Gen. John Joseph Pershing (1860-1948)
Gen. "Black Jack" Pershing, G.C.B., Commander of the American Expeditionary Forces
He was born in Laclede, Missouri, and graduated from West Point in 1886. He served in the Indian Wars and the Spanish-American War, where he earned the nickname "Black Jack" while commanding African-American troops. He gained prominence during the Philippine-American War (1899-1913), where he effectively countered insurgent tactics and served as military governor of Moro Province. In 1915, his most famous role came as Commander of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) during World War I. Pershing insisted on maintaining American units as an independent force rather than integrating them into European armies, a decision that proved crucial to American military prestige. Under his leadership, the AEF played decisive roles in major offensives including Saint-Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne, helping secure the Allied victory.
After the war, he served as Army Chief of Staff (1921-1924), modernizing the military and establishing the foundation for future American military doctrine. He became the only person besides George Washington to hold the rank of General of the Armies. His emphasis on professional military education, combined arms tactics, and independent American military capability significantly shaped 20th-century U.S. military strategy and established precedents for American military leadership in subsequent global conflicts.
In 1905, he married "Frankie" daughter of U.S. Senator Francis Warren, and they had four children. Tragedy struck in 1915 when their house burned down in San Francisco with Frankie and their three daughters inside. Devastated, Pershing immersed himself in his role to secure a victory that would bring peace to Europe. In 1917, he became engaged to General George Patton's sister, Nita, but being on opposite sides of the ocean for so long, it was eventually called off. Years later, in 1946, at his Walter Reed Hospital apartment in Washington D.C. (where he died two years later), he was married in secret to the French-Romanian portrait artist - 34 years his junior - Micheline Resco. They had first met in Paris in 1917 and had been exchanging love letters since then for nearly 30-years.
After the war, he served as Army Chief of Staff (1921-1924), modernizing the military and establishing the foundation for future American military doctrine. He became the only person besides George Washington to hold the rank of General of the Armies. His emphasis on professional military education, combined arms tactics, and independent American military capability significantly shaped 20th-century U.S. military strategy and established precedents for American military leadership in subsequent global conflicts.
In 1905, he married "Frankie" daughter of U.S. Senator Francis Warren, and they had four children. Tragedy struck in 1915 when their house burned down in San Francisco with Frankie and their three daughters inside. Devastated, Pershing immersed himself in his role to secure a victory that would bring peace to Europe. In 1917, he became engaged to General George Patton's sister, Nita, but being on opposite sides of the ocean for so long, it was eventually called off. Years later, in 1946, at his Walter Reed Hospital apartment in Washington D.C. (where he died two years later), he was married in secret to the French-Romanian portrait artist - 34 years his junior - Micheline Resco. They had first met in Paris in 1917 and had been exchanging love letters since then for nearly 30-years.
