A mentor to the generation of American generals who led the U.S. Army during World War II, including George C. Marshall, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Omar Bradley and George S. Patton.
Posted on 07/15/2008 1:52:20 PM PDT by Borges
A mentor to the generation of American generals who led the U.S. Army during World War II, including George C. Marshall, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Omar Bradley and George S. Patton.
I drive through his home town from time to time.
By the way, my late maternal Grandfather was an infantryman (Doughboy) in the 42nd Infantry Division in France. When General Pershing inspected his regiment, he selected one soldier from each company to inspect. Grandpa Schulz went to get his rifle and found some SOB had taken it(Which Grandpa always kept spotless!) and left a filthy one! Grandpa got the outside clean, but not the bore.
Of course, General Pershing stopped in front of Grandpa, took his rifle and looked down the bore. God love him, he accepted my Grandpa's explanation!
Oops, I meant “reading”, not “ready”. It is a great book, none the less!
The guy who invented ‘pork bullets’!
My grandfather served with him out of Ft. Bliss in the campaign against Pancho Villa.
Your grandfather would have been right alongside my great uncle ;-)
The soldiers then soaked their bullets in the pigs blood,
and proceeded to execute 49 of the terrorists by firing
squad.
The soldiers then dug a big hole, dumped in the terrorist's
bodies and covered them in pig blood, entrails, etc.
They let the 50th terrorist go.
And for the next forty-two years, there was not a single
Muslim extremist attack anywhere in the world.
***
Above is not proven true or false!
Isn’t this the guy who dealt with Islamic terrorists? And ended up putting an end to it until it reared it’s ugly head again?””
Yep, this is that famous Missourian who lined up 50 terrorists, shot 49, dumped them in a pit with slaughtered pigs and let the 50th go. This is why Missouri is called the Show Me State. He showed the muslims what pigs look like up close and personal. I have been through his hometown on several occasions.
Pershing recognized the utility of the aircraft. When he returned to Washington he noted that Texas had marvelous blue skies and asked his weathermen to confirm this observation. When his observations were confirmed he convinced Congress to build aircraft training bases in Texas. So thats how San Antonio Air Base and Dallas Love field came to be constructed.
Aviation Nut!
Wow. My dad marched in his funeral procession in Washington. When did we get that old?
One of my more famous relatives. Great, great, great Uncle by marriage (through Helen Warren.)
Pershing also resisted French efforts to integrate American units piecemeal into the French Army to make up for their battle losses in favor of building a unified cohesive U.S. Army to fight the Germans in 1918.
Your grandfather would have been right alongside my great uncle ;-)
And my great grandfather, too. In fact, we have been told that he was Pershing's top aide. Don't know the truth, but we are trying to research it.
That war was the Moro War, which although almost completely forgotten, was our longest war, lasting from 1902 to 1917. One innovation to come out of that war was the .45 automatic pistol, which fired a round heavy enough to stop a fanatic Moro Muslim extremist.
A very interesting history of his funeral by the US Army Center of Military History.
I met an old fellow in a rest home once who had served on that campaign. He had some fascinating stories. He still suffered in his 90s from a bullet wound through the lung from that campaign.
He spoke with an unending respect for General "Black Jack" Pershing.
What an honor to serve with him, General Patton is in the background of that photo with the General and Pancho.
>>>>>Your grandfather would have been right alongside my great uncle ;-) <<<<<
I’ve forgotten the unit/regiment number, but all of the barracks used back then are still in place and in pretty decent shape on the parade ground of Ft. Bliss. So is Pershing’s house, which they (oddly) call “Pershing House” and I think is in use by the current base commander.
>>>>>Pershing also resisted French efforts to integrate American units piecemeal into the French Army to make up for their battle losses<<<<<
Several all-black units were allowed to serve in that capacity with the French Army. They were not allowed to serve in combat with U.S. soldiers.
Another unfortunate racial tale from our past.
>>>>Don’t know the truth, but we are trying to research it. <<<
Ft. Bliss has a very large museum, you could probably make arrangements to visit their archives and answer your questions pretty quickly.
Pershing’s nickname “Black Jack” came from his service with the 10th Cavalry, an all-black unit. He served with distinction and was cited for gallantry at San Juan and Kettle Hills alongside Teddy Roosevelt.
I have as well, although it's recorded somewhere back home in PA. Quite a few decades later, I was assigned to the 12th Cav. Rgt., which had not been headquartered at Bliss, but some Troops (not soldiers, but subordinate units) of which had also been utilized in the punitive raids, and I often wondered if perhaps we might have been connected in that manner as well.
>>>>>>General Patton is in the background of that photo with the General and Pancho.<<<<<<
Well now I’ll sound like I’m bragging, but Patton was the grand-uncle by marriage of a former best friend (to Beatrice Ayer). Patton married into a huge pile of Boston “old money” but it didn’t seem to affect him in the least, he was a soldier from beginning to end.
There’s a free ebook Here:
http://www.pattonhq.com/unknowntext.html
And Chapter 3 covers his marriage to Beatrice.
No problem with the bragging, when it comes to American Military History, there is every reason to be proud.
>>>>Quite a few decades later, I was assigned to the 12th Cav. Rgt., which had not been headquartered at Bliss, but some Troops (not soldiers, but subordinate units)<<<<
Yes, my grandfather was not out of Bliss either, but ..... (remembering) ..... Ft. Riley? (I’ll ask my Dad tonight). In any case they were later assigned to the Pancho Villa actions, and were sent to Bliss to serve under Gen. Pershing.
>>>>>.45 automatic pistol, which fired a round heavy enough to stop a fanatic Moro Muslim extremist.<<<<
Yes, I’ve also heard that story.
Yep, the “Red Hand” Division.
In fact Roosevelt was so impressed with Pershing at those battles that after he became President he promoted Pershing to Brigadier General over something like 60 colonels on the senority list.
Yeah, “Black” Jack was the sanitized version of his nickname. He was originally called N****r Jack because of his 10th Cav service.
Well.........future development of the 1911 came out of the Phillipine Insurrection, but the big Colt was not used.
The military, finding the .38 Long colt lacking in stopping power reissued Colt SAA cut from 7 1/2 inches to 5 1/2. Also issued was the 1878 'Alaskan' also in 45 LC, but this cartridge had a larger rim for extraction purposes.
The Win 1897 also saw some service for outright stopping power
A great read on Pershing is Vandiver's biography 2-volume epic 'Black Jack'.
For information on the Punative expedition I suggest 'Chasing Villa' by Col Frank Tomkins, who led the 13th Cav in the initial chase and throughout the campaign and probably had the troop that wounded Villa. His book is a day by day record fo the Expedition. At the end of the book is a complete listing of the Officers from all commands.
Kerry used Pershing's name over and over again in his political career. They were friends from prep school and fellow Bonesmen, but there's been some question of whether Pershing's family resented the exploitation of their son's name.
Captain to Brigadier.
Wow, that is even more impressive.
Thanks for the information
In my view, one United States General, of any era, is head and shoulders above the entire congress of the united states. They prepare for the job, then execute it with honor and fidelity. They don’t put their finger to the wind unless it is to judge which way the round will go.
Me too! He was my paternal grandmother’s first cousin!
My uncle did also. They had a hotshot second lieutenant with them down there named George Patten.
>>>>>They had a hotshot second lieutenant with them down there named George Patten. <<<<<
Yeah, heard a thing or two about him.....
BUMP for later read
Very small world cousin (five or six times removed. :-> )
Lots of folks family here served with him. Talk about one big FReepin family.
Even George B. McClellan or Wesley Clark?
Any relation to George Smith Patton, Jr.?
The soliders FORCED the Mooslims to dig their own holes, and the last survivor was told to run back and tell his buddies what happened.
Y mi abuelo tambien.
I have said often, our troops should take a page out of his book. Make it known ALL American bullets contain, are dipped in, or whatever, pig blood. Let them think they will be denied their precious virgins! Bet the terrorist problem would end quick. We should have a pig in the cargo hold of every plane, and farms near ever mosque!
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