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5 Responses to 'Who were the only two american soldiers to achieve the rank of six-star general?'

1. robert2020 - March 3rd, 2010 at 4:02 am

   There were no six-star generals, in American history. Except Washington was given that rank after his death by congress. And congress talked about giving it to John J. Pershing, but never did.

   If you mean five star. There were three in the WWII era. Eisenhower, Bradly and Mac Arthur.

2. Chances68 - March 6th, 2010 at 12:26 am

   Sorry to burst your bubble, but there has never been any American who held that rank. There is no six star general’s rank. If it had ever been created (General of the Armies), there are only two men who might have held the rank. The first is Pershing, who was considered to hold a five star rank (although he actually only ever wore four stars, he wore them in gold instead of silver). The other was MacArthur, who held a five star rank, and the idea of creating a six star rank and awarding it to him was discussed in 1945 ahead of the planned invasion of Japan, and again in 1955 to honor him for his many years of service. However, again, there was never any such rank, and no American has ever held more than five stars.

3. glenn - March 7th, 2010 at 12:22 am

   Washington did not have an exact rank- he was commander in chief of the American armed forces.

4. george.gauthierdc - March 7th, 2010 at 4:11 am

   There was one six star in Germany. Hermann Goering was elevated to Reichsmarshall one grade above Feldmarhall, making him the only six star in the war. Feldmarshall or Field Marshall was a five star rank equivalent to our five star General of the Army. Supposedly then Army Chief of Staff George Catlett Marshall opposed the idea of calling our five star rank Field Mashall because he did not want to be addressed as ‘Marshall Marshall’. General Marshall was fine by him.

5. yankee_sailor - March 8th, 2010 at 10:47 am

   Five-Star Officers – Generals and Admirals

   The five-star rank was first created on Dec. 14, 1944. Four Army general officers were promoted to general of the Army that month. Their names and dates of rank are: George C. Marshall, Dec. 16, 1944; Douglas MacArthur, Dec. 18, 1944; Dwight D. Eisenhower, Dec. 20, 1944; and Henry H. Arnold, Dec. 21, 1944. Gen. of the Army Henry H. Arnold, then with the U.S. Army Air Corps, became general of the Air Force when that service was created in 1947. Gen. of the Army Omar N. Bradley received his fifth star Sept. 20, 1950. He was the only general officer with this rank when he died in the 1980s.

   There were three Navy admirals promoted to five-star rank during World War II. They are: Fleet Adm. William D. Leahy, Dec. 15, 1944; Fleet Adm. Ernest J. King, Dec. 17, 1944; and Fleet Adm. Chester W. Nimitz, Dec. 19, 1944. Adm. William F. Halsey Jr., received his fifth star Dec. 11, 1945, three months after World War II ended.
   Name
   Date of Rank

   Adm. William D. Leahy Dec. 15, 1944
   Gen. George C. Marshall Dec. 16, 1944
   Adm. Ernest J. King Dec. 17, 1944
   Gen. Douglas MacArthur Dec. 18, 1944
   Adm. Chester Nimitz Dec. 19, 1944
   Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower Dec. 20, 1944 .
   Gen. Henry H. Arnold Dec. 21, 1944
   Adm. William F. Halsey Dec. 11, 1945
   Gen. Omar N. Bradley Sept. 20, 1950

   Note: only two Americans were awarded a rank above five stars:

   Gen. of the Armies John J. “Black Jack” Pershing,

   Gen. of the Armies George Washington, (President Washington’s was awarded retroactively).

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