One of America's most famous Army officers, General Pershing was born in Missouri on September 12, 1860. He graduated from West Point in 1866 and served in the Spanish - American War, the Pillippines Insurrection, the Mexican Expedition and was the overall American Commander in Europe during World War I. Fllowing the war, he served as Army Chief of Staff. He died at Walter Reed Medical Center and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, near his "Doughboys" from WWI.