John J(oseph) Pershing

US soldier, born near Laclede, Missouri, USA. The son of a railroad worker turned merchant, he trained at West Point (1886), and after several years of cavalry service on the frontier he taught military science (and fencing) at the University of Nebraska. He then went to teach at West Point, where he gained his nickname because he had commanded a black cavalry unit in Montana. He left West Point to fight in Puerto Rico and Cuba during the Spanish-American War in 1898, and in 1899–1903 he fought in the Philippines.

Rising rapidly, he became a brigadier-general (1906), promoted over the heads of 800 senior officers, and spent some years serving in the Philippines (1906–14). At his next assignment in San Francisco, his wife and three of his four children perished in a fire (1915). This left him a grave and taciturn man, but he pursued his profession assiduously, leading the expedition against Pancho Villa (1916–17). He became commander of the American Expeditionary Force (26 May 1917) and led the build-up and training of American forces in France. Against intense pressure from the British and French commanders, he also insisted that the American troops should remain intact as units to fight independently and with their own tactics. By September 1918 he launched the US First Army against Saint-Mihiel in the first independent offensive by American forces, and then co-operated in the Meuse–Argonne offensive that led to the collapse of the Germans and the armistice. He returned to the USA, and in September 1919 was named general of the army and served as chief-of-staff until his retirement (1921–4).

He also served as chairman of the American Battle Monuments Commission and in several honorary diplomatic positions. His memoir, My Experiences in the World War ( 1931), won the Pulitzer Prize for history. Although too old to take any active role in World War 2, he did consult with chief-of-staff George Marshall. A child in the Civil War, he was the first of the modern American generals, excelling in personnel, supply, and finance as well as battlefield tactics.

Black Jack or BlackJack may refer to:

Black Jack is the nickname of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division Black Jack (the horse) Blackjack, the card game Blackjack (band) Black Jack a variation of Crazy Eights popular in the United Kingdom Black Jack (stamp), the two-cent postage stamp depicting Andrew Jackson, issued by the United States in 1863 Black Jack (nickname), a nickname of: General John A. John Vernou Bouvier III, father of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis John Fitzgibbon, 1st Earl of Clare Jack McDowell, baseball pitcher Blackjack, a small club weapon Black Jack (gum), a brand of chewing gum Black Jack, Missouri Battle of Black Jack , a Battle in Kansas preceding the American Civil War Blackjack (musical scale), a twenty-one note scale in the miracle temperament, used in composition by New York composer Joseph Pehrson and others Tupolev Tu-160 (NATO reporting name: Blackjack), a Russian bomber Blackjack (airship), an airship in the game Final Fantasy VI Black Jack (manga), a manga series and a character in it Blackjack oak, a small oak tree Black Jack, a generic term for a sailor, "Jack", of African and African American origin in the 18th century Blackjack, the term for a particular kind of illegal video in the movie Strange Days. In these videos the person recording them usually dies Black Jack (strain), a strain of Cannabis indica BlackJack (telemovie), a series of Australian telemovies starring Colin Friels Black Jack (1979 film), a 1979 blaxploitation film BlackJack,a rock band of the 1970's era, formed in the Atlanta, Georgia area.