In the United States military, a general is the most senior general -grade officer; it is the highest achievable commissioned officer rank (or echelon) that may be attained in the United States Armed Forces , with exception of the Navy and Coast Guard , which have the equivalent rank of admiral instead. The official and formal insignia of "general" is defined by its four stars (commonly silver and in a row).
42-570: General James Alward Van Fleet (March 19, 1892 – September 23, 1992) was a United States Army officer who saw service during World War I , World War II and the Korean War . Van Fleet was a native of New Jersey , who was raised in Florida and graduated from the United States Military Academy . He served as a regimental , divisional and corps commander during World War II and as
84-614: A January 29, 1953 speech on the steps of the Korean Capitol Building, Van Fleet said, "I shall come back. You have made me a part of you. I know you are a part of me. I shall not ask you to give me back my heart. I leave it with you." He retired from the Army at the end of March at the age of 61. He appeared on the July 26, 1953, episode of What's My Line? Van Fleet made significant efforts to fundraise and advocate for Korea-US ties after
126-553: A bust of Van Fleet for many years, and was replaced with a new statue as recently as 2007. Van Fleet was commanding general of the Second United States Army from August 10, 1950, to April 11, 1951. On April 14, 1951, Van Fleet arrived in Korea, replacing General Matthew B. Ridgway as commander of the U.S. Eighth Army and United Nations forces. Van Fleet was then promoted to four-star general on July 31, 1951. He commanded
168-457: A company of the 16th Machine Gun Battalion, from April 10 to July 4, 1918. He received a temporary promotion to major on June 17, 1918. Van Fleet was then shipped to France , where he commanded the 17th Machine Gun Battalion, part of the 6th Division , from September 12, 1918, to June 11, 1919. He was wounded in action in the Meuse–Argonne offensive on November 4, 1918, just seven days before
210-517: A lower position, as was formerly the usual case. Their active rank expires with the expiration of their term of office, which is usually set by statute. Generals are nominated for the appointment by the President from any eligible officers holding the rank of brigadier general or above who meet the requirements for the position, with the advice of the Secretary of Defense , service secretary ( Secretary of
252-579: A number of mandates for retirement. A general must retire after 40 years of service unless they are reappointed to serve longer. Otherwise all general officers must retire the month after their 64th birthday. However, the Secretary of Defense can defer a general's retirement until the officer's 66th birthday and the President can defer it until the officer's 68th birthday. To retire at four-star grade, an officer must accumulate at least three years of satisfactory active duty service in that grade, as certified by
294-534: A promotion to major general in November. He gained the admiration and respect of his superiors, in particular Lieutenant General George S. Patton , commander of the Third Army , for his command of the 90th. After briefly commanding XXIII Corps , on 17 March 1945 Van Fleet replaced Major General John Millikin as commander of III Corps where Millikin served with Patton's Third Army. Van Fleet commanded III Corps through
336-576: A year. He led the Gators into national prominence with a 12–3–4 (.737) record. From 1924 to 1927 he was stationed at Camp Galliard in the Panama Canal Zone where he commanded the 1st Battalion of the 42nd Infantry. This assignment was followed by one at the Infantry School at Fort Benning , Georgia. At Fort Benning Van Fleet served as an instructor from April 1927 to September 1928 and as a student in
378-469: Is Van Fleet's second wife, Virginia, who died in 1986. At the time of his retirement from active duty on March 31, 1953, former President Harry S. Truman said, "You want to know about a great general? There's Van Fleet. I sent him to Greece and he won that war. I sent him to Korea and he won that war. He's the greatest general we ever had." Van Fleet then allegedly replied "Well actually Mr. President you never quite let me finish that last one". Van Fleet
420-638: Is also named in his honor. Van Fleet's estate donated his papers to the George C. Marshall Foundation . A statue honoring him was erected at the central square of the Greek city of Kastoria , which was the location of his advanced command post during the Greek Civil War. There is also a statue honoring him at the grounds of Korean Military Academy , in recognition of his support for the South Korean Army during
462-589: Is extremely rare. The standard tour for most general/flag officers is a two-year term with the possibility of being renominated for an additional term(s). Note: Chairman of the JCS, Vice Chairman of the JCS and Service chiefs, to include the Chief of the National Guard Bureau are usually renominated for a second two-year term. Appointment of general/flag officers (3-star or above) is a temporary promotion lasting only for
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#1732858293675504-470: Is set at eight Army generals, two Marine generals, nine Air Force generals, two Space Force generals, six Navy admirals, and two Coast Guard admirals. Several of these slots are reserved by statute. For example, the two highest-ranking members of each service (the service chief and deputy service chief) are designated as generals. For the Army the Chief of Staff and the Vice Chief of Staff are generals; for
546-738: The Armistice with Germany which caused hostilities to cease. After the war, Van Fleet was reduced to his permanent rank of captain in 1922 and promoted to major in the Regular Army in December 1924. While serving as the senior officer of the University of Florida 's U.S. Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program, Van Fleet also served as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team in 1923 and 1924 , after assisting William G. Kline for
588-587: The Eighth United States Army . In early 1951, Van Fleet proposed an amphibious landing at Wonsan, behind communist lines. The political fallout of MacArthur's removal, however, persuaded Ridgway to veto the plan. Van Fleet played a significant role in reorganizing the Republic of Korea Army and reestablishing the Korea Military Academy (KMA), which is now considered the top military academy in
630-454: The Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art . Van Fleet's military awards include: Van Fleet also received the following foreign decorations: Also decorations from the following countries: # denotes interim head coach General (United States) The rank of general ranks above a three-star lieutenant general and below the special wartime five-star ranks of General of the Army or General of
672-577: The United States Military Academy at West Point, New York . While he was a cadet at West Point, he was a member of the Army football team and was a standout fullback on the undefeated Army team of 1914. Van Fleet graduated in the famous West Point Class of 1915, which included so many future generals that it has been called " the class the stars fell on " (stars being the insignia of generals ). Van Fleet's classmates included Dwight D. Eisenhower and Omar Bradley , among many others. After graduation, Van Fleet
714-526: The "father of the Korean Army" in 2015 for his contributions to the KMA and elsewhere. A statue of Van Fleet was erected on the KMA campus on 31 March 1960 to honor his contributions towards the academy. In April 1952, Van Fleet's son died while piloting a B-26 bomber over Haeju . Van Fleet commanded the 8th Army until February 11, 1953, when he was relieved by General Maxwell Taylor . Before he left Korea, during
756-565: The 2nd Battalion of the 5th Infantry and also as the post's executive officer. During this assignment, he oversaw the construction of a duck pond in the northwest corner of the parade field. Unlike the majority of his fellow officers who rose to high command in the next few years, Van Fleet was unique in the sense that he never attended either the Command and Staff College or the Army War College during his military career. Van Fleet commanded
798-628: The 8th Infantry Regiment (part of the 4th Infantry Division ) for three years (July 1941 to July 1944) and led it into combat in Europe in World War II , participating in the D-Day landings on Utah Beach in June 1944. On Utah Beach Van Fleet distinguished himself by outstanding combat leadership and was awarded his first Distinguished Service Cross (DSC). Although widely regarded by many as an outstanding officer, he
840-632: The Advanced Course from September 1928 to June 1929. In addition to his other duties, Van Fleet served as head coach of the post's football team. Van Fleet then returned to the University of Florida where he was the Professor of Military Science and Tactics from July 1929 to June 1933. From July 1933 to July 1935 he was stationed at Fort Williams in Cape Elizabeth, Maine , where he served as commander of
882-508: The Air Force . The Marine Corps and Space Force do not have an established grade above general. The pay grade of general is O-10. It is equivalent to the rank of admiral in the other United States uniformed services which use naval ranks . It is abbreviated as GEN in the Army and Gen in the Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force. Since the ranks of General of the Army and General of
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#1732858293675924-454: The Air Force are reserved for wartime use only, the rank of general is the highest general officer rank in peacetime. Formally, the term "General" is always used when referring to a four-star general. However, a number of different terms may refer to them informally, since lower-ranking generals may also be referred to as simply "General". The United States Code explicitly limits the total number of general officers (termed flag officers in
966-588: The Army , Secretary of the Navy , or Secretary of the Air Force ), and if applicable the Joint Chiefs of Staff . For some positions, statute allows the President to waive those requirements for a nominee deemed to serve national interests. The nominee must be confirmed by the United States Senate before the appointee can take office and assume the rank. General ranks may also be given by act of Congress but this
1008-747: The Korean War. In June 2015, the ROK issued a stamp to honor in Van Fleet's honor. In Fall 2015, the ROK Ministry of Defense awarded him the Paik Sun Yup ROK-US Alliance Award. Van Fleet and his wife, Helen Moore Van Fleet, had three children, eight grandchildren, and twelve great-grandchildren. His only son, James Alward Van Fleet Jr., died during the Korean War. Van Fleet was also an art collector and donated many rare and exceptional Asian objects to
1050-720: The Marine Corps, the Commandant and the Assistant Commandant are both generals; for the Air Force, the Chief of Staff and Vice Chief of Staff are generals; and for the Space Force, the Chief of Space Operations , and the Vice Chief of Space Operations are generals. In addition, for the National Guard, the Chief of the National Guard Bureau is a general under active duty in the Army or Air Force. There are several exceptions to these limits allowing more than allotted within
1092-784: The Mexican border until October 8, 1917, over six months after the American entry into World War I . During his time in Texas, Van Fleet was promoted twice, to first lieutenant on July 1, 1916, and to captain on May 15, 1917. Van Fleet then transferred to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where he served as an instructor for provisional officers, October 10, 1917, to March 22, 1918; commanding Army Service Schools Detachment No. 2, to April 6, 1918; at Kansas City, Missouri, inspecting 7th Infantry Regiment, National Guard of Missouri, April 1 to 5; at Camp Forrest, Ga., Camp Wadsworth, S. C., and Camp Mills, Long Island, commanding
1134-415: The Navy and Coast Guard) that may be on active duty at any given time. The total number of active duty general officers is capped at 231 for the Army, 62 for the Marine Corps, 198 for the Air Force, and 162 for the Navy. No more than about 25% of a service's active duty general or flag officers may have more than two stars, and statute sets the total number of four-star officers allowed in each service. This
1176-527: The US on June 1, 1962, and gave a speech called "The Miracle on the Han", in which he said: I have been to Korea many times, each time agreeably surprised by the hard-working, skilled and intelligent labor force. This time I found it well-organized and dedicated. The military government has brought about security, stability, progress, and a moral rebirth. This is what I call “The Miracle on the Han.” [...] I shall not soon forget
1218-621: The beauty of their mountains and their valleys, the smiles and voices of their children, the hospitality and warmth of their homes. It is my other home, and I shall go back. Van Fleet died in his sleep on his ranch outside Polk City, Florida , on September 23, 1992, six months after his 100th birthday that March. He was the oldest living general officer in the United States at the time of his death. Van Fleet and his wife Helen are buried in Arlington National Cemetery . Buried with them
1260-602: The commanding general of United States Army and other United Nations forces during the Korean War. James Van Fleet was born in the Coytesville section of Fort Lee, New Jersey . His family then moved to Florida while he was an infant, and he grew up there. Van Fleet received his high school education at the Summerlin Institute in Bartow, Florida . After graduating from Summerlin in 1911, Van Fleet received an appointment to
1302-516: The country. Taking inspiration from his previous experiences, Van Fleet said he wished to do for the Republic of Korea (ROK) army "the same as we did for the Greek divisions". In October 1951, the ROK Army Chief of Staff proposed an academy with a four-year course modeled after West Point. They created a temporary site for this school at Jinhae-gu , and appointed three West Point graduates to oversee
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1344-547: The duration of the job assignment. Upon retirement general/flag officers revert to their permanent two-star rank of Major General or Rear Admiral unless they are nominated by the President to retire at a higher rank (which has become the normal practice in recent years.) Extensions of the standard tour length can be approved, within statutory limits but these are rare, as they block other officers from being promoted. Some statutory limits can be waived in times of national emergency or war. Other than voluntary retirement, statute sets
1386-637: The end of the war and the occupation of Germany until returning to the United States in February 1946. Van Fleet was reassigned to Governor's Island , New York, as commander of the 2nd Service Command before becoming the Deputy Commanding General of the 1st United States Army in June 1946. In December 1947 he went to Frankfurt , Germany as G-3 (operations officer) of the United States European Command . In February 1948, Van Fleet
1428-515: The program. They held an opening ceremony on January 20, 1952. The KMA was very popular among South Koreans, with ROK Army Chief of Staff Lee Jong-chan writing: The Korean Military Academy is the hope of our people … We are also assured of our contribution to the new institution by firmly establishing an honourable and respectable tradition like that of your Military Academy in America The Korean Defense Ministry called Van Fleet
1470-476: The statute: Finally, all statutory limits may be waived at the President's discretion during time of war or national emergency. Four-star grades go hand-in-hand with the positions of office to which they are linked, so the rank is temporary; the active rank of general can only be held for so long- though upon retirement, if satisfactory service requirements are met, the general or admiral is normally allowed to hold that rank in retirement, rather than reverting to
1512-473: The university's military sciences building, which houses the U.S. Air Force, Army and Navy ROTC programs, is named Van Fleet Hall. He was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as an "honorary letter winner " in 1971. In 1998, a panel of Florida historians and other consultants named Van Fleet one of the fifty most important Floridians of the 20th century. The General James A. Van Fleet State Trail , running from Polk City to Mabel, Florida,
1554-564: The war. He was chairman of the American-Korean Foundation (AFK) in the 1950s. And in 1957, Van Fleet was one of five signers of the Certificate of Incorporation of The Korea Society , the first nonprofit organization in the United States dedicated to the promotion of friendly relations between the peoples of the United States and Korea. In May 1962, he was invited by ROK President Park Chung Hee to visit Korea again. He returned to
1596-584: Was blocked from promotion because the Army Chief of Staff , General George C. Marshall , who had a tendency to forget and confuse names, erroneously confused Van Fleet with a well-known alcoholic officer with a similar name. When General Dwight D. Eisenhower, a former West Point classmate of Van Fleet's and now the Supreme Allied Commander in Western Europe, informed Marshall of his mistake, Van Fleet
1638-580: Was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Infantry Branch of the United States Army . He was assigned to a company of the 3rd Infantry Regiment at Plattsburgh, New York , where he served from September 12 to October 1, 1915. He then served at Madison Barracks , in Sacketts Harbor, New York , until May 11, 1916. The 3rd Infantry was then transferred to Eagle Pass, Texas , for service on
1680-513: Was promoted to lieutenant general and sent to Greece as the head of the Joint U.S. Military Advisory Group and executor of the " Truman Doctrine ". He was instrumental in the outcome of the Greek Civil War by providing advice to the Greek government and 250 military advisers, as well as administering $ 400 million in military aid. The central square in the northern Greek city of Kastoria has featured
1722-529: Was soon promoted to divisional and corps command. Following promotion to brigadier general in August 1944, Van Fleet became the Assistant Division Commander of the 2nd Infantry Division (July to September 1944) and then briefly commanded the 4th Infantry Division (September to October 1944) before assuming command of the 90th "Tough Ombres" Infantry Division (October 1944 to February 1945) and gaining
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1764-618: Was the recipient of three Distinguished Service Crosses , four Distinguished Service Medals , three Silver Stars , three Bronze Star Medals , three Purple Hearts for wounds received in combat, and his most prized decoration—the Combat Infantryman's Badge (CIB) of the common foot soldier. Shortly after his death, The Korea Society established the annual James A. Van Fleet Award to recognize people who have made significant contributions to US-Korea ties. The University of Florida presented Van Fleet an honorary doctorate in 1946, and
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