page_title: List of historic United States Marines
section_title: Other prominent Marines
hierarchical_section_title: List of historic United States Marines / Other prominent Marines
caption_attribution_description: English: First Lieutenant Alfred A. Cunningham, United States Marine Corps— designated Naval Aviator No. 5 and the first Marine pilot.
context_page_description: The following is a list of the prominent names in U. S. Marine Corps lore—the people who make up what the Marines call "Knowledge". Names in this list are notable for actions made as a Marine; individuals whose notability is unrelated to service in uniform can be found at List of United States Marines.
context_section_description: John Bolt – only Marine aviator to achieve the title of ace in both WWII and the Korean War; remains to this day the only Marine jet aircraft ace
  Evans Carlson – commanded the World War II Marine Raiders, also credited with introducing the term Gung-ho into the Marine Corps.
  Alfred Cunningham – patron of Marine Corps aviation, innovative thinker in introducing air support, helped create the Advanced Base Force
  Lou Diamond – "Mr. Leatherneck," namesake of the actor Lou Diamond Phillips
  Earl H. Ellis – conducted espionage missions in Micronesia that influenced the planning of the island-hopping campaigns of World War II
  Guy Gabaldon – captured (or persuaded to surrender) about 1,000 Japanese soldiers and numerous civilians during the Battle of Saipan (1944)
  Carlos Hathcock – renowned Marine sniper with 93 confirmed kills during the Vietnam War
  Ira Hayes – Native American flag raiser on Iwo Jima during World War II
  Archibald Henderson – "Grand old man of the Marine Corps," longest-serving Commandant of the Marine Corps (1820–1859)
  Albert L. Ireland – received the most Purple Hearts, nine.
  Victor H. Krulak – developed new concepts in expeditionary warfare, such as use of Higgins landing craft and helicopters; father of Charles C. Krulak, 31st Commandant of the Marine Corps
  Robert Leckie - As a young man, he served in the Marine Corps with the 1st Marine Division during World War II, in later life an author of books including Helmet for My Pillow
  John A. Lejeune – 13th Commandant of the Marine Corps, Commanding General of the U.S. Army's 2nd Infantry Division, and author of the birthday message read aloud at every Marine Corps Birthday Ball ceremony
  James Mattis – an American veteran and former government official who served as the 26th United States Secretary of Defense from January 2017 through December 2018
  Chuck Mawhinney – Marine sniper with most confirmed kills, all occurring during the Vietnam War
  Presley O'Bannon – famous for his exploits in the First Barbary War
  Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller – received five Navy Crosses and the Army Distinguished Service Cross
  John Ripley – highly decorated Marine, only living person (at the time) to be memorialized in the Naval Academy's museum, first Marine inducted into the Ranger hall of fame
  Lawson H. M. Sanderson - aviation pioneer, Father of Dive bombing technique
  Eugene Sledge - author of the 1981 memoir With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa, which chronicled his combat experiences during World War II
  George O. Van Orden - Brigadier general and "Father of Marine Snipers"
  Donald M. Weller - Major general and pioneer of Naval gunfire support
  William J. Whaling – Major general and highly decorated Marine, developed more idea of reconnaissance units and created the basics for Marine Scout and sniper Company and for Marine Recon itself
  Dion Williams – patron of naval and amphibious reconnaissance, hoisted the first American flag raised over Spanish soil in the Spanish–American War
caption: Alfred Cunningham, patron of Marine Corps aviation
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