HIGHEST RANKING OFFICERS (FIVE-STARS) IN U.S. HISTORY (PART 2 OF 2)

FIVE-STAR GENERALS
SENIORITY ORDER	RANK ORDER	OFFICER	SERVICE	HIGHEST RANK	DATE OF RANK	NOTES
14	2	William D. Leahy	U.S. Navy	Fleet Admiral	15 Dec 1944	First five-star officer appointed during the Second World War.
15	2	George C. Marshall	U.S. Army	General of the Army	16 Dec 1944	Second officer promoted to five stars. The initial promotion of these officers was spaced over a period of one week so as to match the original seniority held by the officers at the four-star level.
16	2	Ernest. J. King	U.S. Navy	Fleet Admiral	17 Dec 1944	Third officer promoted to five-star rank
17	2	Douglas MacArthur	U.S. Army	General of the Army	18 Dec 1944	Fourth officer to hold five-star rank and second within the U.S. Army (after George Marshall). MacArthur was further considered for promotion to the “six-star” position of General of the Armies, both during and following the Second World War.
18	2	Chester W. Nimitz	U.S. Navy	Fleet Admiral	19 Dec 1944	Fifth officer to hold five-star rank and the third within the U.S. Navy.
19	2	Dwight D. Eisenhower	U.S. Army	General of the Army	20 Dec 1944	Required to resign his commission as a five-star officer during his presidency; five-star rank was reinstated after leaving office by President Kennedy.
20	2	Henry H. Arnold	U.S. Army	General of the Army	21 Dec 1944	Last of the five-star appointments during the Second World War.
			U.S. Air Force	General of the Air Force	7 May 1949	Five-star rank was converted to that of General of the Air Force in 1949
21	2	William F. Halsey	U.S. Navy	Fleet Admiral	11 Dec 1945	First of two post World War II promotion to five-star rank (the other being Omar Bradley).
22	2	Omar Bradley	U.S. Army	General of the Army	20 Sep 1950	Most recent officer in U.S. history to be promoted to five-star rank.

Army service uniform shoulder strap with the rank of General of the Army.