General John J. Pershing
- Style
- Military
- Peak Era
- 1910s
- Born
- 1860
- Hall of Fame
- Inducted 2024
- Fan Votes
- 0 legendary · 0 meh
About General John J. Pershing
John Joseph Pershing (1860–1948) graduated from West Point in 1886 and served on the frontier, in Cuba during the Spanish-American War, in the Philippines, and in the 1916 Punitive Expedition into Mexico. His nickname, "Black Jack," traced to his early service with the 10th Cavalry, one of the Army's Black regiments.
In 1917 he was chosen to command the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I. He insisted that American troops fight as a distinct army under American command rather than be fed piecemeal into Allied units, a position that shaped the U.S. role in the final campaigns of 1918.
After the war he was promoted to General of the Armies, a rank created for him, and served as Army Chief of Staff. He later wrote a memoir that won the Pulitzer Prize for history.
Why the Stach Became Iconic
Pershing's mustache was neat, trimmed close, and perfectly squared, an officer's mustache in the strictest sense. Paired with his ramrod posture and the high-collared tunic, it defined the look of the American general in the First World War era.
He is in the Hall for bearing, discipline, and for setting a grooming standard an entire army photographed itself against.
Notable Moments
- Spanish-American War (1898)
- Punitive Expedition, Mexico (1916–1917)
- Commander, American Expeditionary Forces (1917–1919)
- Army Chief of Staff (1921–1924)
- He is one of only two people promoted to General of the Armies of the United States during their lifetime.
- His memoir, "My Experiences in the World War," won a Pulitzer Prize in 1932.
- A number of officers who rose to prominence in World War II served under him in France.
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