1908 portrait of US WW1 General John J Pershing. A mentor to generals George Marshall, Dwight Eisenhower, Omar Bradley, George Patton & Douglas MacArthur, he was one of only two men in US history ever to receive the “6 star” rank of General of the Armies, the other was George Washington. (3779×4526)

Five-Star Generals and Admirals: [Source](https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Explore/Notable-Graves/Prominent-Military-Figures/Five-Star-Officers)

“On December 14, 1944, Congress passed Public Law 482, authorizing the temporary establishment of a five-star rank: General of the Army and, for the U.S. Navy, Fleet Admiral. This aligned the United States’ military ranks with those of its World War II allies, thus eliminating the problem of U.S. officers commanding Allied officers of technically higher rank. In December 1944, the Army promoted four general officers to General of the Army: Generals George C. Marshall, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Henry H. “Hap” Arnold. The Navy, meanwhile, promoted three admirals to Fleet Admiral — Admirals William D. Leahy, Ernest J. King and Chester Nimitz — and a fourth, Admiral William F. Halsey, in December 1945. After the establishment of the Air Force as a separate service branch in 1947, General Arnold also became General of the Air Force. In September 1950, Omar N. Bradley became the fifth Army general to be promoted to five-star rank. “

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“Only three U.S. officers have held a rank higher than General of the Army or Fleet Admiral: John J. Pershing, George Washington and Ulysses S. Grant, who hold the rank of General of the Armies. Pershing was promoted to General of the Armies in 1919; Washington received a posthumous promotion in 1976, as part of the United States’ bicentennial celebration; and Grant received a posthumous promotion as part of the FY 2023 National Defense Authorization Act. However, the Army has never officially adopted six stars to correspond with this rank.”