Sixty-five years ago today, John J. Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Forces, was laid to rest at Arlington Cemetery with a simple soldier's headstone marking his grave. He had died at age 87 on 15 July 1948 at Walter Reed Hospital. The burial marked three days of mourning for the Iron General that included a lying in state at the nation's Capitol, a funeral procession and national ceremony at the cemetery. A full account can be found at the U.S. Army Center for Military History.
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From Top: Pershing After the War; Burial Site; Pershing with Honor Guard at the Capitol
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Sadly, most Americans today do not know of or appreciate the role General Pershing played in our victory in WW I. He was a giant of a man who stood up to the Allied leaders to assert the role of the U.S. forces as an independent military force--not as replacements. A wonderful book about this remarkable man is "Until the Last Trumpet Sounds." Gary Phillips, American History teacher
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