Born: Sept. 13, 1860
Died: 1948
Place of Birth: near Laclede, Missouri
Military University: West Point
Military Decorations: General Pershing's decorations would fill a page, including, from the United States, the Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Indian Campaign Medal, Spanish Campaign Medal, Philippine Campaign Medal, Mexican Service Medal, Army of Cuban Occupation Medal, and for the Great War, the Victory Medal with battle clasps for Cambrai, Somme Defensive, Lys, Aisne, Montdidier-Noyon, Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, Somme Offensive, Oise-Aisne, Ypres-Lys, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, Vit torio-Veneto, and Defensive Sector. Decorations awarded by foreign governments included the Belgian Croix de Guerre, the British Order of the Bath, the Chinese Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Light of the Chia Ho (Golden Grain), 1st Class, the French Legion of Honor (Grand Cross) and Croix de Guerre avec Palmes, and the Venezuelan Grand Cordon of the Order of the Liberator. He was also awarded New Mexico's Medal of Honor.
Wars Fought:
-Indian Campaigns
-Spanish-American War
-Philippine Insurrection
-Russo-Japanese War(Military Observer with Japanese Army)
-Mexican Expedition
-World War I
World War I:
The United States declared war on Germany in April 1917. President Woodrow Wilson selected Pershing to command the United States forces in Europe. Given a free hand, Pershing had to form and train an entire army organization that expanded in a year and a half to nearly 3 million men. He was determined to maintain his forces as an independent army despite pressure from the Allies to use his troops as replacement units in European divisions. The American forces under his command destroyed German resistance in the Meuse-Argonne offensive of 1918.