In 1944, Congress established the rank of "General of the Army." Five U.S. Army officers achieved this designation--Dwight D. Eisenhower, George Marshall, Douglas MacArthur, Henry Arnold, and Omar Bradley. As such, the recipients earned the right to wear five stars.
John J. Pershing was appointed "General of the Armies" (which is technically different than "General of the Army") in 1919. The law passed in 1944 establishing the "General of the Army" rank stated that Pershing, who was still alive but retired, would have a higher rank than the mere five-star officers stated above. Pershing was considered to be a "six-star" general, but he died in 1948 prior to a formal adoption of an insignia for that rank.
However, death did not prevent the promotion of another general to the stratosphere. During his lifetime, George Washington achieved the rank of Lieutenant General--three stars. However, in 1976, Congress and President Carter enacted a bill retroactively promoting Washington, effective on July 4, 1776, to the rank of General of the Armies. The bill further provided that Washington had seniority over all other officers in the US armed forces, past and present, thus putting him at a higher rank than even Pershing. Seven stars for Washington, perhaps?
Of course, the highest seniority in the United States military always ultimately rests with the President, as Commander-in-Chief--a fact that is often ignored by voters, with potentially tragic results.
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