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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 18, 1920)
THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAN, PORTLAND, JANUARY 18. 1920 BRILLIANT CAREER OF GENERAL PERSHING IS UNPARALLELED IN U. S. i i m Honored Guest of City Spent Life in Military Service in All Cam paifjns His Country Embarked on Since He Left West Point ' ' 'i . "i . : . -x .j...: x- x. i 'x s l- ""4 General 'j Best Por fTdzt. !- "J-t I Of" . - - r?-Stf W 4 5 i i J-J'- ai2i 4v i; x?- .'V - Pershing's Arrival in Mf'wYorAr. A v GENER who of P ENERAL JOIIN J. PERSHING, 1 is to be the honored gueat Portland today, had a long and brilliant military career even be fore he went to France as commander of the American expeditionary forces and helped to organize the allied army that gave the final, crushing de feat to German arms, resulting in the signing of the armistice of No vember 11. 191S. The record is that he made Rood Wherever assigned since the earliest days of his remarkable career as a soldier, after the accidental reading in a newspaper, a notice of an ex amination to be held for entrance to "West Point. This he took and, hav ing; passed, became an active, ag trre'ssivc fighter virtually the next day. General Tershing was born m Linn county. Mo., beptember 13,. l&bO. and until he chanced to read the cewj paper story which changed the en tire course of his life, had b e en I studying to be a school teacher. He had been preparing himself for that linw. of work at the normal school in Kirksville. Mo. He continued in training until he had passed with the degree of A. B., after which he went to West Point. At the age of 25, he was graduated irom there and as a second lieutenant, was assigned to an expedition commanded by General Kelson A. Miles, fighting Apache In- ; dians, led by Chief Gerommo. This ; was in 1886. s HerBhtnir FuliKht Indian. The young lieutenant learned, dur '. lng that expedition, a great deal con . corning actual warfare that stood him in excellent stead over afterward. ; It made him quick in decision, ac - curate and daring and fitted him for ; the command of scouts wh& later weri sent into the Dakotan to fight the ' Sioux, who had gone on the Warpath and were doing much damage. At that time, he was attached to the sixth cavalry. His next assignment was to the University of Nebraska, where he was instructor of military science in 1SS9. later occupying the same post at West Point, from which place he was transferred to General bhafter'B command in Cuba in 18i8. Whils'at Kebraska university, he won a pro motion to first lieutenant and - was given an Lj. L,. H. decree. In the Cuban campaign, for which he vol unteered, he served as a major, but upon his return to the Ijnited States, reverted to his rank of urst lieu tenant. lllHtinctlon Won in Philippines. Disturbances in the Philippine Islands, finally bringing American -intervention, served to bring about in General Pershing s life a- chapter that was to bring him into great prominence and Which Was to cause such a commotion in regular aruty circles as had never been recorded. He was sent u a captain in 1901 to the far-away islands and served with such distinction that five years later. Theodore R&osevelt, then president, promoted him to be a brigadier-gen eral, thus boosting him over the heads of numerous officers and shaking the foundations of the army organisation. Serving with General Bates in the Philippines, General Pershing Was adjutant-general and organized and conducted the first expedition to the Sulu archipelago. He also Subdued the Moros and. in all, put in elgh years in the Islands. - i While he was still a captain, he was ordered to Washington and served at the direction of Presiden Tloosevelt as a memoer ot the army general staff. It was while he was in Washington, 1903, that he met an later married Miss Frances Warren flRughter of United btates Senato c - of Wyoming. "? -A. -1 tl -Swsxttf"- - -.t. v. est-- . v.. 5 - . tk4 Pershing on His ivorite Jfounf. V -C Ax-" 'I rfc ft , G-eneral Tershin? in France. Perjhin? Jfuri'jn? fte Mexican Cjjnp&ifn. the 'American embassy in Japan as military attache and observer with General Kurokl s army in Manchuria, in the rtusso-Japanese war. In the Philippines, General Persh ing served as commander of the de partment of Mindanao and was gov ernor of the Moros. j Upon his return to the United I tates. General Pershing was given : command of the eighth brigade at . Sail Francisco. It was in 1915 that ondltions on the Mexican border be- , came so troublesome that the admin- , stration decided to take precaution ary measures bv sending troops to i keep order and General Pershing was elected for this task. 1 While engaged in work on the bor- i der, General Pershing received orders o head an expedition into northern ! Mexico for the purpose of running down the bandit. Villa, who was then and since has been causing untold rouble there by raids, culminating with the deaths of several Americans and bringing about a virtual state of i war with this country. Hardly had General Pershing com- ; pleted this work, when it was de- elded to dispatch American troops to France to participate in the war gainst Germany. Promotion to a major-generalship came to Pershing. who Was then chosen to command the American expeditionary forces in Europe. Black Jack Sailn for Klirope. In the early part of June, 1917, : General Pershing sailed for Europe , and was acclaimed everywhere he i went as the representative of a people whose eons should eventually add the weight that was to end the war and strike German arms to the dust. Later he was elevated to the rank of a full general. As commander ot all the American forces in Europe, he is credited with having displayed not only the qualities of a fighter, but also demonstrated great ability along diplomatic and organization lines. In those long, dark days, when the world waited anxiously for develop ments in the greatest ot all military struggles, it heard little of what the man who had been sent overseas to command our forces was actually doing. That he Was receiving great attention and Was giving encourage ment to the allies, was allowed to fil ter through the lines; but practically nothing was publicly known of his work in those times when civilization hung in the balance. But when peace came when the German war lords cried out for' an v Mi 4 M ': -VHrirt Juu, .V" x- f ! x -,,x VX,. Xx V- : ,'X; i.xjfW .X j ,,- SV x xAJ x x -OT x f x x f v . v- v. x ' V xx N XJ; S -x toS'' x Tift' Pej-jhiriG Smile General Persftin? ?nd Major General William If. Johnston me fayfeforr Jfeuse Argome Carrie. Pershing and Joffre day and It later became permissible to give to the world the tacts ot American accomplishment in Europe, it was found that General Pershing, immediately upon arrival In France, had determined upon a policy ot prep aration such aa this country had never known on a scale so huge as to stagger the mind all in making ready to strike, or help to strike, the blow that would shatter the German military machine and render It Impo tent for further destruction General Pershing, with the assls- Vruiu Washington he was sent to armistice on that fateful November tance of the best men available for technical service, had devoted him self to the transportation and train ing of the largest army this nation ever mustered; to making modem of ficers, the creating of a staff along the latest lines and to building mod ern wharves, huge warehouses and even railroads with standard equip ment ali by way of preparation for the day When the allied forces should open an offensive never to be hurled back by the enemy. When that time came the Americans were ready and they wrote a page in the world his tory that for all time shall call forth the fullest admiration of peace-loving humanity. In the accompanying layout ot photographs there In 6ne which shows General Pershing conferring w 1 1 ft Major-General William H. Johnston, commanding the 61st divis ion, at the divisional headquarters in the Hesse forest, beptember 25. 1918 the da army Meuse-Argonne battle The photograph was taken at Cote 390 in the Hesse forest, about three fifths of a mile from the German front line trenches on Vauquoia hill, and under direct fire of German ar tillery. It shows that General Pershing visited the front tine as saUlt units with a final word of In struction and encouragement just be fore the attack began. This point. Cote 290, as well as the surrounding area, was heavily shelled by Germans every night and morning for several days, the bombardment being espe- y before the American first dally heavy the day of General "went over the top" in the! Pershing's visit. The photograph Was furnished by Major A. B. Richeson. of the 91st division, whose battalion was biprdu acked in the Hesse forest a few hun dred yards from Cote 290. Europe completing the work in which j medals have been bestowed, as fol this country had engaged. He was a j lows: great figure In the monster ceiebra- Victory medal, which he wears In lion in PariB, following the signing common with all American soldiers; of peace, on July X. when the vie- distinguished service medal: Star of torious armies or trance marcnea the Legion ot Honor. Belgian Order through the streets, signalizing the 0f Leopold: Italian Cross of the Order- greatest achievements in modern Warfare, and also in Londan at a later date, when the British cele brated the coming of peace. Royal Velcome 2xtende. Bailing from Brest September 2, 1919. and landing in New York Sep tember 8. he was later lionised in what was probably the greatest pa rade New York has ever witnessed, sharing honors with the crack troops known af "Pershing's own." and others in the line of march. General Pershihg remained lft 1 .Upon General Pershing numerous of St. Maurice and Lazarus; English Star of the Bath (Knight Com mander); iegion of Honor; Grairti Collar of the Third Republic; Cross of the Mfrat Honorable Order of the Bath: Medal of Commemoration of the Napoleonic Installation of the Legion of Honor: Cross of the Legion of Honor: Medal of Commemoration of Founding ot the " Legion of H6B6r; campaign badges representing Indtan wars, war with Spain, the Philippine Insurrection, the Cilan occupation and Mexican occupation.