Smedley Butler

• Major General Smedley D. Butler, known as "the Fighting Quaker," "Old Gimlet-eye," or "Old Duckboard," was born in Pennsylvania in 1881 and enlisted in the Marines at the age of 17. He served for 34 years, fighting in Philippines, China, Mexico, Honduras, Haiti, and France. He received the Medal of Honor twice, as well as the Marine Corps Brevet Medal, the Army and Navy Distinguished Service Medals, and the French Order of the Black Star.
  
  While serving in France in Wolrd War I, he was commended for improving the sanitary and living conditions of Marines in his camp. After retirement, Butler became an outspoken critic of war profiteering and American militarism, and warned Congress about the alleged "Business Plot" against the government in 1934. He died of cancer in 1940.
  
  

Chesty Puller

• Lieutenant General Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller was born in West Point, Virginia in 1898. He joined the Marines in 1918 and served for 37 years, fighting in Haiti and Nicaragua as well as World War II and the Korean War. Puller received the Navy Cross on five separate occasions and is the most decorated Marine in history.
  
  He was known for his eccentric character and quirky sense of humor. During the Korean War, he is said to have remarked "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." He retired from service in 1955 and died in 1971. The mascot of the Marine Corps, a bulldog, is always named "Chesty Pullerton" in his honor.
  
  

Merritt Edson

• Major General Merrit Austin Edson, often called "Red Mike", was born in Vermont in 1897 and joined the Marines in 1917. He fought in World War I and World War II, as well as the so-called "Banana Wars" in Central America and the Caribbean. During World War II, Edson commanded the 1st Marine Raider Battalion, who carried out amphibious operations, often behind enemy lines. During the fighting on Guadalcanal, Edson and his men defended a position south of Henderson Field against a Japanese force that outnumbered them three to one.
  
  The site of the battle came to be known as "Bloody Ridge" or "Edson's Ridge." Edson was awarded the Medal of Honor for this battle. He retired in 1947. Merritt Edson took his own life in 1955.
  
  

Alexander Vandegrift

• Alexander Archer Vandegrift was the first Marine to reach the rank of four-star general while on active duty. Born in 1887, he enlisted in the Marines in 1909 and fought in Central America and Haiti. During World War II, Vandegrift commanded the 1st Marine Division in the Pacific theater.
  
  He earned the Medal of Honor for his performance in commanding the division during the hard-fought Battle of Guadalcanal. In 1944, he became Commandant of the Marine Corps and fought hard to protect the corps from post-war budget cuts. He retired from active service in 1947 and wrote a book about his experiences in the Marine Corps. He died in 1973.