Top 10 Five-Star Generals of the United States (Complete Edition) - Illustrated Version

Author: Wang Xiaomei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: The U.S. Congress stipulated that the rank of General of the Army (five-star general) in the U.S. military could only be awarded during wartime. In U.S. history, only ten senior commanders have been granted the rank of General of the Army. The ten five-star generals in order are: John J. Pershing (Army), George C. Marshall (Army), Douglas MacArthur (Army), Dwight D. Eisenhower (Army), Henry H. Arnold (Air Force), William D. Leahy (Navy), Ernest J. King (Navy), Chester W. Nimitz (Navy), William F. Halsey (Navy), and Omar N. Bradley (Army).
Excerpt: Promotion Beyond Rank Brings Fame
From 1904 to 1905, Pershing served as the U.S. military attaché in Japan. After the Russo-Japanese War broke out in 1904, he was also appointed as a military observer for the war. During this time, he also served as a U.S. military observer in Northeast China. The Russo-Japanese War was an imperialist conflict fought on Chinese soil. After Japan, the young military power, defeated the Russian Empire, Pershing was deeply impressed. From then on, he began to reflect on U.S. military strategy and policy.
In 1903, Pershing returned to the United States as a captain and immediately fell in love with Miss Warren, who was several years younger than him. Miss Warren was the cherished daughter of Senator Warren, a wealthy farmer and the chairman of the Senate Military Committee. In January 1905, Pershing and Miss Warren held a lavish wedding, attended by President Theodore Roosevelt and many other dignitaries. To reward Pershing, President Theodore Roosevelt promoted him directly from captain to temporary brigadier general, making him the only soldier in U.S. history to be promoted from captain to brigadier general without intermediate ranks. He was also appointed as the commander of the Moro Province and governor of the Mindanao District.
In 1913, Pershing returned to the United States from the Philippines. Pershing leaped over 862 other officers to become a brigadier general, and those who criticized him believed he had been promoted through connections. In reality, he had already received recommendations before his relationship with the Warren family. His performance in the Philippines was outstanding, and upon returning to the United States, he excelled in his service with the newly established General Staff. He later graduated from the class of the Army War College. As a result, all officers in the Army, except for one, recommended him for promotion to brigadier general in 1906.