General of the Armies of the United States is the highest possible rank in the United States military hierarchy, equal to a Generalissimo. The rank of General of the Armies has only been bestowed twice in the history of the United States Army and only once in an active duty capacity. The rank is superior to that of General of the Army (note the difference between the singular and the plural of the two ranks). A generalissimo is a commissioned officer of the highest rank; the word is often translated as Supreme Commander or Commander in Chief. It is an Italian superlative substantive, which grammatically would actually be disallowed in Italian (superlatives can be made with adjectives only). ... The United States Army is the largest branch of the armed forces of the United States. ... General of the Army is historically the second most superior rank in the United States Army, equivalent to a Field Marshal in other militaries. ...

The only people in United States history to hold the title General of the Armies were John J. Pershing and, posthumously, George Washington, both of whom were appointed to the official title of "General of the Armies of the United States". John Joseph Black Jack Pershing (September 13, 1860 – July 15, 1948) was an officer in the United States Army. ... A posthumous recognition is a ceremonial award given after the recipient has passed away. ... George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799)[1] led Americas Continental Army to victory over Britain in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and in 1789 was elected the first President of the United States of America. ...

John Pershing

General John Pershing

John J. Pershing (September 13, 1860 – July 15, 1948), the senior U.S. Army General of World War I, was granted the rank of "General of the Armies of the United States" in 1919 in recognition of his performance as the commander of the American Expeditionary Force. This was authorized under Pub.L. 66-45 on September 3, 1919. Pershing retired from the United States Army in that rank on September 13, 1924 and held it until his death in 1948. [1] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (3730x4533, 1254 KB) Description U.S. General John Pershing. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (3730x4533, 1254 KB) Description U.S. General John Pershing. ... John Joseph Black Jack Pershing (September 13, 1860 – July 15, 1948) was an officer in the United States Army. ... is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ... is the 196th day of the year (197th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Officers of the American Expeditionary Forces and the Baker mission The American Expeditionary Forces or AEF was the United States military force sent to Europe in World War I.(In France, AEF is a news agency specialised in Education and Formation) The AEF fought alongside allied forces against imperial German... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... is the 246th day of the year (247th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar). ...

Insignia

General Pershing was offered the option to create his own insignia for the new position. He chose to continue to wear the four stars of a General, but in gold, instead of the four silver stars used by a regular general. Army Regulations 600-35, Personnel: The Prescribed Uniform, October 12, 1921, and all subsequent editions during General Pershing's lifetime, made no mention of insignia for General of the Armies but prescribed that generals would wear four stars. This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... is the 285th day of the year (286th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ...

On December 14, 1944, when the rank of General of the Army was established, Army Regulations 600-35 were changed to prescribe that Generals of the Army would wear five silver stars. Although General Pershing continued to wear only four gold stars, he remained preeminent among all Army personnel, by virtue of Congressional action and Army Regulations governing rank and precedence, until his death in 1948. is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... General of the Army is historically the second most superior rank in the United States Army, equivalent to a Field Marshal in other militaries. ...

General of the Army

During World War II, when the United States Army established a five-star rank it also created the question of whether General of the Armies should then be considered a six-star rank. By order of seniority, it was decided that General Pershing (still living when the rank of General of the Army was created in 1944) would be senior to all the newly appointed General of the Army officers. When asked whether this made Pershing a six-star general, the then Secretary of War, Henry L. Stimson, stated that Pershing was superior to a five-star general but, as he was no longer active in the military and had never worn more than four General's stars, he should not be seen as holding six-star rank.^{[citation needed]} Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... General of the Army, or less formally five-star general, is the most senior rank in the United States Army, and has been held by only a few persons in history. ... General of the Army is a military rank used in some countries of the world to denote a senior military leader, usually a General in command of a nations Army. ... The Secretary of War was a member of the United States Presidents Cabinet, beginning with George Washingtons administration. ... Henry L. Stimson Henry Lewis Stimson (September 21, 1867 – October 20, 1950) was an American statesman, who served as Secretary of War, Governor-General of the Philippines, and Secretary of State at various times. ...

George Washington

George Washington

During his lifetime, George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799) never held the rank "General of the Armies." During the American Revolutionary War he held the title of "General and Commander in Chief" of the Continental Army. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (972x1184, 124 KB) ÄŒesky | Deutsch | English | Ελληνικά | Español | فارسی | Français | עברית | Indonesian | Italiano | 日本語 | 한국어 | Magyar | Nederlands | Polski | Português | RomânÇŽ | Русский | Slovenščina | Српски | Sunda | 简体中文 | 正體中文 | Türkçe | Русский | Українська +/- File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (972x1184, 124 KB) ÄŒesky | Deutsch | English | Ελληνικά | Español | فارسی | Français | עברית | Indonesian | Italiano | 日本語 | 한국어 | Magyar | Nederlands | Polski | Português | RomânÇŽ | Русский | Slovenščina | Српски | Sunda | 简体中文 | 正體中文 | Türkçe | Русский | Українська +/- File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other... George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799)[1] led Americas Continental Army to victory over Britain in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and in 1789 was elected the first President of the United States of America. ... George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799)[1] led Americas Continental Army to victory over Britain in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and in 1789 was elected the first President of the United States of America. ... is the 53rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events February 23 - First performance of Handels Orlando, in London June 9 - James Oglethorpe is granted a royal charter for the colony of Georgia. ... is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1799 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Combatants United States France Spanish Empire Dutch Republic Oneida Tuscarora Polish volunteers Quebec volunteers Prussian volunteers Kingdom of Great Britain Iroquois Confederacy Hessian mercenaries Loyalists Commanders George Washington Nathanael Greene Gilbert de La Fayette Comte de Rochambeau Bernardo de Gálvez Tadeusz KoÅ›ciuszko Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben King George... Illustration depicting uniforms and weapons used during the 1779 to 1783 period of the American Revolution by showing four soldiers standing in an informal group General George Washington, was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army on June 15, 1775. ...

George Washington was not answerable to the Continental Congress or to the President of Congress while he commanded the Continental Army. In that regard, George Washington was the only person in United States history to actively command with complete authority all branches of military forces of the United States.

A year prior to his death, Washington was appointed by President John Adams to the rank of Lieutenant General in the United States Army during the Quasi-War with France. Washington never exercised active authority under his new rank, however, and Adams made the appointment to frighten the French, with whom war seemed certain. John Adams, Jr. ... US Lieutenant General insignia In three branches of the United States Army, United States Marine Corps and United States Air Force, a Lieutenant General is also called a three-star general, named for the three stars worn on the uniform. ... The Quasi-War was an undeclared war fought entirely at sea between the United States and France from 1798 to 1801. ...

After World War II, which saw the introduction of U.S. "5-star" officers which outranked Washington, both Congress and the President revisited the issue of Washington's rank with regards to the current time period.^{[citation needed]} To maintain George Washington's proper position as the first Commanding General of the United States Army, he was appointed, posthumously, to the grade of General of the Armies of the United States by congressional joint resolution Public Law 94-479 January 19, 1976, approved by President Gerald R. Ford on October 11, 1976. The Department of the Army Order 31-3, issued on March 13, 1978 had an effective appointment date of July 4, 1976. Since the rank ensures that George Washington will always be the most senior United States military officer, forever outranking any and all other military officers, some have implied that Washington's rank should be considered a six-star general, but there has never been any six-star insignia officially authorized or manufactured. [2] [3] [4]
Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... January 19 is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. ... is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 72nd day of the year (73rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Six-Star Rank?

Whether General of the Armies is a six-star rank will remain unanswered unless the United States Congress appoints someone to the position. This almost occurred in 1945 as part of the preparation for Operation Downfall (the planned invasion of Japan) when a proposal was discussed in the War Department to appoint Douglas MacArthur to the rank of General of the Armies. Following the use of the atomic bomb in August 1945, however, the proposal was dropped. Type Bicameral Houses Senate House of Representatives President of the Senate President pro tempore Dick Cheney, (R) since January 20, 2001 Robert C. Byrd, (D) since January 4, 2007 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Members 535 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political... Operation Downfall was the overall Allied plan for the invasion of Japan at the end of World War II. The operation was cancelled when Japan surrendered following the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the Soviet Unions declaration of war against Japan. ... Line drawing of the Department of Wars seal. ... General of the Army Douglas MacArthur KCB (January 26, 1880 – April 5, 1964), was an American general and Field Marshal of the Philippines Army. ... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 km (11 mi) above the epicenter. ...

The matter was raised again in 1955, when the United States Congress considered a bill authorizing President Dwight D. Eisenhower to promote MacArthur to General of the Armies, in recognition of his many years of service. At that time, the Army Judge Advocate General warned that, should MacArthur accept promotion to the new rank, he would lose a large amount of retirement pay and benefits associated with the much more firmly-established rank of five-star General of the Army, which he still held. The Army General Staff was also concerned that George C. Marshall was senior to MacArthur and that, should MacArthur be made a General of the Armies, a similar measure would have to be passed promoting Marshall as well. Because of the various complications, MacArthur declined promotion and the bill to promote him was dropped. Dwight David Ike Eisenhower, born David Dwight Eisenhower (October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American General and politician, who served as the thirty-fourth President of the United States (1953–1961). ... Judge Advocate Generals Corps, also known as JAG, can refer to the judicial arm of any of the United States armed forces, consisting of autonomous departments in the Air Force, Army, United States Coast Guard and Navy. ... General of the Army is a military rank used in some countries of the world to denote a senior military leader, usually a General in command of a nations Army. ... George C. Marshall George Catlett Marshall (December 31, 1880–October 16, 1959), an American military leader and statesman, was born into a middle-class family in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. ...

The matter of MacArthur's sixth star was not finished with this first proposal for the promotion. The MacArthur Memorial in Norfolk has numerous letters on file dating from 1962 to 1964 between advocates (former MacArthur aides and others) and government officials attempting to obtain the six-star promotion. In the letters as well as a congressional record appendix from February 1962 (pages A864-A865), this promotion was referred to alternately as "six-star general" and "general of the armies". The proponents even obtained a vote of neutral support from Harry Truman. (He would neither support nor attempt to scuttle the promotion.) The proponents' promotion attempts were ultimately scuttled by the John F. Kennedy assassination and then MacArthur's passing in 1964. President Kennedy with his wife, Jacqueline, and Texas Governor John Connally in the presidential limousine just moments before his assassination The assassination of John F. Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, took place on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, USA at 12:30 p. ...

United States Navy

In the United States Navy the equivalent of General of the Armies was the rank Admiral of the Navy. It has only been held by one person in history, George Dewey. As with General of the Army, a proposal was made during World War II to bring back the rank as a six-star equivalent, under the title Flag Admiral. Chester Nimitz was briefly considered for the position, but the proposal was dropped by the United States Navy Department before the war ended, and has not been revived since. USN redirects here. ... Insignia for Admiral of the Navy, worn by Admiral George Dewey Admiral of the Navy has only been held by one person in US Navy history: George Dewey. ... George Dewey (December 26, 1837 – January 16, 1917) was an admiral of the United States Navy, best known for his victory (without the loss of a single life of his own forces due to combat; one man died of heatstroke) at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American... Flag Admiral was a proposed rank of the United States Navy during the last year of World War II. It is considered unofficially as a six star Admiral rank, the equivalent to the rank of General of the Armies in the United States Army. ... Chester William Nimitz (February 24, 1885 – February 20, 1966) was the Commander in Chief of Pacific Forces for the United States and Allied forces during World War II. He was the United States leading authority on submarines, as well as Chief of the Navys Bureau of Navigation in 1939. ... Seal The United States Department of the Navy was established by an Act of Congress on April 30, 1798, to provide administrative and technical support, and civilian leadership to the United States Navy. ...

Insignia

In 1945, the Institute of Heraldry prepared a conjectural insignia which would have incorporated a sixth star into the five-star design of General of the Army. As no proposal to appoint a new General of the Armies was ever firmly developed, the United States Army has never officially approved a six-star general insignia. A division of the U.S Army Human Resources Command, the Institute of Heraldry is charged with determining heraldic entitlements of all U.S. Army badges, medals, and insignia. ... General of the Army is a military rank used in some countries of the world to denote a senior military leader, usually a General in command of a nations Army. ...

Sources

• How many U.S. Army five-star generals have there been and who were they? from the U.S. Army Center of Military History
• Military service record of Douglas MacArthur, Military Personnel Records Center
• Naval service record of Chester Nimitz, Military Personnel Records Center
• Promotion order of George Washington, Military Personnel Records Center
  • Image:Orders 31-3.jpg
  • Image:Orders 31-3 Cover Letter.jpg

General of the Army Douglas MacArthur KCB (January 26, 1880 – April 5, 1964), was an American general and Field Marshal of the Philippines Army. ... Military Personnel Records Center The Military Personnel Records Center (NPRC-MPR)[1] located at 9700 Page Avenue in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA is a branch of the National Personnel Records Center and is the repository of over 56 million military personnel records, health files, and medical records pertaining to retired... Chester William Nimitz (February 24, 1885 – February 20, 1966) was the Commander in Chief of Pacific Forces for the United States and Allied forces during World War II. He was the United States leading authority on submarines, as well as Chief of the Navys Bureau of Navigation in 1939. ... George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799)[1] led Americas Continental Army to victory over Britain in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and in 1789 was elected the first President of the United States of America. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (2420 × 1812 pixel, file size: 188 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Author: United States Government / Department of the Army s:Order 31-3 that promoted George Washington to the rank of General of the Armies of the... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 455 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (2420 × 3188 pixel, file size: 385 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Author: United States Government / Department of the Army Cover letter for s:Order 31-3 that promoted George Washington to the rank of General of the...

External links

• The Origin of the Ranks and Rank Insignia Now Used by the United States Armed Forces
• Abandoned proposal for six-star rank in Second World War
• General of the Armies of the United States and General of the Army of the United States

See also

• U.S. Army officer rank insignia
• List of U.S. military leaders by rank

U.S. commissioned officer ranks
	Student Officer	O-1	O-2	O-3	O-4	O-5	O-6	O-7	O-8	O-9	O-10	Special (wartime only)	Special (post war honor only)
Army:	CDT/OC	2LT	1LT	CPT	MAJ	LTC	COL	BG	MG	LTG	GEN	GA	General of the Armies
Marine Corps:	Midn	2ndLt	1stLt	Capt	Maj	LtCol	Col	BGen	MajGen	LtGen	Gen	(no equivalent)	(no equivalent)
Navy:	MIDN/OC	ENS	LTJG	LT	LCDR	CDR	CAPT	RDML	RADM	VADM	ADM	FADM	Admiral of the Navy
Air Force:	Cadet (CDT)/OT	2nd Lt.	1st Lt.	Capt.	Maj.	Lt. Col.	Col.	Brig. Gen.	Maj. Gen.	Lt. Gen.	Gen.	Gen. of the Air Force	(no equivalent)
Coast Guard:	CDT	ENS	LTJG	LT	LCDR	CDR	CAPT	RDML	RADM	VADM	ADM	(no equivalent)	(no equivalent)
PHS Corps:	(no equivalent)	ENS	LTJG	LT	LCDR	CDR	CAPT	RDML	RADM	VADM	ADM	(no equivalent)	(no equivalent)
NOAA Corps:	(no equivalent)	ENS	LTJG	LT	LCDR	CDR	CAPT	RDML	RADM	VADM	(no equivalent)	(no equivalent)	(no equivalent)