Posted on Nov 17, 2018
The Great War: John J. Pershing - The Iron General (WWI Documentary)
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Posted 6 y ago
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Posted 6 y ago
I hadn't realized, till I'd read the whole Wikipedia page on him, about the whole tragedy of the loss of his wife and daughters, I think, in a house fire on post where they were living...also, he'd been an attorney, and was supposed to have possibly remarried a socialite, I'd gathered, though, he eventually remarried someone he'd met in France during WW1, toward the end, I gathered, both because he was as great as he was, and, also, so she would get his pension, or so I'd assumed, from what I'd read...I'd also seen another film that he'd actually apparently been at San Juan Hill when Pres. Theodore Roosevelt was promoted to Col. during the charge...I'd also read Pres. Roosevelt had apparently been further promoted to brevet Brig. Gen., as brevet promotions evidently still existed at that point...in addition, I'd read Gen. Pershing was also a licensed attorney, which he'd done while in the Army, or had been given leave to get his J.D.; then, too, there was that whole story about Pres. Roosevelt promoting him over the heads of God only knows how many more senior than him, as I gather his career had stalled, or so I'd read about the story, at Capt., I think, it might've been major, I'm unsure at the moment...I just figured I didn't know if you'd seen all that at all, if you get a chance, look through the Wikipedia page, the writeup is actually quite good...also, his Arlington VA tombstone does actually say on it, "General of the Armies", per se, which, certainly, is unique...the only one I can think even remotely close to him from relatively the same time period would be Adm. of the Navy Dewey, as that rank which he'd been allowed by Congress, was also unique...I'd also read, being as he could opt for his own rank insignia, he apparently opted for four gold stars, as opposed to the five-star circlet used during WW2, which I also found of interest...I suppose, the only other ones even close would be Grant and Washington, certainly, maybe Sherman and Sheridan, possibly Jackson, though Jackson had numerous character flaws, as modern historians have continually noted...I'd actually compare Pershing as closest to Grant and Dewey, aside from Washington, though, of course, that's just my own personal thought about the whole thing, obviously...hope all that was of at least some interest, in any event....
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