JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – As we celebrate America’s birthday, we honor the men and women who have served our country, including two Missourians who hold some of the highest military rankings in the country.
Generals John J. Pershing and Omar Bradley, both born in the Show Me State in the 1800s, are known as heroes for their careers in the military. Their leadership not only shaped world history, but both played crucial roles in World War I and World War II.
“Remaining the highest-ranking military people probably in the history of our country, come from Missouri and that’s not something to be taken lightly and we should all be proud of that,” Gov. Mike Parson said.
Honoring two Missourians who are military heroes. The two busts standing outside the governor’s office as others honored their legacy of achieving the highest military honors. The two men were previously induced into the Hall of Famous Missourians, their busts being placed outside the Missouri House of Representatives.
“General of the Armies of the United States John J. Pershing and Five-Star General Omar Bradley, underscoring their immense contributions to the nation’s military history,” Deputy Adjutant General for the Missouri National Guard Brigadier General Bob Payne said.
Born in Laclede, Missouri, in 1860, General Pershing became known for the critical role he played during World War I.
“Known as Blackjack, because he served with the African American 20th Cavalry, Pershing transformed a modest force of slightly less than 130,000 personnel into a formidable army of over 2 million soldiers in just 18 months during World War I,” Payne said. “Pershing’s leadership during the Meuse Argonne offense was pivotal in breaking the western front stalemate and hastening the war’s end.”
This made Pershing one of the most influential military leaders, and lead to him being one of only three soldiers to ever receive the rank of General of the Armies.
“To date, only two other generals have achieved the rank and title of General of Armies of the United States,” Payne said. “That being General George Washington in 1976 and in December of 2022, the U.S. Congress awarded the same rank to U.S. Civil War General Ulysses S. Grant posthumously.”
General Bradley was born in Clark, Missouri in 1893. He was instrumental in a turning point in the Second World War.
“General Bradley played a crucial role during World War II as the first United States Army Commander during the D-Day invasion of Normandy, Bradley led the largest amphibious assault in history,” Payne said.
This lead to him becoming a Five-Star General, a title only a handful of service men have received.
“Moreover, General Bradley said the unification of the armed forces and the establishment of NATO [North Atlantic Treaty Organization] ensuring the United States remained prepared to face Cold War challenges,” Payne said.
The governor said during this time of Fourth of July, Missourians need to remember how these two men sacrificed their lives for our freedom.
“What we should all be doing the next few days is being thankful for who we are, thinking how blessed we are to live in this great country. Even with some of the craziness going on out there, we still live in the greatest country in the world because of these two generals that paved the way for all of us today,” Parson said.
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