John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing (September 13, 1860 - July 15, 1948) was a general officer in the United States Army. He graduated from West Point in the summer of 1886. In 1892, he was promoted to first lieutenant and took command of a troop of the 10t
John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing (September 13, 1860 - July 15, 1948) was a general officer in the United States Army. He graduated from West Point in the summer of 1886. In 1892, he was promoted to first lieutenant and took command of a troop of the 10th Cavalry Regiment (one of the original Buffalo Soldier regiments), composed of African-American soldiers under white officers. In 1897, he was appointed to the West Point tactical staff as an instructor. Because of his strictness and rigidity, Pershing was unpopular with the cadets, who took to calling him "Black Jack", the nickname would stick with him for the rest of his life. His military career included involvement in the Indian Wars, Spanish-American War, Philippine-American War (Battle of San Juan Hill), Russo-Japanese War (Moro Rebellion) and the Pancho Villa Expedition. He is best remembered for leading the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I. He was responsible for the organization, training, and supply of a combined professional and draft Army and National Guard force that eventually grew from 27,000 inexperienced men to two Armies totaling over two million soldiers. 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 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, which was created especially for him and one that only he held at the time. During the 1930s, he maintained a private life but was made famous by his memoirs, My Experiences in the World War, which were awarded the 1932 Pulitzer Prize for history. He died in 1948, at the age of 87, of coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure.
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