The Lasting Cost of War. The Legacy of U.S. Marine 1LT Lewis B. Puller, Jr.

Описание: Lewis Burwell Puller Jr.
April 18, 1945 – May 11, 1994

The only son of legendary Marine Corps General Lewis B. Puller, Lewis Puller Jr. grew up in Virginia in the shadow of one of the most decorated Marines in U.S. history.

He attended the College of William & Mary before leaving school to accept a commission in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War.

In October 1968, while serving as a Marine lieutenant near Huế, Puller triggered a hidden enemy explosive device. The blast nearly killed him. He lost both legs and parts of his hands.

After months of surgeries and painful rehabilitation, he learned to walk again using prosthetics. His courage in recovery matched his courage in combat.

Following his medical retirement from the Marine Corps, Puller returned to William & Mary and completed his degree. He later earned a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Hollins College (now Hollins University). He worked for years with the Veterans Administration and became an advocate for wounded veterans.

In 1991, he published his memoir, Fortunate Son, a powerful and brutally honest account of Vietnam, recovery, and living in the shadow of a larger-than-life father. The book won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography in 1992.

He married Linda Buchwald, and together they had a son, Lewis Puller III.

But like many Vietnam veterans, Puller battled the invisible wounds of war. He struggled with severe depression and what we now recognize as post-traumatic stress disorder. The weight of combat trauma, physical pain, and personal loss followed him long after the battlefield.

On May 11, 1994, Lewis Puller Jr. died by suicide at the age of 48.

His life tells a complex story — of bravery in combat, resilience in recovery, literary achievement, and the lasting cost of war.


Semper Fidelis.