LIEUTENANT COLONEL LEWIS B. PULLER, Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines
(Note: LtCol Puller is being recommended by General Vandegrift for the Medal of Honor for leading his battalion, with 7 holes in him, continually for 24 hours. I met him the day he came out of the hospital. LtCol Puller had considerable experience in jungle warfare in Haiti.)

"In handling my companies I take the Company Commander's word for what is going on. You have to do this to get anywhere. In order to get a true picture of what is going on in this heavy country, I make my staff get up where the fighting is. This Command Post business will ruin the American Army and Marines if it isn't watched. Hell, our platoons and squads would like the command post in the attack if they are not watched! As soon as you set up a Command Post, all forward movement stops.

Corporal Christian Barthelette
SuicideCharley 7/94 to 9/97
0331 Machine Gunner Weapons Platoon

I arrived in 29Palms after an abbreviated tour in Bangor, WA as an 8152 (security forces). I believe 1/7 had just returned from Okinawa and was on leave when I arrived. Just like any new guy, it took a little while to get adjusted, but I was accepted into the family like I had been there for 10 years.