Macarthur Memorial Podcast

Episode Fifty-Nine: The Five-Star Rank (December 2015) On December 14, 1944, Congress approved the creation of the grade of "General of the Army” and “Fleet Admiral.” Over the next two weeks, seven officers in the American Army and Navy were promoted to these newly authorized ranks. The reason for these promotions was simple. American senior commanders needed to be able to work on equal terms with their Allied counterparts – including but not limited to British field marshals. The officers promoted to this rank in 1944 included: Admiral William Leahy, General George Marshall, Admiral Ernest King, General Douglas MacArthur, Admiral Chester Nimitz, General Dwight Eisenhower, and General Henry “Hap” Arnold. The last two officers to be promoted to this rank were Admiral William Halsey in 1945 and General Omar Bradley in 1950. Since then, while the Army, Air Force, and Navy continue to maintain the rank, it has not been held by an officer in decades.