Who is your greatest 5 Star General/Admiral or above of all time in the United States of America military and why?

Robert E. Lee was a patriot. Best in his class at West Point. Engineering officer and hero in the Mexican war. Superintendent of West Point, hand picked by President Buchanan to put down John Brown at Harper's Ferry, offered command of the Union Army after Fort Sumter. Resigned rather than lead an invasion of the south. Quite a resume spanning over 30 years.

PV2 SHAULL YOU GOT GENERAL PATTON MESSED UP.............SURE ENOUGH HE HAD A GIGANTIC EGO BUT HE HAD THE BIG NASTY BALLS TO GO WITH IT...SLAPPING THAT PRIVATE WASNT SHIT BUT IT ALMOST ENDED HIS CAREER...IN THE GERMAN ARMY THEY SHOT COWARDS ON THE SPOT NO TRIAL................PATTON WAS THE ARMY'S GREATEST GENERAL BESIDES WASHINGTON AND WAINWRIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!GO ARMY ARMOR

Yes, I know he had the nasty to go with it, and to back it. If he had lived, and not died in 1945 who knows what he could of done later. He Brilliant Armor and mobile warfare Commander. I think being in charge of the mock Army before the invasion of Normandy was Brilliant and Outstanding. It was exactly who the Germans would have expect to lead the initial invasion, with the exception of Marshal Montgomery. Then assigning him to Army later was good move, even though General Bradley actively didn't want him. He had charisma to drive his Army forward just on will, who need petrol or ammo. Sure he drove his units at time where they did literally out of gas, at times. That the type of General he was. Everyone in his Chain of Command accepted this once, he was selected to lead an Army Command. It was to him acceptable risk. Same when he sent Combat Command from the 9 Armored Division IIRC to rescue his son in law and other POWs from German Prison of War Camp. It drove Bradley crazy because in his position of the Commander of the 21st Army Group. He always had to second guess Montgomery to the North was doing, and I have seen somewhere where Bradley was called too cautious, and then second guess what Patton would do, and somehow try to keep him from running away to far ahead. Talking about using caution, Marshal Montgomery was kind of bi-polar in how his operations went, generally his operation were slow tempo, but when he would everyone once and great while get hair brain ideas like Operation Market Garden due to pressure influence or personal desire to beat the Russians to Berlin. Either way the 12th Army Group granted fought in several built up areas, and what not, but their operations were costly due to the tactics used up and down their Chain of Command.

Patton was beyond the doubt the best tactical US Army Commander on the field in Europe in WWII. Not taking away from any other Army Commanders, Bradley, or Ike. Bradley had a difficult job dealing with Marshal Montgomery, and Ike had other Senior British Commanders to deal with at times felt he was to weak and to soft at times. The Allied Supreme Command at the top was strange and anything in the planning was always hard fought.

Patton didn't have to micro-manage, his Commanders never like him show up, much like in the Civil War when General Grant would show up somewhere with the Army of the Potomac. Patton did have several quirks, and would go on rants, and gig people. Yet, the Commanders under him worked harder to make sure they doing their mission and their people were squared away. For the most part it kept discipline, and kept them safer, and helped them that much more when they were under the stresses of combat. Much because he didn't relax all the standards because they were on the battlefield. He understood what had to be relax for the safety of the men, and could be enforce. You don't find someone who has the ability to have that much Common Sense, and ability to maneuver troops as he did, even though he didn't have patience for Logistic.

Would of been something to see what he would done if he had life past 1945. Where he would of ended up in history.

Nimitz and BULL' HALSEY GO NAVY

Washington, Pershing, Nimitz