Pershing pushes boundaries

Gunfire rang out as Confederate raiders stormed the town of Laclede, Mo. With his son under one arm and a shotgun in the other, John Fletcher Pershing ran out the back door of the family store and dashed home.

On that day, in the third year of the U.S. Civil War, the store owner’s three-year-old son caught a glimpse of his own future: John J. Pershing would see much combat as an adult, and become one of the greatest military leaders in American history.

Born on Sept. 13, 1860, Pershing grew up in a well-to-do family in Laclede. "It was a time of prosperity and father and mother had hopes of sending all us children, eventually, to college. Farming was profitable and business at the store was flourishing," Pershing writes in his early memoirs.

His father worked hard to support his family. He worked as a railroad foreman but, with the outbreak of the war, he became a storekeeper and sold military supplies.

Life took a turn for the worse for the Pershing family after John’s father lost the majority of his land due to rising debt. Facing the threat of abject poverty and starvation, John’s father became a travelling salesman.

In an effort to make money, a 13-year-old John and his brother quit school and took to the field, working on the family farm. Despite the tough times, the family’s resolve remained strong. "There was no depression in the morale of the family. As difficult as times were, I learned more of the practical side of life than during any similar period," Pershing writes.

Later, he became a teacher. He worked at the Prairie Mound School, 10 miles from Laclede, for three years while attending teachers college. His life changed after reading an advertisement in the newspaper, inviting people to join the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. After passing an entrance exam, he enrolled in 1882.

John’s life would change forever.

Despite a less-than-stellar performance at the school, graduating 30th in a class of 77, John managed to stand out from his classmates. His instructors noted that he had an aptitude for a military way of thinking. After graduation, Pershing served in the 6th cavalry at Fort Bayard, N.M.

Later, Pershing, then a lieutenant, spent most of his early days with the military stationed at a series of fronts in the Southwest and Upper Great Plains, resisting advances from Natives. Pershing made his mark early, playing a significant role in the Indian Wars, where he helped to quash the Apache revolt under Geronimo.

Pershing received a lot of attention when he accepted an assignment to an all-black cavalry in 1895. The cavalry was given the nickname, "Buffalo Soldiers."

Pershing had grown up in a racially tolerant home. With those values sewn into his moral fabric, he demanded equal treatment for black soldiers. His actions lead to him be given the nickname, "Black Jack."

Though active in the military, Pershing didn’t leave the world of education. He taught military science from 1891 to1895 and received a law degree from the University of Nebraska.

In 1898, war broke out between the U.S. and Spain, and Pershing was sent to lead the 10th Cavalry in Cuba. His bravery was noticed by superiors, and it earned him military assignments in the Philippines. He gained national recognition while serving in Cuba and the Philippines, and U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt promoted Pershing from captain to brigadier general, ahead of 862 other senior officers.

Over time, tension between the U.S. and Germany heightened. Not long after the start of the Great War Pershing was put in charge of the American military mission.

The general took command of the American Expeditionary Force, which arrived in France last year. Pershing developed the army, which is now a million men strong.

American troops have been successful in combat, and much of that success is due to Pershing’s leadership.

However, his personal life has been difficult, to say the least. In 1905, Pershing married Helen Frances Warren, the daughter of Wyoming senator Francis Warren. The couple had four children, three daughters and a son.

Three years ago, his wife and three daughters died in a fire at the family home in San Francisco. His six-year-old son Warren was the only survivor.