THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAN, PORTLAND, JANUARY 18. 1920
BRILLIANT CAREER OF GENERAL PERSHING IS UNPARALLELED IN U. S.
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Honored Guest of City Spent Life in Military Service in All Cam paifjns His Country Embarked on Since He Left West Point
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Pershing's Arrival in Mf'wYorAr.
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GENER
who
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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.
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Pershing on His ivorite Jfounf.
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, 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
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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.