Buzz
Being the son of a Marine, I was born in Quantico, the site of the Marine Corps Base often called the Crossroads of the Marine Corps. My family also lived in Camp Lejeune for a period. Currently, I teach history at several colleges and universities. In recent years, I’ve had the honor of instructing many students who served in the Marines and other U.S. military branches, as well as some from foreign militaries, during the Iraq (both 1991 and 2003) and Afghanistan conflicts. This list pays homage to those courageous students who have sacrificed for our nation and the ideals of freedom. It highlights ten remarkable Marines, celebrated for their valor in combat and/or humanitarian efforts, sometimes beyond their military duties. Ranking them was challenging, and I anticipate debates over the order I’ve chosen (unlike my chronological Mysterious Islands lists, this one takes a different approach).
10. Captain Brian Michael Stann born September 24, 1980
Captain Stann received the Silver Star for orchestrating air and tank support that rescued his ambushed platoon in Iraq in May 2005. This heroic act was later showcased in an episode of the History Channel’s Shootout! He transitioned to become the World Extreme Cagefighting Light Heavyweight champion in 2008 and now competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, earning Fight of the Night honors in 2010. Rumors suggest his next opponent could be former Pride Middleweight Champion Wanderlei Silva. Married with two daughters, Stann embodies the bravery and resilience of modern-day Marines, drawing inspiration from the many legendary figures who came before him.
9. Private First Class Robert Leckie December 18, 1920 – December 24, 2001
Private Leckie, a highly decorated Marine, participated in pivotal World War II engagements at Guadalcanal, Cape Gloucester, and Peleliu, where he sustained injuries. His acclaimed memoir, Helmet for My Pillow (1957), served as partial inspiration for the 2010 miniseries The Pacific. He authored several other works, showcasing his deep fascination with American military history.
8. Corporal Eugene Bondurant Sledge November 4, 1923 – March 3, 2001
Corporal Sledge, who later became an educator, fought with the Marines at Peleliu and Okinawa during World War II. He authored two remarkable books detailing his wartime experiences: With the Old Breed, covering his time in combat, and China Marine, focusing on the post-war period. The former memoir was one of the key sources for HBO’s The Pacific.
7. Colonel John Herschel Glenn, Jr. born July 18, 1921
Colonel Glenn, a decorated Marine Corps fighter pilot, served in both World War II and the Korean War, where he flew alongside baseball legend Ted Williams. In 1962, he made history as the first American to orbit the Earth. Later, he represented Ohio as a senator from 1974 to 1999. In 1998, he broke records as the oldest person to travel to space. A man of integrity, he has been married to Annie Glenn since 1943.
6. Sergeant Major Daniel Joseph Daly November 11, 1873 – April 27, 1937
Sergeant Major Daly, a hero of the Boxer Rebellion and World War I, was awarded two Medals of Honor for acts of extraordinary bravery in 1901 and 1915. A destroyer was named in his honor, and he was immortalized on a set of postage stamps alongside three other distinguished Marines. His famous quote, “Do you want to live forever?” has become a part of popular culture. Major General John A. Lejeune once hailed him as “the outstanding Marine of all time.”
5. Corporal Ira Hamilton Hayes January 12, 1923 – January 24, 1955
Corporal Hayes is best known as one of the Marines who raised the flag at Iwo Jima. Decorated for his service, he later traveled 1,300 miles from the Gila River Indian Community to Texas to inform the Block family that their son, Harlon Block, another flag raiser, had been misidentified after his death in action. Hayes’s story has been portrayed in films like Flags of Our Fathers (2006) and celebrated in Johnny Cash’s song “The Ballad of Ira Hayes,” available in Rock Band 3. He is commemorated at the Marine Corps War Memorial, which I visited during a school trip to Washington, D.C., in the 1990s. Despite his struggles with alcoholism, Hayes’s humility and the horrors he endured during World War II make his legacy more admirable than not. His tragic end, however, remains a somber reminder of the burdens he carried.
4. Gunnery Sergeant Ronald Lee Ermey born March 24, 1944
Gunnery Sergeant Ermey, a Vietnam War veteran and recipient of multiple military honors, is widely recognized for his acting roles in films like Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket. Often seen as the quintessential Marine drill sergeant, he has significantly boosted the Marine Corps’ public image in recent decades. Ermey remains deeply invested in the Marines, as evidenced by his visits to troops in Kuwait and Afghanistan while filming his TV series Mail Call.
3. Lieutenant General Lewis Burwell Puller June 26, 1898 – October 11, 1971
Lieutenant General Puller, the most decorated Marine in U.S. history and the only one to earn five Navy Crosses, served in World War II and the Korean War. A frigate bears his name, and he is featured on a U.S. Postal Service stamp honoring distinguished Marines. Portrayed by William Sadler in The Pacific, Puller’s legacy is marked by both heroism and tragedy. His son, Lewis Burwell Puller, Jr., a decorated Marine lieutenant in Vietnam, suffered severe injuries from a mine explosion, losing both legs and parts of his hands. The younger Puller later took his own life in 1994, highlighting the devastating toll of war. Despite these hardships, the Pullers, like the others on this list, exemplify bravery and sacrifice, inspiring not only Americans but people worldwide. Their contributions range from battlefield heroism to space exploration, and their stories remind us of the cost of freedom. We owe them, and all who served alongside them, our deepest gratitude.
2. Lieutenant General John Archer Lejeune January 10, 1867 – November 20, 1942
Lieutenant General Lejeune, often called the “greatest of all Leathernecks” and the “Marine’s Marine,” earned numerous accolades for his service in the Spanish-American War and World War I. He was also honored with France’s Legion of Honour and Cross of War. Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, where I spent part of my childhood, and a navy transport ship are named after him. His legacy is further commemorated on a U.S. Postal Service stamp celebrating distinguished Marines.
1. Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone November 4, 1916 – February 19, 1945
Gunnery Sergeant Basilone holds the distinction of being the only enlisted Marine awarded the Medal of Honor (for his heroism at Guadalcanal) to return to combat and lose his life (at Iwo Jima). His Medal of Honor was recommended by Chesty Puller, another Marine on this list. Basilone married Marine Sergeant Lena Mae Riggi in 1944. He was one of the three central figures in HBO’s 2010 miniseries The Pacific and was commemorated on a U.S. Postal Service stamp in 2005. While he did not leave behind a memoir like Leckie or Sledge, his courage and resolve remain unparalleled.
