General John J. Pershing had a "ramrod bearing, steely gaze and confidence-inspiring jaw created almost a caricature of nature's soldier."
- Second Lieutenant Douglas MacArthur
At this moment, some 106 years ago on the Western Front, General John J. Pershing led the American Expeditionary Forces. A citizen of immense stature, Pershing was an iconic figure who led American forces during World War I. Pershing represented the same historic presence as George Washington, Winfield Scott, Ulysses S. Grant, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur, and Norman H. Schwarzkopf to lead our military to achieve victory.
This Midwestern boy was born near the start of the Civil War in 1860 at Laclede, Missouri. Before attending the West Point Military Academy in 1882, Pershing taught black students. Graduating 30th in a class of 77 students, Pershing experienced his first fighting against the Apache and Sioux tribes in New Mexico and Arizona. Earning the name “Black Jack,” Pershing was promoted first lieutenant of the 10th Cavalry and was one of the first officers to lead a black regiment of “Buffalo Soldiers.” Later at the University of Nebraska, Pershing served as a military instructor and earned a law degree. This strict officer was sent back to West Point, where he trained the cadets for military service.
Under fire during the SpanishAmerican War in 1898, Pershing led the 10th Cavalry up San Juan Hill. Colonel Theodore Roosevelt who was later awarded the Medal of Honor for actions during this campaign, observed the leadership qualities of Pershing. With an outdated system that often saw quality officers rarely gain a promotion, when Roosevelt became president, he promoted Pershing over 800 senior officers to become a brigadier general.
Up until World War I, Pershing was ordered to a series of staff and field army positions. In 1899, Pershing was sent to the Philippines as an adjutant general of Midanao, where he waged military campaigns against the Moros insurgents. As a brigadier general, Pershing returned to the Philippines for several years. He operated in a military and political capacity as the Governor of Moro Province until 1913. Pershing was also in charge of the Bureau of Insular Affairs in the War Department and by 1905, he was a military attaché to the American embassy in Tokyo to watch the Russo-Japanese War in Manchuria.
When World War I began in Europe, the United States kept a watchful eye on the major powers who opposed each other through this intense fighting. On the southern border, there were changing Mexican regimes and American meddling that caused friction between both nations. Rebel Mexican leader Victoriano Huerta Villa opposed the new President Venustiano Carranza,
who was supported by the United States. Villa later killed fifteen American citizens in Northern Mexico and raided Columbus, New Mexico, where he destroyed property and killed 17 Americans on this border town. On March 15th, 1916, an infuriated President Woodrow Wilson ordered Pershing to lead an American detachment of 5,000 troops into Mexico to capture or kill Villa. Lieutenant George S. Patton appreciated the presence of Pershing to quickly make sound decisions and oversee the first use of vehicles and planes by the American military. For eleven months, Pershing was unable to capture Villa and his forces were recalled back to the United States.
World War I placed an immense pressure on Wilson, but during his first term, he managed to hold onto the policy of neutrality. German U-boats operated off the coast of Long Island, sank American shipping and killed our citizens
at sea. The British decoded the communications of the Germans, as they uncovered the Zimmermann Telegram. Germany relied on the negative relations between these two nations and pushed Mexico to capture its former territories of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Directly after his reelection and inauguration, Wilson declared war on Germany to make the “World Safe for Democracy.” As the Russians departed the war on the Eastern Front and the British and French were exhausted from the fighting, the United States entered at a hazardous moment.
With an outdated army that was situated near the Mexican border and in the newly acquired Caribbean and Pacific islands, Wilson and Secretary of War Newton D. Baker picked Pershing to command the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe (AEF). When Pershing first landed in England and France, there was joy over the American
participation in this war. Smiles quickly turned to fear when it was discovered that Pershing’s army still had to be drafted into uniform. Racing against the German offensive that tried to penetrate the Western Front, American government and military officials quickly trained and transported our army to France. For months, the British and French leaders tried to take control of American soldiers and place them in their lines. Through the support of Wilson, Pershing refused to endorse this plan and stated that only American officers would lead this army, even in the face of a German defeat.
At this point in 1918, Pershing prepared for one of the largest offensives during World War I through the Battle of MeuseArgonne. Thirty-seven American and French divisions were ordered to attack and cut off the German 2nd Army. On September 26th, Pershing unleashed a massive artillery bombardment that included mustard shells that opened the way for the ground and air attacks to target German positions. This became a major victory for the Western Powers as 23,000 prisoners were quickly taken and another 10,000 captured from this retreat. The German army faced major supply and soldier shortages that led to the armistice on November 11th, 1918. Pershing proved to the American people that Wilson made the correct choice in picking him to be the American leader in Europe through his ability to help achieve this monumental victory.