And WW1 diggers had high expectations of their officers. WW1 was the foundation of the Australian army and taught many skills. The major example of combined arms operations was the Battle for Hamel in France on the first of July which was a very well-prepared operation that was completed in 93 minutes with all objectives taken and establishing suitable defenses from German counter-attacks. This included the first use of the aerial supply of ammunition and also tanks carrying wire, sandbags and more ammunition. This was a small but significant battle and won Sir John Monash his knighthood. Not bad for a reservist from a Jewish/German family from a colony and no training at Sandhurst. This was also the first combined battle with Australian and US infantry supported by British tankers. This was difficult for General MacArthur during WW2 that did not understand Australian operations, especially at a tactical level. Which caused significant friction. And left Australian soldiers fighting in less glamorous locations. And not used for retaking the Philippines as an example despite close cooperation with Philippino forces. Including the training of Philippino special forces in Australia. So Australia had many capable veterans of WW1 with significant skills.
Thanks for that
MacArthur treated the Aussie officers that were on New Guinea horribly MacArthur was a jackass.
Superb presentation!! 3AM came early, but I did not want to miss another one of Dave's presentations, especially on Chesty Puller!. His knowledge of Guadalcanal is almost as if he was there during the campaign. Outstanding maps and period photos! I am looking forward to his next presentation. Great job Dave and Paul! Thanks for sharing this passion with us, along with all the knowledgeable authors on this channel. Second to none! Thx!
Our pleasure! Dave is just awesome but exactly the sort of person regular TV would never use
@@WW2TV Well their loss and our gain. Anyone could learn a great deal about the South Pacific war from Dave!
Great show! My Father was a machine Gunner with 2/5 on the canal! I’d like to hear more about 2/5.
Thanks. have you seen my Guadalcanal Facebook site? I've posted specifically on 2/5 before.
Excellent balanced presentation by a marine who really knows his subject-Guadalcanal was a standup fight-something the usmc is justly proud of!
Outstanding presentation. It began a tad too early for me, but once again, the fact that these shows are archived for later viewing is wonderful. Many thanks to Mr. Holland for his research.
Dave is just superb
Proud to say Chesty was from my home town, West Point, Va.
Dave is a great guest with deep knowledge. It’s interesting to me that in the Battle of Henderson Field the rate of fire was noticeably higher when the Army with their M1 Garands reinforced the Marines. The Marine brass was reluctant to uniformly adopt the new semiautomatic rifle. They first issued them to second line units to gradually assess the M1’s function. That’s why the Marine engineers had them but the line infantry still had the Springfield 1903 a3’s. The Garands weren’t preferentially issued to the Army it’s just that the Marine brass were slow to accept them.
Another great show by Dave👍 keep up the good work Paul, hitting that like button as often as I can🙂
Much appreciated
Absolute fascinating presentation! I love hearing from someone who really knows his stuff!! Thanks Woody & Dave!!
I love this stuff. 1:17:46 My father in law served as a marine on Guadalcanal. He would never talk about it, except to say he was a sniper. I wonder if wasn’t part of that group that was formed there. He said that’s what he did the rest of the war. I do know he fought in some of the worst battles from Bloody Ridge all the way through to Iwo Jima. He was one of the finest human beings and greatest friends I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.
John can you please take a look at John Shively channel. He’s done wonderful presentation on Guadalcanal and Okinawa. Top notch presentation. Includes picture taken back then and now. I think I mentioned this on Dave’s last presentation. It’s funny but you tube puts John’s and Dave’s walking Guadalcanal videos in my feed.
good stuff about a great man.... well done.
I had the good fortune of knowing Chesty Puller for a decade when I was young. I have to disagree about his reputation not taking a hit over the years, because it has.
Where Chesty's reputation has taken a pretty serious hit is in his style of attrition warfare. Puller fought his Marines like a big slugger in a boxing ring - just going straight at the enemy with fixed bayonets. When he did that on Peleliu, his regiment took so many casualties it was soon rendered combat ineffective. Puller lost control of himself and when they were pulled out he raged like a madman.
There were Marines who thought of him as a butcher in search of personal glory, but such was Chesty's reputation that they did not broadcast that opinion.
One thing not seen in "The Pacific" is just how charismatic Puller was. Chesty had an extraordinary personal magnetism, and, like other great Marines I've known, he made you think you could run through a brick wall - and you'd want to do itr for him - but then you realized you'd never have to, because he would run through it first and you could then step through the hole he made.
Chesty Puller was a great inspiration on the battlefield, a force multiplier who strove to personally lead from the front. He showed other Marines how to conquer their fear and lead others to do the same.
He demanded the best and inspired the best from Marines who fought under his command.
There is practically an endless supply of Chesty Puller sea stories - and the more outlandish they are, the greater the chances they are true.
I had the good fortune of being around many Old Breed Marines swapping sea stories, which always got around to Chesty, and then you'd hear one after the other.
I heard one in a slightly roundabout way.
Puller commanded The Basic School for officers in Philadelphia in the 30s. A star pupil was Silent Lew Walt, of whom were told nearly as many incredible sea stories as Chesty. They remained close till the end of Chesty's life.
My father was Silent Lew's best friend during the last 29 years of Walt's life.
So one day when I was a boy, my father was having a casual conversation with Silent Lew, and the conversation went like this:
My father: "Lew, I want to ask you about a Chesty story I heard the other day. I want you to tell me if it is true or just one of those stories."
Silent Lew: "Sure, how does it go?"
My father, in disbelief: "Supposedly, on one of those islands in World War Two, Chesty was in a fox hole during combat when a Japanese grenade was tossed in next to him. Instead of diving for cover, Chesty shouted, "They can't kill me! I'm Chesty Puller!" - and he spat at the grenade and continued fighting. The grenade turned out to be a dud.
"Is that really true?"
Silent Lew: "Yes, it's true. That really happened."
My father: "Are you sure?"
Silent Lew: "Yes, I'm sure. I know it's true because I was in that hole with him when it happened."
I may as well add that Lew Walt never embellished such things. Indeed, he had a way of downplaying things that happened in combat.
Silent Lew Walt was a company commander with Edson's Raiders when they landed on Tulagi and was promoted to Major in the field and given command of one of the battalions at the Third Matanikau.
Puller and Walt were both known as "Grunt's Marines," as opposed to "Officer's Marines," and the distinction is important. They were dedicated to, more forgiving of, and were closest to enlisted Marines.
Others will know better than I, but Puller and Walt are the only Marine officers I am aware of who had a standing invitation to dine at the NCO Club on base at Quantico. Both accepted that invitation on numerous occasions.
Thank you for thid insight
@@WW2TV Gladly. The air just sizzled around Puller, with electric crackles and pops.
Not only do I know of no other Marine with 5 Navy Crosses, but I never heard of one with 4 and only one with 3 - William "Iron Man" Lee, who is buried at Quantico National Cemetery in the same section as Silent Lew.
Lee was a sergeant under Puller in Nicaragua. I never got a chance to meet him, but a friend knew him well.
He said Lee told him of a time when there were some bad guys getting away in a canoe and Puller shot them with a .45 at a long range which I have forgotten; but Lee said it was the finest example of pistol shooting he ever saw.
I was at a number of Marine Corps social events in the 60s where Marines would be in circles, chatting over drinks.
Everyone wanted to be in Puller's circle, and their second choice would be that of Silent Lew. Walt.
His is a story that has yet to be told.
Get Dave Holland to put you in touch with Jon Hoffman about him.
I believe Walt was a first lieutenant commanding a machine gun platoon when Pearl Harbor was attacked and was promoted to captain when Edson's Raiders were formed on his birthday in February 1942.
Going into Tulagi Silent Lew was promoted to major to command a company and on Guadalcanal was given command of a battalion at Third Matanikau.
On New Britain he was given command of an augmented battalion and earned his first Navy Cross and was again promoted in the field to lieutenant colonel.
On Peleliu Walt was the XO of the 5th Marines and the defacto regimental commander when the Marine in command was wounded but refused evacuation. He earned his second Navy Cross there.
I have been watching your videos and you do a superb job.
A good interviewer lets the other person talk and prompts more from them. A good interviewer holds the spotlight on the subject and not himself.
You do a fine job by doing these things.
Visiting battlefields and seeing photos and other things your guests bring to the table make for a unique, informative video.
A lot of work goes into them and I want to say it pays off.
Lu Walt signed my Bronze Star papers when he was in DaNang when he was in I Corp
Great show as usual Woody ….. I always press like btw
Great Show! I would really enjoy doing a walking/hiking tour of Guadalcanal with Dave as my tour guide. He's so knowledgeable of the island battle and its terrain! I'm REALLY looking forward to Dave's next discussion about the US Army's involvement on the island.
Yep, wouldn't that be brilliant?
Excellent presentation. Love the today and yesterday photos and the maps. I learned a lot today. Many thanks. Look forward to Dave's next presentation
Glad you enjoyed it. There is definitely more gold to be mined from the seam that is Dave's knowledge, that's for sure. He'll be back
To put these battles in perspective we tend to be spoiled by the abundance of intel, sattelite commo/imagery, vertical envelopement and modern tactics/armament. In the day the radios were much lower frequency and pretty much line of sight, aerial observation, fluid battle lines, etc ...very low tech. Imagine the outcome using today's technology. This is an incredible study of human resolve under the circumstances.
Great point Greg
Dave mentions Mitchell Paige. I had the honour of meeting him at Camp Pendleton in early 2000. He was kind enough to take a photo with me…. I treasure that day, and photo.
Thank you for mentioning the Signalman 2nd Class Douglas Munro and the U.S. Coast Guard. The Coast Guard's role and participation in World War II is often overlooked or rolled into U.S. Navy accomplishments. Here's some trivia for you, a lot of people know that there was actually two flag raisings on Iwo Jima. The first flag was small and Lt. Col. Chandler Johnson wanted a larger flag so it would be more visible. A runner went back down to the beach and was given a large (96-by-56-inch) flag from the nearby Tank Landing Ship USS LST-779. LST's were manned by US Coast.Guard personnel.
Yes, and at some point I will do a show or shows specifically about the Coastguard
I love your videos! They are so interesting, entertaining, and informative. Keep it up!!
Thanks, will do! I hope you keep watching Peter, both the new stuff and the "back catalogue"
@WW2TV i will. Sharing to others also.
Great show. Dave really has been great. I found his channel early on. Always give a like and a comment because if the great content.
Great show Paul and Dave!
Thanks Mike
Three events I'd love to see y'all cover are:
The defense at Imphal and Kohima,
The fighting withdrawal, delaying action along the Kokoda Track,
The Long Patrol (Carson's Raiders) in Guadalcanal.
Well we have a Kokoda track/trail show. Imphal and Kohima came up a little in the Burma Show with James Holland and at some point will get their own dedicated shows. We will also do Carlson's Raiders at some point
@@WW2TV I did find the Kokoda track vid of yours a few hours after posting that comment. I would have admitted it, but was too ashamed of my lacking in seeing what I am looking at type skillset.
Love your work.
PS. I noticed you also have the US Army's Pacific area "Ghost" recon/raid unit covered too. I am impressed.
Semper Fi.
@@WW2TV Another PS.
If/when you do cover Tarawa/Betio, please dig a bit into some of the "perceived wisdom" concerning that battle. A good source of hints from Japanese intel made available in the 1990s is "With Utmost Savagery. Three Days at Tarawa"
Every marine look up too Lewis "Chesty" Puller too this day. He was a Marine's Marine. You can ask any marine who he is and they can tell you everything about him down to his shoe size. Semper Fidelis.
The interesting and the most historically significant aspect of the Guadalcanal campaign is that the United States, the British Commonwealth, and the Free French in the Southwest Pacific and Imperial Japan were fully invested in the modern concept of maneuver warfare with combined arms. Maneuver warfare with combined arms was the brainchild of WWI's Western front from the Western Allies, Stoss-truppen was from Germany. In reality, the IJN's emphasis on night fighting and the long-lance torpedo, the USN's gun club and radar fire control, and both the IJN and USN fighting in the 1930's to come up with the best fast carrier designs and the perfection of the dive-bomber, only the IJN came up with a modern mono-plane design in the Kate that proved the torpedo plane doctrine. Everything about the Guadalcanal campaign in importance: Naval, Air, and Ground forces followed the classic maneuver warfare of a meeting engagement. When two great armies bump in the field, but in this reality, it was two great Navies that bumped into each other at sea: first at the battle of the Coral Sea, later in the many battles in Iron Bottom Sound off of Guadalcanal, and the great carrier battles of the Eastern Solomons and Santa Cruz. What happened next was the western Allies using the combined arms doctrine to win a fight that needed to be won because Japan wanted to cut the eastern approaches to Australia and New Zealand.
Simply another fantastic presentation, Thanks to both of you!
Our pleasure!
Puller spent some time at VMI (Virginia Military Institute) before volunteering to fight in WW I. VMI still graduates a fair percentage of Marine officers each year. If you've ever seen the spartan routines that VMI cadets still undergo, you'll know why Puller, a true blue Virginian, liked the Institute.
Yes John, Dave talked briefly about his time at VMI in the show
Dave Hollins is terrific. Yours the best.
I click everytime and all the rerums..
Keep it up, Skipper!
Brilliant gentlemen.
Thank you Michael
Nicaragua & the other central American States are very similar in climate & terrain to Guadalcanal, including diseases, that had to have been good training for operations on the Island!
SEMPER FI dave.awesome
Great insight paul.off subject.
Rommel was always that company commander at heart regiment at most.he was always at the spearhead.admirable and inspiring,but not nessesarilly the most efficient.great show as usual
If Rommel had had a better grasp of logistics, he might have won the desert war. Luckily for us he didn't
@@WW2TV Royal Navy had something to do with his logistical problems.
Once again Dave gives an incredible presentation. Dave's knowledge of the land battle of Guadalcanal is amazing. It was worth getting up at 2:30 AM To listen to this master class!
Good night chesty wherever you are.not a myth.a legend.
1st Marine regiment
Quick comment about peleleiu.
1st Marines did not have the benefit of all supporting arms ashore.By the end of first week the regiment was shattered.
They still took a quarter of the island and got the airfield out of range of Japanese mortars.chesty was heartbroken over destruction of the regiment.he was a true leader his CP was 75 meters behind the lines.He was a GRUNT,pure and simple
Paul I love your channel. I usually watch youtube through an app on a DVD player. So I don't often comment. Yes, Chesty Puller has a following in the Marine Corps. That's a following he in no way deserves. He wrecked the 1st Marine Regiment at Peleliu. He should have been relieved and almost was. "Some members of the 1st Marines never forgave him for the losses the regiment suffered at the Umurbrogol. “Chesty Puller should never have passed the rank of second lieutenant,” Pfc. Paul Lewis later said of his colonel. Sergeant Richard Fisher thought of him as a tragic caricature of his own aggressive image. “All battles are ‘training exercises’ for men like Puller, and it was just another rung up his ladder. Puller was a man who could not live long without war.” Captain Everett Pope, one of his company commanders, was anything but a fan of Puller, whom he thought of as a mindless butcher. “I had no use for Puller,” said Pope, who would win the Medal of Honor at Peleliu. “He didn’t know what was going on. The adulation paid to him these days sickens me.” General Robert Cushman, who served as commandant of the Marine Corps, believed that Puller was a great combat leader who nonetheless could not understand anything except constant attacks, regardless of the circumstances. “He was beyond his element in commanding anything larger than a company-maybe a battalion-where he could keep his hands on everything and be right in the middle of it.” Captain Pope won a Medal of Honor on Peleliu. People need to know the truth about Puller.
Walter Miller Captain USMCR
Respect your opinion as Puller is one of those figures people either love or hate. Jon Hoffman in his definitive bio, Chesty, I think gives a fair and weighted view.
This is one of the fascinating things about historical figures - no-one has the same opinion. When people like Monty, Patton, MacArthur and indeed Puller come up on WW2TV people come down on both sides of the debate. At the end of the day I totally respect Dave's interpretation as I also respect those who disagree
@@WW2TV Note that Puller was a regimental commander in 1944. In 1950 he was still a regimental commander. He fully showed on Peleliu that he was in over his head. That incident where he took a DD down the beach and lit the Japanese up with the DD Mk. 38s was a good job. He was C.O. of 1/7 at that time.
@@guadalcanal-walkingabattle5349 I knew Captain Hoffman at the Basic School. I have his book on General Edson.
Peleliu should never have happened. You don’t want to blame those who sent the men there? Like MacArthur.
Cheap shot by you, these men did their best. How could you possibly know what it was like to be a leader like Puller? Where did you see combat and how did you perform?
The key to the Solomon Islands campaign in the Navy Department's eyes was the reactionary move to deny a strategic asset to Imperial Japan. I don't think anything would've happened in the Solomons unless an airfield was being constructed on Guadalcanal along with the seaplane base at Tulagi. The Japanese were turning the southern Solomon Islands into a major base. Other than that fact the real estate was meaningless to the USN. Remember that the real counteroffensive versus the IJN began in the central Pacific not the south Pacific. Too much of history is based on grand visions and tying strategic plans to tactical combat doctrine. In reality most of the great campaigns and battles in human history are reacting to your enemies moves to deny them a strategic advantage over you. Guadalcanal was strategically meaningless to the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, and the Free French because we had better bases with vastly superior infrastructure, friendly governments, and populations within plane flight of the southern Solomon Islands, but it was vitally important to Imperial Japan's war effort.
Wonderful show about a fabulous man. Thanks!
Our pleasure!
I'm so glad to see that WW2TV is cracking the 5 digit viewing figures for episodes. Onwards and upwards. Well done Woody!
When I was in the Corps, he was called "Peter" Puller.
Fantastic duo here...excellent presentation...
Goodnight Chesty, wherever you are. Every single night at Parris Island for 12 weeks. Dec 1964 platoon 3009.
The water cooled machine guns helped a lot. No barrel changes. Needed
Go read Twining. In his book, the Marines cannibalized MGs off LVTs and even disabled aircraft to augment the perimeter.
Another Great presentation!
All Marines know of him , some of us knew of him even before that.
Thanks for the nice comment Jay, and if you haven't already, please make sure you subscribe to WW2TV and perhaps consider becoming a member? ua-cam.com/channels/UC1nmJGHmiKtlkpA6SJMeA.htmljoin
The Japanese South Seas Detachment that fought in Malaya did use the good road network. From what I’ve heard about the Papua New Guinea campaign especially along Kakota their tactics were to flank. They hit a strong British/Australian/Indian position & they would flank it. The road options made having to cut through real hard jungle something new. Hypotheticalhistory has good videos on that campaign & the follow up allied campaigns in PNG to Sattleburg. It’s a little off topic but I thought taking cross pollination idea his Tarawa & Makin video is good as well. The Japanese defenses on the beaches were the strongest the US faced in the war at the waters edge in any theater. Bad communications & delays ruined the bombardment allowing the Japanese 30 minutes to recover up from shell shock in underground fortifications & man their positions. Obviously the Germans had a different situation where they had to man the whole coast of France and were tricked. Anyways thank you for inducing me to Dave’s channel Walking the Battlefield I’ve learned so much new information about a battle I thought I knew pretty well. He’s like you with Normandy in a way an absolute specialist with unparalleled knowledge about his subject. I wanted to comment and thank you for the presentation and say your spot on about that being able to learn about the war in digital format. Along with the flowering of knowledge on the eastern front. The captured Nazis were lying for jobs in NATO the brief opening of the Russian archives has allowed us to discern. The Soviets were lying for political purposes and that hasn’t been fully investigated for obvious reasons as the Russian state is in a large way held together by the Great Patriotic War & its myths about why the first years went so badly. Personally I can’t wait for Stephen Kotkin’s new and last book in his Stalin trilogy. It’s opened my eyes to internal working of the USSR in the early days & authoritarianism in general. Thanks again for your work you bring on some great guests and have insightful discussions. I think it’s telling that the elite Japanese troops with good small unit tactics and which had a more western style of independent action were defeated in Kakota, Milne Bay, Bona & Guna. The troops that were pulled into fighting at Guadalcanal were faced with totally different circumstances. A day / night shift in advantage with American air forces growing dominant & Admiral Lee defeating the Japanese heavy bombardments in the battle with the battleships Washington & South Dakota. Perhaps the elaborate plans the Japanese executed early in the war against The Philippines & Singapore weren’t possible with the poor or non existent road and communications networks of the brutal jungles of PNG & the Solomon Islands. Running out of food and carrying heavy equipment over impossible terrain with delays eating up an inadequate food supply.
I subscribed when I saw that you utilized Mr. Hollands knowledge and expertise, His channel is also outstanding. Thank you both for keeping the memories and actions of our nations hero’s alive.
Thank you Bennett. Yes I have had James as a guest a couple of times, and we have collaborated on various projects
At the age of six I met my first Marine, a neighbor who just got home from The Canal battle!! He was dealing with a bad case of Malaria but told me not to be afraid!! Later on D day he lost his brother, a tank driver at Normandy!! A family who gave so much while others Avoid or protected from serving!!!
I'm definitely not trying to insult a war hero but it appears that Puller made a lot of questionable decisions on Guadalcanal. I guess the only difference is that he also put himself at risk as often as he put his men at risk. I guess sometimes you have to take the good with the bad.
It may appear that Puller made questionable decisions but you have to also consider that many of the decisions were based on incomplete or faulty intelligence. For example, the Marines didn't know that the Japanese had recently landed a full regiment in that area.
@@joegibson4946 I understand that no decision happens in a vacuum. I'm just saying if you review the campaign on that island you may end up with the idea that Pullerr might have made some decisions that cost more lives than maybe were necessary. Notice that I use the word maybe because I wasn't there and he was well thought of by most of his troops. Patton was a legend too but obviously there was the " our guts and his glory" idea amongst many of his troops.
Thank you, great show. It’s hard for me to call what you do a show. GREAT CLASS thank you both!
He was in shorts or cut-offs. It appears to be a prayer service in the background (left).
This is the best narrative of the Guadalcanal campaign, I have have heard and I have been reading about this battle of the canal since 1956
Puller's great failing was to let his son go to vietnam, where he was grievously maimed, leading to his suicide
This is excellent. Great stuff Paul and Dave!
I click LIKE on every video I play, that way I know which ones I have already seen.
Once again Dave you hit it out of the park
The difference between the Western Allies, Imperial Japan, and everyone else in combined arms warfare is Naval Warfare. Strategic movement by sea is a huge force multiplier. Never underestimate it.
Thanks for the comment. Don't forget though that this show was about Puller and boots on the ground. I do talk about Naval battles, indeed we have the Battle of the Java Sea coming on Sunday, but just because we don't talk about an aspect within a show doesn't mean we are not aware of the relevance, just that the shows are on-point
@@WW2TV Sorry, I fell in love with
Chesty Puller in reading the 200th anniversary of the USMC's founding by a book published in 1975: "The Official History of the United States Marine Corps." It was published by the USMC. These thoughts came to me because of how good Mr Holland's presentations has been on this channel. He knows how to personalize but also to fit into the bigger picture of what is going on. He's a Marine and they fight and die where the Navy takes them. I'm a Navy brat and can't help myself. My major point was that the US Marines were designed to fight the land element in the Naval part of combined arms warfare to break the stalemate of the Western Front. As bad as the Solomon's campaign was, it was much, much less than a tithe of the Western Front in WWI.
1:16:16 Would love to hear more about US Army/164th from Dave next time! 🙂👍
Thank you both gentlemen, this was appreciated very much.
Any time!
The men who complained about Chesty didn't understand that if te Japanese won the would have all been massacred hence the losses are acceptable.
Its very helpful to look very unimportant when in area full of snipers.
Should be a Metal of Honor with those metals
As long as The Corps survives, Chesty will live.
Likes are 9% of views, Across all platforms.
Excellent show and Mr. Holland is a star.
Yes he is
To foreign viewers of the show maybe I could elucidate on why Puller did not like second lieutenants. Maybe some of you already know. To put it simply second lieutenants are fresh out of officer training schools. They have only learned from books what other men have truly learned from experience. They are considered by the men as the most likely officer to get them killed. Even senior officers can have an opinion that they do not want to get to know any second lieutenants because they are often killed themselves which is normally caused by their lack of actual battleground experience
Thanks Bob
@@WW2TV my name is actually Boo like the character from To kill a mockingbird.
@@bookaufman9643 Sorry, like a stupid middle aged man I din't have my glasses on when typing
@@WW2TV I'm probably about your age and I had to put my glasses on to see that you got it wrong. LOL.
2 nd Looies have 2 purposes. To take blame and sign for stuff.
My Dad served under Chesty in Korea
Chesty was the best my friend father WWII pacific knew he was a Marines marine semper Fi dad wherever you are. USMC uncle Sam's misguided children yeah I I have to smile God bless America and our Marines who fought and never would accept failure going ho!
Goddammit I said Gung Ho!
Good night chesty.
Why do you Brits insist on doing stuff about the USMC ??
What do you mean, you Brits? First, Dave Holland is American and a former Marine. Second, since when must a historian be from the Country being discussed?
Good job...thnx
If the guy doing the presentation was able to use a pointer on the map it would be much better to understand the battle
The streaming system we ude doesn't allow for the use of a pointer on uploaded slided unfortunately
Thanks!
What books would you recommend?
The best overall is Richard Franks Guadalcanal. Start there and expand out.
Good Night Chesty, wherever you are! Semper Fi Dave
I can't find anything on H.H. Hanican. Am I not hearing/spelling it correctly? I tried a many different spellings.
H.H. Hanneken
Gung Ho !
I would love that book collection.
could you have any of your guest or you as you or they are showing a map use the pointer to show the movement of the movement of troops. its hard to see and picture what is going on while the guest is talking about the action as they know the movements.
I wish I could Don, but the way this software shares images does not allow the use of a pointer - sorry
@@WW2TV Please don't think I am upset or Bitching. I love your channel . I do have your book Angels of Mercy. Please keep up the great work and guest. My dad was in the Navy in the Pacific also my uncle fought there to in the Army during WWII. I served in the USMC after high school in the 1970 then went on to be a firefighter for 27 years and retied at age 50, 16 years ago
That’s not his middle name
That’s correct. Chesty was his nickname.
And therefore why its in speech marks
@@WW2TV just say his middle name for me. My grandfathers middle name was Lee.
@@boburwell9921 Sure, he had a middle name, but he is universally known by his nickname hence the title of the show. But what a great Grandfather to have had - how cool
@@WW2TV at one time the most powerful family in the United States. It means castle with a well. My grandfathers nickname Teddy his brother Squeaky. They’re buried side by side in Arlington
My father was on Guadalcanal then he loved chesty puller the all sang goodnight chesty before retiring at night and I loved my gyrene father God bless them all and the old corps they taught us a lot semper fidelis