America avoided field marshals partly to spare George Marshall an awkward title
When the US Army needed a rank to match Britain's field marshals in World War II, planners balked at the name. Marshal already meant a civilian law officer, and George Marshall would have become Field Marshal Marshall, judged undignified. So Congress created a five-star General of the Army instead, in December 1944.
The title had an earlier life. On 25 July 1866 Congress created it for Ulysses S. Grant, who already held the top historical rank of three-star lieutenant general. Nominally four stars, it carried command of the whole Army and could be held by only one officer at a time. Grant earned 400 dollars a month plus allowances. William T. Sherman succeeded him from 4 March 1869 and in 1872 switched the insignia to two stars flanking the national coat of arms. Philip Sheridan, already ailing, received it on 1 June 1888, and the rank died with him on 5 August that year.
The wartime version, set up under Pub. L. 78–482 on 14 December 1944, was meant to be temporary, reverting six months after the fighting ended, yet it was made permanent on 23 March 1946. Its insignia is five stars in a pentagon with points touching. Four officers were promoted that December: Marshall, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Henry H. Arnold, their dates coordinated with the Navy's new fleet admirals to fix seniority.
Omar Bradley became the fifth when named first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, partly so he would equal MacArthur. Arnold's rank transferred when the Air Force became separate on 18 September 1947, making him its only General of the Air Force and the sole person with five stars in two branches. Eisenhower resigned in 1952 to seek the presidency and was restored to the grade by a 1961 law signed by John F. Kennedy; five silver stars on Interstate highway signs still honour him.
Holders stayed officers for life, drawing 20,000 dollars a year with an aide, a secretary and an orderly. Nobody has been promoted since Bradley, who died in 1981, though a president could still award the rank with Senate consent.
Source: General of the Army (United States)
