Chesty Puller and the Battle of Peleliu

The 1st Marine Regiment spent most of D + 3 trying to assault the series of hills nicknamed the Five Sisters. But the three battalions of depleted Marines can't muster enough manpower to capture and hold the strong points. To shore up the front line troops, Colonel Puller calls up 115 replacements from his headquarters company and attaches all available tanks and armored vehicles to the assault in the morning. He tells his battalion commanders, "We press the attack again in the morning. There's no change in our orders. Full speed. Use every man." >> Chesty Puller just dutifully carried out Rupertus's orders, which was every day the same. Attack. Everybody attack at 8:30 a.m. Every day, day after day. They would go up the hills, and get driven down, get people killed. And Puller was kind of beside himself, too, but he didn't argue. It was kind of a tragedy for both of them and for all the men that had to serve under [music] them, too.