No, this isn't about a dull sitcom from the late 80s. It's about who is the highest-ranking military commander in American history. It sounds like an easy choice, but as with most things, it gets complicated.
As you read the Yankee Doodle Spies Series (start with Book One, The Patriot Spy), you'll notice George Washington is called General Washington or His Excellency. The British mockingly called him Mister Washington. The term His Excellency was an honorific often used in 18th-century America, especially for colonial governors. It was first used for George Washington when Congress declared him general and Commander in Chief of the Army of the United Colonies (Continental Army), elevating him above other major generals and competing interests of the states (meaning to elevate him above politics).
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| US Grant |
As President from 1789 to 1797, Washington also served as Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Armed Forces. On July 2, 1798, President John Adams appointed Washington as Lieutenant General and Commander of the United States Army—the first three-star general.
But here lies the problem. Arguably, our most outstanding military leader was later overshadowed in rank by four-star generals as our forces expanded during the Civil War (Ulysses S. Grant) and World War I (John J. Pershing), and later by five-star generals (Dwight Eisenhower, George C. Marshall, and Douglas MacArthur) during World War II. Fortunately, during the year of the American bicentennial, this long-standing slight was corrected.
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| John J Pershing |
A joint resolution of Congress (which marked the last era of bipartisanship in America) known as Public Law 94-479, passed in January 1976, recommended promoting Washington to four-star rank. Furthermore, it declared that "George Washington shall always be the most senior United States military officer, forever outranking any and all other military officers."
Therefore, thirty-six years ago this past week, on October 11th, 1976, President Gerald R. Ford issued an Executive Order posthumously promoting Washington to the rank of General of the Armies of the United States and designating him forever as the highest-ranking general in the US Army.
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| George C. Marshal |
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| Dwight D. Eisenhower |
The Congressional Resolution is quoted below:
Whereas Lieutenant General George Washington of Virginia commanded our armies throughout and to the successful termination of our Revolutionary War; Whereas Lieutenant General George Washington presided over the convention that formulated our Constitution; Whereas Lieutenant General George Washington twice served as President of the United States of America; and Whereas it is considered fitting and proper that no officer of the United States Army should outrank Lieutenant General George Washington on the Army list; Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That (a) for purposes of subsection (b) of this section only, the grade of General of the Armies of the United States is established, such grade to have rank and precedence over all other grades of the Army, past or present.
(b) The President is authorized and requested to appoint George Washington posthumously to the grade of General of the Armies of the United States, such appointment to take effect on July 4, 1976.
Approved October 11, 1976.
Public Law 94-479
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| His Excellency, General of the Armies of the United States |
