SIX STAR GENERAL

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crazyphil

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Throughout history there have been several five star generals
Eisenhower, Bradley, MacArthur and Marshall from WWII era.
There were also a few Admirals of the Fleet, which is the
equivalent to five star general, and there have been a few Air
Force 5 stars as well. But there has only been one six star general.
Can you guess who he was? I will post the answer
after you have had some time to guess.
 
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...In 1976, as part of commemorations for the U.S. Bicentennial, General George Washington was posthumously promoted to the rank of General of the Armies of the United States. Although the law did not actually specify the number of stars, some U.S. newspapers and members of Congress described this as a six-star rank. His appointment had been to serve as "General and Commander in Chief of the Army of the United Colonies"...

Six-star rank in US armed forces - Wikipedia
 
On July 4, 1976, the nation's bicentennial, George Washington was posthumously promoted to General of the Armies of the United States.


During the revolution he was actually a 2 star.

I have had the dubious honor of being chewed out by a Marine 2 star. Eventually my appearance was not to his standards. Usually some staff NCO, an officer of any rank has in tow, will do the honors. But, this one saw fit to do the job himself and quite well I might add.
 
I've told the tale about being on the same plane with Gen. Bradley from El Paso to San Antonio.
He and one aide were up in First Class. The other Aide was in the rear, and they switched during the flight.
Have regretted I didn't ID myself to the guy in back and ask if the General was ok meeting an AF Guy.
It's on my list of regrets and that's a short list!
 
As a lowly E5, I had the opportunity to not only yell at a Major General, but get away with it.

I was working an off-duty 2nd job at the Post wood working shop. The post commander was about to induce a kickback on a table saw with the blade guard removed. I did have the presence of mind to add "sir" to the loud and attention getting command that I shouted at him from across the shop.

Sad thing, an E6 ended up doing the same thing, and losing 4 fingers, on the same saw a few months later. It ended his military career.
 
Made the mistake of getting a 2 star I know to solve a problem for my unit. The Col. never forgot..........

2 start was really good about it though, and I can laugh about it now....
 
I actually got quite good at being chewed out by officers during my career as a Marine Corps **** bird. One full bird did give that general a run for his money in the but chewing category. The best one though was a Gunnery Sgt. I was checking out for separations and my section Gunnery Sgt really like me and although far from squared away I had always done excellent work for her and she had got me a meritorious promotion toe Corporal. Anyway she gave me top proficiency and conduct marks. When I got to the company gunny and he saw them he exploded, failing to believe that what he saw in front of him was the "perfect Marine". LMAO He even called her to no avail. She was also "dating" our commands Master Gunnery Sgt, who I s0ometimes gave a ride to work to as he had lost his drivers license. Ya, got have some God Fathers to get by.
 
Reading up on the background of the posthumous appointment produces some interesting information.

It appears President Ford was bothered by the idea that anyone could ever outrank George Washington, after Pershing and the shenanigans regarding MacArthur covered in the Wiki article.

That was the motivation behind the law which led to the promotion, with no mention of stars.

"Whereas it is considered fitting and proper that no officer of the United States Army should outrank Lieutenant General George Washington on the Army list: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That… The President is authorized and requested to appoint George Washington posthumously to the grade of General of the Armies of the United States, such appointment to take effect on July 4, 1976."

It was considered unnecessary by some. One member of the House said "it's like the Pope offering to make Christ a Cardinal." :)
 
As a trainee cannon cocker at Ft Sill, on one firing exercise I was the guy catching the hot brass from a 105 after each round was fired and pitching it to the rear. Along about the fourth round I caught the brass, spun around and almost gutted a brigadier general who had come to observe entirely too close behind me. I I froze just in time with the shell about an inch from his crotch. After a couple of seconds that lasted a lifetime, he had the grace to apologize for being in the wrong place. My only close encounter with a general, and quite sufficient.
 
I was never in the proximity of a general of any number of stars, but
in 1955 I was on duty at Arlington Hall Station for the National Security
Agency and had the honor of saluting a young Air Force bird colonel.
He had been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
If I recall corectly, I think his CMOH came as a result of duty
in the Army during the Korean War.
 
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John J. Pershing was the first to be given the rank of General of the Armies of the United States-he received it in 1919. He wore 4 gold stars. No other insignia was adopted. George Dewey was promoted to the unique rank of Admiral of the Navy.
Washington was a Lieutenant General from the beginning, until the rank was formally revived for Grant in 1864 only Winfield Scott held it, and only by brevet.
 
My cousin was a 3 star, when he got out of college, the Celtics wanted him for basketball and the White Sox wanted him for baseball, he told his father he was going to join the Army and think about sports when he gets out. Both his mother and father were WW1 vet's in the Navy.

John B Blount – Military Science and Leadership (Army ROTC)

Sent from my LGL455DL using Tapatalk
 
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