Former rural school teacher and General of the Armies John J. Pershing
Many people are familiar with the accomplishments of World War I General John J. Pershing, but did you know that he was once a classroom teacher in a rural school?
John Pershing was born on September 13, 1860, in Laclede, Linn County, Missouri. His father was the son of a railroad switch man. Determined to gain a college degree, John was only 17 when he enrolled at Kirksville Normal School. The institution, located in Kirksville, Missouri, is now known as Truman State University.
To pay for his college education, John accepted a position as a teacher in a rural school for African American youngsters. Even though he was just a teenager himself, John demonstrated an unusual strength for confronting and controlling wayward students. And even their parents, when necessary. In one case, the neophyte teacher was confronted by an angry father who rode to the school bent on murder, packing a gun, and seeking vengeance against the school master who had dared to whip his son for kicking a dog. John persuaded the muscular farmer to lay down his weapon and settle their differences in a fistfight. Then the school master hammered the brawny man.
While still in the classroom, John came across an advertisement for the entrance exam for the US Military Academy. The young teacher took the test in 1882, and with his high scores, he gained entry to West Point. John graduated in 1886 as the president of his class and the captain of cadets.
After his graduation from West Point, John was given a commission in the US Cavalry. When the Spanish American War broke out in 1898, he was ordered to the Philippines. For his service there he earned a Silver Star. By 1906, John had risen to the rank of Brigadier General. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson sent the former school master to the American Southwest to capture Mexican guerrillas fighting under Pancho Villa. The mission was successful, earning John a promotion to Major General. Next, John commanded the 10th Cavalry, a distinguished regiment of African American troops known as the Buffalo Soldiers.
Once the United States entered World War I in 1917, the former school teacher took command of the American Expeditionary Forces and sailed to France. Under his command, American forces defeated the German army at St. Mihiel in September, 1918. The next month he led American soldiers in the brutal battles of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. When the Armistice was finally signed on November 11, 1918, John Pershing returned home to a hero’s welcome. For his accomplishments on the battle field, Congress conferred upon John Pershing the title of General of the Armies, the highest rank ever awarded an American. Before him, only George Washington had earned the title.
In his next assignment, John served as the Army Chief of Staff. He held this post from 1921 until he retired in 1924. He then penned his two-volume life story, My Experiences in the World War, which was published in 1931. The book earned him a Pulitzer Prize.
John Pershing passed away in Washington, DC, on July 15, 1948. He was 87 years old. The former teacher and military man is interred in Arlington Cemetery. His grave is marked by a simple granite headstone.
To read more about this chalkboard hero, click on this link to History on the Net.
