Pershing personally led his men into combat against the Apache, Moro rebels in the Philippines, and Mexican bandits led by Pancho Villa. He fought alongside the Buffalo Soldiers in the West, up San Juan Hill in the Spanish-American War and against the Moros who held five forts on top of an extinct volcano. Pershing led more than three million Americans in the bloody fighting in Europe during the first of the World Wars.
His bravery was unquestioned, as was his modesty and dedication to the American soldier. He turned down the Medal of Honor for leading the fight in the Philippines, declaring he did nothing above what any common soldier had done..
In 1919, after the war, the U.S. Congress authorized the President to promote Pershing to General of the Armies of the United States, the highest rank possible for any member of the United States armed forces. The rank was created for him.
When Pershing died, he was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. He could have had a magnificent monument, but chose the common soldier's headstone. Today, he rests on a hill looking down at "his boys." Beside him are his two grandsons, who served in the Army as did their grandfather.
This is a novelization of Pershing's life and career. His exploits have been told by several historians, but I felt his personal side had not been shown before. Of course, I took quite a bit of liberty with his words simply because there aren't that many to be found. Pershing did not leave a lot of paper or diaries and only wrote one book, "My Experiences in the First World War." He was a quiet man who did not boast and kept his inner thoughts to himself, for the most part. I wanted to show the family man, the brother and the friend.
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