Lewis Burwell Puller Jr. survived the unsurvivable in Vietnam—losing three limbs and most of a fourth to a booby-trapped howitzer round—only to spend 25 years fighting a different kind of war at home. The son of America’s most decorated Marine, Lewis B. Puller Jr. earned a law degree, raised a family, won a Pulitzer Prize, and still couldn’t escape the wounds that don’t show up on X-rays. His story isn’t just history. It’s a mirror that too many of us recognize when we look into it.
Lewis B. Puller showed us that you can have an iron will strong enough to survive the impossible and still lose the war against what’s inside your head. If you’ve ever wondered why some of the strongest warriors we know don’t make it home in the ways that matter most, his story holds some answers—and maybe some questions you need to ask yourself.
Who Was Lewis B. Puller Jr. Before Vietnam Changed Everything?
Let’s start at the beginning. Lewis Burwell Puller Jr. was born on August 18, 1945, at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina—right as World War II was ending. His father? Lieutenant General Lewis “Chesty” Puller, the most decorated Marine in American history. Five Navy Crosses. A legend who fought in five different conflicts. When you’re born into that shadow, you don’t just feel pressure—you breathe it.
But here’s what matters: by all accounts, Chesty didn’t push his son into service. Lewis B. Puller Jr. made that choice himself. He graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1967, right when Vietnam was heating up. He could have found a way out. His father’s name could have opened doors that led anywhere but Southeast Asia. Instead, he went through Officer Candidate School and shipped out to Vietnam in July 1968 as a Second Lieutenant.
How many sons of three-star generals were leading infantry platoons in the jungle? Not many. Lewis Burwell Puller Jr. wasn’t a “fortunate son” in the way that term usually means.
What Happened to Lewis B. Puller Jr. on October 11, 1968?
Three months. That’s all the time Lewis B. Puller Jr. spent in combat before his war ended in the worst way imaginable.
On October 11, 1968, his unit was conducting operations near Viem Dong in Quang Nam Province. During an engagement with North Vietnamese troops, his M-16 jammed. As he moved through the terrain, he tripped a booby-trapped howitzer round connected to a tripwire.
The explosion was catastrophic:
- Right leg: gone at the hip
- Left leg: gone above the knee
- Left hand: gone
- Right hand: shredded, most fingers destroyed
- Body riddled with shrapnel
- Weight eventually dropped to 55 pounds
He should have died. Most people would have. The medical evacuation, the surgeries, the infections, the shock—any one of those things could have finished what the booby trap started. But Lewis Burwell Puller Jr. had something his doctors and fellow Marines called an “iron will” and a “stubborn refusal to die.”
You know what that means, don’t you? If you’ve served, you’ve seen it. That thing inside some people that won’t quit even when quitting would be easier. Even when quitting would make sense.
How Did Lewis B. Puller Jr. Build a Life After Losing Everything Physical?
Here’s where his story becomes both inspiring and heartbreaking at the same time.
The Recovery That Looked Like Victory
Lewis B. Puller Jr. didn’t just survive—he built what looked like a successful life:
- Earned his law degree from Marshall-Wythe Law School at William and Mary
- Married Toddy Puller (actually married her before Vietnam, got her pregnant before shipping out)
- Raised two children: Lewis III and Maggie
- Practiced law with the Veterans Administration and later the Pentagon
- Got sober after alcoholism treatment in 1981
- Wrote his autobiography “Fortunate Son: The Healing of a Vietnam Vet” (published 1991)
- Won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for Biography/Autobiography
From the outside, this looked like a comeback story for the ages. A triple amputee who refused to let his injuries define him. Who earned his Silver Star, two Purple Hearts, and a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal. Who became a voice for veterans.
The War Nobody Could See
But that’s not the whole story, is it?
Between the bullet points of achievement, Lewis Burwell Puller Jr. was fighting battles that didn’t show up in newspaper profiles:
- Severe depression that came in waves
- Alcoholism that he beat, lost to, beat again, and ultimately lost to again
- PTSD that never really left
- A marriage that survived his suicide attempt in 1978 but eventually ended in separation in 1991
- Pain—physical pain from his wounds that required painkillers, which became their own addiction
If someone who accomplishes all that—law degree, Pulitzer Prize, decades of advocacy—still can’t escape the war, what does that tell us?
What Was “Fortunate Son” Really About?
The title of Lewis B. Puller Jr.’s autobiography came from the 1969 Creedence Clearwater Revival song “Fortunate Son.” You probably know it: “It ain’t me, I ain’t no senator’s son / It ain’t me, I ain’t no millionaire’s son.”
John Fogerty wrote it as an anti-war protest, railing against rich kids and politicians’ sons who got deferments and desk jobs while working-class kids got drafted and sent to die in rice paddies.
But Lewis Burwell Puller Jr. flipped the meaning.
He was literally a general’s son. His father could have made phone calls. Could have gotten him assigned to Quantico or some other stateside post. But that’s not what happened, and that’s not what Lewis B. Puller Jr. wanted.
The Irony That Cuts Deep
He called himself a “fortunate son” because he had a father he loved and admired. Because he felt privileged to serve, not to avoid serving. In his book, he wrote lovingly about Chesty Puller—about how his father broke down crying twice in his life: once when Lewis Jr. shipped out to Vietnam, and once when he saw his son in the hospital afterward.
That second time hurt Lewis B. Puller Jr. more than the wounds themselves. He said that seeing his father cry hurt worse than losing his limbs.
Think about carrying that. Not just the physical pain, not just the loss of independence, but knowing your sacrifice broke your hero’s heart.
Why Did Lewis B. Puller Jr.’s Story End the Way It Did?
On May 11, 1994, Lewis Burwell Puller Jr. died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 48 years old.
According to friends and family, he spent his last months in turmoil. He’d left his Pentagon job to teach at George Mason University. He’d separated from Toddy in 1991—the woman who had saved his life after a previous suicide attempt, who had told him she wouldn’t leave him, who had been his rock.
In the days before his death, he was drinking again after 13 years sober. He was battling addiction to painkillers. The demons he’d fought for 25 years finally won.
What His Friends and Family Said
Terry Anderson, the Associated Press journalist who was held hostage in Lebanon and became one of Lewis B. Puller Jr.’s closest friends, was devastated. He said: “This is a man who had so many burdens, so many things to bear. And he bore them well for 25 years. What did I miss? I was his friend. I thought he was winning.”
Toddy Puller released a statement that should be carved into marble somewhere: “To the list of names of victims of the Vietnam War, add the name of Lewis Puller. He suffered terrible wounds that never really healed.”
Read that again. Terrible wounds that never really healed.
Not the missing limbs. Those were visible. Those people could understand. She was talking about the other wounds. The ones we’re still learning how to treat. The ones we’re still learning how to talk about.
What Does Lewis Burwell Puller Jr.’s Name Mean Today?
Here’s something most people don’t know: Lewis B. Puller Jr.’s name isn’t on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall in Washington. That wall is reserved for those who died in service or are listed as MIA. But his name appears on the nearby In Memory Memorial Plaque—for veterans who died after service as a direct result of that service.
That distinction matters.
It acknowledges a truth we’re still grappling with: the war doesn’t end when you come home. For some people, it never ends at all.
In 2010, the College of William and Mary Law School named the Lewis B. Puller Jr. Veterans Benefits Clinic in his honor. It provides legal services to veterans—helping them navigate the VA system, fight for benefits, deal with the bureaucracy that can feel like its own kind of combat.
That’s a fitting legacy. Not just remembering him, but helping others who are fighting the same battles he fought.
What Can We Learn From This Story?
If you’re struggling, you’re not weak. Lewis Burwell Puller Jr. was the son of the most decorated Marine in history. He survived injuries that should have killed him. Had an iron will that doctors said was the only reason he lived. He accomplished things most able-bodied people never accomplish.
And he still needed help. And eventually, he still lost.
That’s not a failure. That’s the reality of invisible wounds. If you’re drinking too much, if the nightmares won’t stop, if you’re thinking about hurting yourself—reach out. Call the Veterans Crisis Line: 988, then press 1. Text 838255. Use the online chat at VeteransCrisisLine.net.
Lewis B. Puller Jr.’s story ended in 1994. We know more now. We have better treatments. We’re getting better at this, even if we’re not good enough yet.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lewis B. Puller Jr.
What injuries did Lewis Burwell Puller Jr. sustain in Vietnam?
On October 11, 1968, Lewis B. Puller Jr. tripped a booby-trapped howitzer round that destroyed his right leg at the hip, left leg above the knee, left hand, and most of his right hand fingers. The explosion riddled his body with shrapnel and reduced his weight to 55 pounds. His survival was considered miraculous by medical personnel.
Why isn’t Lewis B. Puller Jr. on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial?
Lewis Burwell Puller Jr.’s name doesn’t appear on the main Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall because it’s reserved for those who died during service or are MIA. However, his name is listed on the In Memory Memorial Plaque, which honors veterans who died after service as a direct result of their Vietnam service.
What awards did Lewis B. Puller Jr. receive?
Lewis B. Puller Jr. earned the Silver Star for conspicuous gallantry, two Purple Hearts, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with “V” device, and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry. His Silver Star citation noted his composure under fire and continued leadership even after being catastrophically wounded.
What was Lewis Burwell Puller Jr.’s book about?
“Fortunate Son: The Healing of a Vietnam Vet” (1991) chronicled Lewis B. Puller Jr.’s combat experience, catastrophic injuries, recovery, and struggles with PTSD and alcoholism. The book won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for Biography/Autobiography and became a powerful testament to the long-term effects of combat trauma.
How did Lewis B. Puller Jr. die?
Lewis Burwell Puller Jr. died by suicide on May 11, 1994, at age 48. Despite his public success and 13 years of sobriety, he had relapsed into alcoholism and painkiller addiction in his final months. His death highlighted the enduring psychological toll of combat trauma.
Who was Lewis B. Puller Jr.’s father?
Lieutenant General Lewis “Chesty” Puller was the most decorated Marine in U.S. history, with five Navy Crosses earned across five different conflicts. Despite his legendary status, Chesty Puller did not pressure his son into military service, and Lewis Burwell Puller Jr. chose to serve voluntarily.
The Bottom Line
Lewis Burwell Puller Jr.’s story is about more than one Marine’s sacrifice. It’s about the cost of war that doesn’t show up on casualty lists. It’s about wounds that don’t heal just because you’re strong enough to survive them. And it’s about why we need to do better—for the veterans who came before and the ones fighting right now.
His name deserves to be remembered. Not just for what he survived, but for what he couldn’t.
