Humpday History Highlight

Today's subject: General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing (1860-1948), leader of the Allied Expeditionary Force in World War I.

Pershing arrived in France in 1917. Token American forces were deployed in Europe at the end of 1917, with an enormous tonic effect on Allied morale, and in early 1918, entire divisions were beginning to serve on the front lines alongside French troops. Pershing insisted that the AEF fight as units under American command rather than being split up by battalions to augment British and French regiments and brigades.

When he arrived in Europe, Pershing had openly scorned the slow trench warfare of the previous three years on the Western Front, believing that American soldiers' skill with the rifle would enable them to avoid costly and senseless fighting over a small area of no man's land. In his memoirs, Pershing claimed that the U.S. breakout from the Argonne at the start of November was the decisive event leading to the German acceptance of an armistice, because it made untenable the Antwerp-Meuse line.

American successes were largely credited to Pershing, and he became the most celebrated American leader of the war. In 1919, in recognition of his distinguished service during World War I, the U.S. Congress authorized the President to promote Pershing to General of the Armies of the United States, the highest rank possible for any member of the United States armed forces and was created especially for him and one that only he held at the time (Lieutenant General George Washington was posthumously promoted to this rank by President Gerald Ford in 1976). (H/T - Wikipedia)

Pershing was considered a mentor to many American generals who served in World War II, and was even asked to run for President in 1920. Pershing refused to run, which was a tragedy, since the Republican nomination (and the White House) was won by the incompetent Warren G. Harding.