General of the Armies John J. Pershing was born on 13 September 1860 in Laclede, Missouri. After graduation from the Military Academy he served in various assignments ranging from company command in the famed 10th Cavalry to a tour as a tactical officer at the Military Academy where his strong discipline earned him the name “Black Jack.”

General Pershing led his troopers of the 10th Cavalry in the Spanish-American War. At the beginning of World War I, he was a Brigadier General and was selected by President Wilson to command the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF).

General Pershing was the principal initiator of the Gas Section, AEF Headquarters, and he pushed for the development of what would become the Chemical Warfare Service. Throughout World War I, he supported the development of a chemical warfare capability for the United States Army.

General John J. Pershing died on 15 July 1948.