Clinton A . Puckett Sergeant Major Clinton A . Puckett ( March 6 , 1926 – September 3 , 2002 ) served as the sixth Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps from 1 February 1973 , until he retired from active duty on 31 May 1975 . He served in World War II , Korea , and Vietnam ; receiving the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism for actions during the Korean War . He was the last Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps to have served in World War II . Biography . Born 6 March 1926 , in Waurika , Oklahoma , Puckett grew up in Roswell , New Mexico . He joined the United States Marine Corps on 18 February 1944 at Santa Fe , New Mexico and went through recruit training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego , California . Moving north , he joined the 5th Marine Division at Camp Pendleton . He trained with the division and as a rifleman and landed in the Battle of Iwo Jima on 19 February 1945 . Puckett later witnessed the famous flag raising on Mount Suribachi on 23 February 1945 . Following the Iwo campaign , he was sent back to Camp Pendleton where he served as a military police man until his discharge in 1946 . Puckett returned to the Corps in July 1947 , and was returned to San Diego . In late 1947 , he received orders to sea duty and spent two and a half years aboard the cruiser . He was promoted to corporal in May 1948 , then returned to San Diego where he served as a drill instructor until 1951 . As a sergeant , Puckett was ordered to Korea with Company G , 3rd Battalion 5th Marines and was promoted to staff sergeant in October 1951 . While on patrol in June 1952 , he earned the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism against a vastly superior enemy force . His patrol , operating well forward of a friendly outpost , was pinned down by the enemy . Puckett covered the withdrawal of his men with submachine gun fire , despite being wounded in the left hand . Upon returning to the outpost , he discovered that three of his men were missing , and organized a small rescue party . After a brief skirmish in hostile territory , they located the missing Marines , two of whom were seriously wounded , and returned them to safety . Newly promoted to technical sergeant , Puckett , following a brief period of duty at Camp Pendleton , returned to San Diego to attend the newly established Drill Instructor School . He graduated first in his class and was retained by the school as an instructor . In July 1955 , he returned to Korea , where he served as an advisor for the Korean Marine Corps until September 1956 . He was promoted to master sergeant in October 1955 . Returning to Camp Pendleton he was assigned as a company First Sergeant and later as regimental operations chief with the 2nd Infantry Training Regiment . During his tour there , he was promoted to first sergeant . He became the First Sergeant of Marine Barracks , Pearl Harbor in April 1959 and was promoted to sergeant major in February 1960 . In May 1962 , he returned to Camp Pendleton as Sergeant Major of the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion , 1st Marine Division and in April 1964 was assigned to the 3rd Battalion 5th Marines . He went to Vietnam with that battalion ( redesignated the 1st Battalion 3rd Marines ) in September 1965 . Following a two - year tour on the Inspector - Instructor Staff , 3rd Battalion 23rd Marines , 4th Marine Division in San Bruno , California , he returned to duty in Vietnam , serving as the Sergeant Major of the 7th Marines . He was reassigned to Camp H . M . Smith , Hawaii , in September 1969 and served there until July 1970 when he was ordered to duty at Headquarters Marine Corps . He had been the Personnel Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps until he assumed duties as Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps on 1 February 1973 . Puckett died on September 3 , 2002 and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery . Awards and decorations . Puckett ' s personal decorations include :