John J. Pershing

John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing (September 13, 1860 – July 15, 1948) was an officer in the United States Army. Pershing eventually rose to the highest rank ever held in the United States military, equivalent only to the posthumous rank of George Washington: General of the Armies. He was born near Laclede, Missouri and graduated from United States Military Academy at West Point, New York in 1886.

Summary of Service

Dates of Rank

• August 1886: Second Lieutenant, United States Army
• October 1892: First Lieutenant, United States Army
• August 1898: Brevet Major of Volunteers, U.S. Army
• June 1901: Captain, U.S. Army (reverted to permanent rank)
• September 1906: Brigadier General, United States Army
• May 1916: Major General, United States Army
• October 1917: General, National Army
• September 1919: General of the Armies of the United States

Assignment History

• 1882: Cadet, United States Military Academy
• 1886: Troop L, Sixth Cavalry
• 1891: Professor of Tactics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• 1895: Commanding Officer, 10th Cavalry Regiment
• 1897: Instructor, United States Military Academy, West Point
• 1898: Major of Volunteer Forces, Cuban Campaign, Spanish-American War
• 1899: Officer-in-Charge, Office of Customs and Insular Affairs
• 1900: Adjutant General, Department of Mindanao and Jolo, Philippines
• 1901: Battalion Officer, 1st Cavalry and Intelligence Officer, 15th Cavalry (Philippines)
• 1902: Officer-in-Charge, Camp Vicars, Philippines
• 1904: Assistant Chief of Staff, Southwest Army Division, Oklahoma
• 1905: Military attaché, U.S. Embassy, Tokyo, Japan
• 1908: Military Advisor to American Embassy, France
• 1909: Commander of Fort McKinley, Manila, and governor of Moro Province
• 1914: Brigade Commander, 8th Army Brigade
• 1916: Commanding General, Mexican Punitive Expedition
• 1917: Commanding General for the formation of the National Army
• 1918: Commanding General, American Expeditionary Forces, Europe
• 1921: Chief of Staff of the United States Army
• 1924: Retired from active military service

Awards and decorations

United States decorations

• Distinguished Service Cross
• Distinguished Service Medal
• World War I Victory Medal (with 15 battle clasps)
• Indian Campaign Medal
• Spanish Campaign Medal (with Silver Citation Star)
• Army of Cuban Occupation Medal
• Philippine Campaign Medal
• Mexican Service Medal

In the 1932, seven years after Pershing's retirement from active service, his silver citation star was upgraded to the Silver Star Medal and he became eligable for the Purple Heart. In 1941, he was retroactively awarded the Army of Occupation of Germany Medal for service in Germany following the close of World War I.

Related Topics:
1932 - Silver Star Medal - Purple Heart - Army of Occupation of Germany Medal - World War I

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Foreign and international awards

• Knight Grand Cross of the British Order of the Bath
• Grand Cross of French the Legion of Honor
• French Military Medal
• French Croix de Guerre with Palm
• Grand Cross of the Belgian Order of Leopold
• Belguim Croix de Guerre
• Polish Virtuti Militari
• Czechoslovakian Order of the White Lion (1st Class) with Sword
• Czechoslovakian War Cross
• Chinese Grand Cordon of the Order of the Presious
• Light of the China Ho (Golden Grain) 1st Class
• Greek Order of the Redeemer
• Grand Cross of the Italian Military Order of Savory
• Grand Cross of the Order of St. Maurice and St. Lazarus
• Japanese Order of the Rising Sun
• Montenegrin Medaille Obilitch
• Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Danilo Ier
• Panamanian Medal of La Solidaridad (1st Class)
• Peruvian Grand Cross of the Order of the Sun
• Romanian Order of Mihail the Brave (1st Class)
• Venezuelan Grand Cordon of the Order of the Liberator

Civilian awards

• Congressional Gold Medal of Honor
• Thanks of the United States Congress
• Special Medal of the Committee of the city of Buenos Aires