# Five star rankings during WW2 **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 28, 2001, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-star-rankings-during-ww2/90183 "2001-10-28T23:26:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2001, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-star-rankings-during-ww2/90183/1 "2001-10-28T23:26:54Z")
Who were the five star military officers of the United States Military during WW2? ---
**Author:** ![Neurodoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/848f3c/32.png) [@Neurodoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurodoc)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2001, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-star-rankings-during-ww2/90183/2 "2001-10-28T23:38:07Z")
I know Eisenhower was. MacArthur got his 5th Star while he was in the Pacific. Those are the only two I’m sure of. MacArthur also got a Medal of Honor. Great soldier. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2001, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-star-rankings-during-ww2/90183/3 "2001-10-28T23:39:27Z")
I believe there were five. Hap Arnold, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight Eisenhower, George Marshall and (I’m drawing a blank - anyone?). ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2001, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-star-rankings-during-ww2/90183/4 "2001-10-28T23:39:41Z")
From [http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/faq/FAQ-5star.htm](http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/faq/FAQ-5star.htm) > [@](#): > > General of the Army George C. Marshall: December 16, 1944 > > General of the Army Douglas MacArthur: December 18, 1944 > > General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower: December 20, 1944 > > General of the Army Henry H. Arnold: December 21, 1944 > > (Redesignated General of the Air Force pursuant to Public Law 58, 81st Congress, approved May 7, 1949): > > General of the Army Omar N. Bradley: September 20, 1950 ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2001, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-star-rankings-during-ww2/90183/5 "2001-10-28T23:42:30Z")
What about the Navy and Air Force? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2001, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-star-rankings-during-ww2/90183/6 "2001-10-28T23:48:03Z")
I’ve given you the unabridge list and a link to the detailed explanation. There are four Army, one Air Force, no Navy, no Marines, and no Coast Guard. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2001, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-star-rankings-during-ww2/90183/7 "2001-10-28T23:53:59Z")
Here ya’ go. [Five Star Generals](http://kanawha.lib.wv.us/ref/rolodex/ro-five.htm) Arnold, Bradley, Eisenhower, MacArthur and Marshall And the Fleet Admirals (Five-Star): William Daniel Leahy Ernest Joseph King Chester William Nimitz 8 all together. ---
**Author:** ![brad\_d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@brad\_d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brad_d)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2001, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-star-rankings-during-ww2/90183/8 "2001-10-28T23:58:31Z")
According the the [Navy’s site](http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/allhands/ranks/officers/o-rank.html), there were four Fleet Admirals during WWII (Nimitz, Leahy, King and Halsey). ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2001, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-star-rankings-during-ww2/90183/9 "2001-10-29T00:05:53Z")
Thaks you guys, I posted this question as bet with a friend that any question asked would be reasonably answered within ten minutes. I have won a dollar. ph3a4 the power of the Straight Dope message board. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2001, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-star-rankings-during-ww2/90183/10 "2001-10-29T00:10:51Z")
Perilous it sometimes is to trust what you find on the Web. The site **brad\_d** linked contains: > [@](#): > > - The rank of Fleet Admiral has been reserved for war time use only. The last Fleet Admirals were in World War II. Fleet Admirals during that war were Chester W. Nimitz, William D. Leahy, Ernest J. King, and William F. Halsey. The site I linked has this: > [@](#): > > Fleet Admiral (Five-Star) > William Daniel Leahy (1875-1959), b. Hampton, Iowa, promoted December 1944. > Ernest Joseph King (1878-1956), b. Lorain, Ohio, promoted December 1944. > Chester William Nimitz (1885-1966), b. Fredericksburg, Texas, promoted December 1944. > William Frederick Halsey (1882-1959), b. Elizabeth, N.J., promoted **December 1945**. I didn’t list Halsey because his apparent date of promotion was after the War had ended. The [Arlington National Cemetery Site](http://www.arlingtoncemetery.com/halsejr.htm) also gives December 1945 as the date of his ascension to that rank. ---
**Author:** ![Kilt-wearin\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/82dd89/32.png) [@Kilt-wearin\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilt-wearin_man)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2001, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-star-rankings-during-ww2/90183/11 "2001-10-29T14:14:23Z")
The Air Force didn’t exsit as a separate service until after the war. Gen. Hap Arnold was the ranking general in the Army Air Forces aka the Army Air Corps. ---
**Author:** ![brad\_d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@brad\_d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brad_d)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2001, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-star-rankings-during-ww2/90183/12 "2001-10-29T19:27:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ringo \* > **Perilous it sometimes is to trust what you find on the Web.** Indeed it is - thanks for doing the legwork I didn’t. I assumed that a US Navy website wouldn’t make an error like that, but it certainly appears that they did.