Editing Chesty Puller (section)

=== Battle of Peleliu ===
In September and October 1944, Puller led the 1st Marine Regiment into the protracted battle on [[Battle of Peleliu|Peleliu]], one of the bloodiest battles in Marine Corps history, and received his first of two [[Legion of Merit]] awards. The 1st Marines under Puller's command lost 1,749 killed and wounded out of approximately 3,000 men, but these losses did not stop Puller from ordering frontal assaults against the well-entrenched enemy. He would come under significant criticism for not asking for reinforcements when both he and his regiment were at the point of exhaustion. When the Corps commander, General Roy Geiger visited Puller's command post, he found Puller, shirtless, with a corncob pipe in his mouth and a badly swollen leg that had originally been injured on Guadalcanal but swollen to twice its size. Colonel William Coleman, a member of the corps staff, had the impression that Puller was completely exhausted both mentally and physically. “He was unable to give a very clear picture of what his situation was.” When Geiger asked him if he needed reinforcements and Puller “stated that he was doing alright with what he had.” This was a crucial moment when Puller could have asked for the help that he so badly needed. But like the division commander, General Rupertus, Puller could not bring himself ask for help from U.S. Army units held in reserve. General [[Robert_E._Cushman_Jr.|Robert Cushman]] believed that while Puller was a great combat leader, his aggressive nature limited his understanding of combat to launching constant attacks, regardless of the circumstances. <ref>{{Citation | last = McManus | first = John | title = Fatal Pride at Peleliu| website = warfarehistorynetwork.com | pages = 10 | date = April 2012 | url = https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/fatal-pride-at-peleliu/ | access-date = June 3, 2024 }}</ref> As a result of the strain on both Puller and his regiment, Geiger ordered Rupertus to pull the all but annihilated 1st Marine Regiment out of the line as they were no longer combat-effective. Within days, the other two regiments would also be withdrawn from the island and replaced by three Army regiments who would also be eventually pulled out. <ref>{{cite book|title=Gooch's Marines|last=Giaffo|first=Lou|isbn=9781434933997 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mXcTGInloHkC|year=2013|publisher=Dorrance Publishing Company, Incorporated|page=132}}</ref>