Six-star rank

Sketch of a six-star insignia, based on designs in US Army files^[1]

A six-star rank is a proposed special grade immediately superior to a five-star rank. After the American ranks of General of the Army and Fleet Admiral had been established in the 1940s, a proposal was made for promoting one of the generals to the superior rank of General of the Armies of the United States, while reserving John J. Pershing's seniority in that rank, and another proposal for promoting one of the admirals to the superior rank of Admiral of the Navy.

US armed forces

Army

On 21 January, 1955, the US Senate considered a joint resolution "To authorize the appointment of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur as "General of the Armies of the United States". The resolution stated that this was "in recognition of the great services to his country" he had rendered, and that "the President is hereby authorized to appoint General of the Army Douglas MacArthur to the office of General of the Armies of the United States (which office is hereby revived for this purpose), such appointment to take effect as of the seventy-fifth anniversary of his birth, January 26, 1955."^[2] The proposal was shelved and never took effect.^[3][4][5]

[6] Although the law did not actually specify the number of stars,^[7] some U.S. newspapers^[8][9][10] and Congressional politicians^[11] describe this as a six-star rank.

Navy

The Department of the Navy specified that the new Fleet Admiral rank was to be junior to the rank of Chester W. Nimitz to Admiral of the Navy lapsed after the Japanese surrender.

• George Dewey (d.1917) in full dress uniform as Admiral of the Navy

• General of the Armies four star insignia chosen by John J. Pershing in 1919

• General Douglas MacArthur showing five-star rank insignia. A proposal in Congress (1955) that MacArthur be promoted to General of the Armies lapsed

• Order for promoting Douglas MacArthur to General of the Armies. Copy taken from his service record on file at the National Personnel Records Center

• Painting of General of the Armies of the United States in 1976

• s:Order 31-3 for promoting George Washington to the rank of General of the Armies of the United States effective 4 July, 1976

References

1. ^ Private correspondence from United States Army Institute of Heraldry, see WorldHeritage talk page discussion
2. ^ US Senate Joint Resolution 26, 21 January 1955.
3. ^ Foster, Frank C. (2011). United States Army Medal, Badges and Insignias. Medals of America Press. p. 19.  
4. ^  
5. ^  
6. ^ Department of the Army Order 31-3, (13 March 1978). Department of the Army order to enact Public Law 94-479.
7. ^ Dooley, Joseph (April 6, 2013). "Sunday Reflection: How the 'indispensable man' became America's only six-star general". Washington Examiner. 
8. ^ United Press International (October 12, 1976). "George Washington Wins Promotion to Six-Star Rank". Eugene Register-Guard (Eugene, Oregon). p. 7A. Retrieved March 1, 2014. 
9. ^ "Washington Gets Star". The New York Times. October 13, 1976. President Ford signed today a bill that posthumously promoted George Washington to the rank of six-star General of the Armies 
10. ^ Kilian, Michael (August 5, 1976). "Foursquare opposed to a six-star Washington". Chicago Tribune. p. A2. 
11. ^ Dooley, Joseph (April 6, 2013). "Sunday Reflection: How the 'indispensable man' became America's only six-star general". Washington Examiner. Rep.  

• Highest military ranks
• Design of US army insignia
• Heraldic origin of the use of five-pointed star