Pershing, on horseback, followed by others on horseback, all in uniform, 1919. John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing (September 13, 1860 - July 15, 1948) was an American Army officer. His military career included involvement in the Indian Wars, Spanish-American War, Phillippine-American War, Russo-Japanese War, and the Pancho Villa Expedition. He is best remembered for leading the American Expeditionary Forces in WWI. He was responsible for the organization, training, and supply of a combined professional and draft Army and National Guard force that eventually grew from 27,000 inexperienced men to two Armies totaling over 2 million soldiers. In 1919, in recognition of his distinguished service, the Congress authorized the President to promote Pershing to General of the Armies of the US, the highest rank possible for any member of the US armed forces. For his memoirs, My Experiences in the World War, he was awarded the 1932 Pulitzer Prize for history. He died in 1948, at the age of 87, of coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure.