Five Important Marines You Should Know
Recognize Your Favorite Marine with a Military Care Package
The Marine Corps were founded as the Continental Marines in November 1775, during the Revolutionary War, for ship-to-shop fighting, assisting in landing forces, providing shipboard security, and enforcing discipline. Since then, the few and the proud have been protecting the United States. Here are a few famous Marines we think are worth knowing.
Be sure to add your Marine Corps hero to our list, too, and send them a military care package from My Hero Crate.
Marine Sergeant Major Gilbert “Hashmark” Johnson
One of the first African Americans to join the Marine Corps, Johnson served as a drill instructor before being promoted to sergeant major. Johnson requested permission to conduct combat patrols and led 25 of them in Guam during World War II.
Previously, he served in both the Army and Navy for a combined 15 years before joining the Marines. At basic training, he was nicknamed “Hashmark” because he had more service stripes than his instructors. Sgt. Maj. Johnson dedicated his life to serving his country in the armed forces and is definitely deserving of our salute.
Lieutenant General Lewis “Chesty” Puller”
Most every enlisted Marine is familiar with Chesty Puller and the role he played in the Corps. Lt. Gen. Puller served for 30 years and rose to one of the highest ranks while becoming the most decorated Marine in the history of the Corps.
He earned five Navy Crosses, the nation’s second-highest military honor; no one else has ever achieved the same. He is famous for saying, “All right, they’re on our left, they’re on our right, they’re in front of us, they’re behind us. They can’t get away this time,” when his unit was surrounded by the enemy during the Korean War. He also served in World War II and in Nicaragua and Haiti.
Sergeant Major Daniel J. Daly
Known as “the fightinest Marine,” Sgt. Maj. Daly earned his fame by leading a counter attack at the Battle of Belleau Wood during World War I, despite being outnumbered and outgunned. Although this was an incredible act of bravery, he didn’t earn a Medal of Honor for it.
Instead, he received two Medals of Honor for single-handedly holding a wall in China as snipers tried to kill him and for resisting an ambush in Haiti before leading a counterattack against Caco rebels there.
Colonel John Glenn -- Yes, THAT John Glenn
You probably know Col. John Glenn for being the first American to orbit the Earth, but he was an incredibly decorated Marine first. Glenn earned six Distinguished Flying Crosses, 18 Air Medals, and the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.
During World War II and the Korean War, he flew 122 combat missions with three air-to-air kills. He once protected his wingman who was experiencing engine trouble as enemy planes attacked. Glenn drove them off to give his partner time to return to base, ultimately taking down one enemy jet in the process.
Private Minnie Spotted-Wolf
Minnie Spotted-Wolf was the first Native American woman to enlist in the United States Marine Corps as a member of the Marine Corps Reserve in 1943. A member of the Blackfoot tribe, Spotted-World described Marine boot camp as “hard, but not too hard.” She served on military bases in California and Hawaii, where she was a heavy equipment operator and driver for general officers.
After serving for five years, she was discharged and became a teacher, a career she enjoyed for 29 years. In 2019, a section of U.S. Highway 89 was dedicated as the “Minnie Spotted-Wolf Memorial Highway.”
Say Thanks to Your Marine Corps Hero
If your loved one is continuing the legacy of excellence of the United States Marine Corps, we think they deserve a very special armed forces snack box from My Hero Crate.
Each of our military snack gift baskets contains an assortment of military-approved, American-sourced nuts, chips, candy, and other treats and ships for free, including overseas and to APO, FPO, and DPO addresses. You can send a single snack box, or subscribe so your favorite soldier receives an armed forces care package every month.