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Background
In 2013, the U.S. Mint honored five United States Army 5-star generals by minting three commemorative coins in the 5-Star Generals Commemorative Coin Program.
5-Star Generals Commemorative Coin Program
Established in 1881, the United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC) has played a decisive role in the education and training of officers in times of war and peace. It has had a profound effect on many fields of battle by providing its students the required skills of battle management, leadership development, and the most modern and effective command and staff action procedures. All of these have been key to our Nation’s success in its many military conflicts, which have helped preserve our freedoms and way of life. The CGSC is the country’s oldest and largest military staff college. The 5-star generals who attended or taught at CGSC are:
• Douglas MacArthur
• George C. Marshall
• Henry “Hap” Arnold
• Dwight D. Eisenhower
• Omar N. Bradley
The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to mint and issue up to 100,000 $5 gold, 500,000 $1 silver and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins in recognition of these five United States Army 5-star generals to coincide with the celebration of the 132nd anniversary of the founding of the CGSC. As authorized, in 2013, the United States will honor the generals with the minting of three commemorative coins. Their five portraits will be distributed across the three obverse (heads side) coin designs, while the reverse (tails) designs are all emblematic of the CGSC at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
The final designs were approved by the Department of the Treasury on September 7, 2012, after consultation with the CGSC Foundation and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, and review by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.
5-Star Generals Commemorative Coin Act
Public Law 111-262 111th Congress - To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in recognition of five United States Army 5-Star Generals, George Marshall, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight Eisenhower, Henry ``Hap'' Arnold, and Omar Bradley, alumni of the United States Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to coincide with the celebration of the 132nd Anniversary of the founding of the United States Army Command and General Staff College. The design of the coins minted under this Act shall include the portraits of Generals George C. Marshall, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Henry ``Hap'' Arnold and Omar N. Bradley.
• The Congress finds the following:
The United States Army Command and General Staff College, founded in 1881, has in its many
evolutionary forms, served this country consistently and well for 127 years.
The Command and General Staff College has played a decisive role in the education and training
of officers, particularly in their field grade years of service, in times of war and peace, since its
establishment.
The Command and General Staff College has had a salutatory effect on many fields of battle by
providing its officer student bodies the necessary skills of battle management, leadership
development, and the most modern and effective command and staff action procedures, all of
which have been key to this Nations' success in its many conflicts which, thereby, have preserved
its freedoms and way of life.
The Command and General Staff College, the Nations' oldest military staff college, does not have a
commemorative coin cast in celebrating its long and honorable history, displaying its heritage, and
serving as a reminder to the holder of such coins the service to the Nation its graduates have
provided in war and peace.
The United States Army Command and General Staff College is the Nation's largest and oldest
military staff college, continuing to educate officers from all United States branches of military
services, select members of our civil government, and officers from many friendly and allied
nations from around the globe. Located in the middle of the American heartland, will continue to
serve as a beacon of light to the proposition of intellectual curiosity and professional military
excellence in the development of its students, and serve as a link to American citizenry grateful for
the sacrifices, some in the fullest measure of duty and devotion to the Nation, made by the
graduates of its Command and Staff College.
The Command and General Staff College Foundation, Inc. (in this Act referred to as the
`Foundation'') is dedicated to promoting excellence in the faculty and students of the United States
Army Command and General Staff College. Seeking new ways to educate and remind our citizens
regarding the capable and selfless service of our military officers, and to imbue in them a sense of
pride in those who bear the burden of military leadership in our Nation's wars and in times of
peace.
The Foundation is a nongovernmental, member-based, and publicly supported nonprofit
organization that is entirely dependent on funds from members, donations, and grants for its
functions and supports exclusively the United States Army Command and General Staff College.
The Foundation uses funding to provide the Margin of Excellence to the programs and activities of
the College in support of the educational needs of the Nation's field grade officer corps, and the
faculty and staff attendant thereto.
In 2006, the Secretary of the Army accepted the first Foundation gift to the College in support of the
Command and General Staff College.
The Foundation is actively engaged in the initial stages of its first capital campaign to support the
Command and General Staff College.
The five 5-Star Generals who attended or taught at the Command and General Staff College;
include Douglas MacArthur, George C. Marshall, Henry ``Hap'' Arnold, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and
Omar N. Bradley.
George C. Marshall, General Of The Army.
General George C. Marshall entered the Army from the Virginia Military Institute in 1902.
During a long career of public service, he distinguished himself as a leader, tactician, strategist,
statesman, and, truly, as the ``Organizer of Victory''.
In World War I, he was regarded as one of the most talented staff officers in the United States Army.
After that war, and throughout the many long and challenging duties of the interwar years, he was
appointed United States Army Chief of the General Staff in 1939.
During World War II, he achieved recognition as one of America's greatest military leaders.
As chief strategist of that global war, he materially assisted in directing the Allied Powers to victory.
In 1947 he was appointed Secretary of State for the United States and his outstanding career as a
statesman proved equal to his brilliant military career.
He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his conception and implementation of the European
Recovery Program, and, subsequently, he served as the Secretary of Defense for 1 year.
General Marshall's service at Ft. Leavenworth included graduation from the United States Army
School of the Line in 1907, the United States Army Staff College in 1908, followed by instructor duty
at Ft. Leavenworth from in 1909 and 1910.
Dwight D. Eisenhower, General Of The Army.
General Dwight D. Eisenhower, in 1915, began a career of distinguished public service reaching the
highest positions of military and civil leadership in the United States.
During World War II, as Commander in Chief, Allied Expeditionary Force, he led the invasion of
North Africa and defeated the German force on that continent.
In 1944, as Supreme Allied Commander, Allied Expeditionary Force, he was instructed: ``You will
enter the continent of Europe, and, in conjunction with other United Nations, undertake operations
aimed at the heart of Germany and the destruction of her armed forces''.
In accomplishing this mission, he commanded the largest combination of land, sea and air forces in
history.
Following World War II, he was instrumental in the development of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization.
After his brilliant military career he was elected 34th President of the United States.
His service at Ft. Leavenworth was 1917-1918 as a tactical instructor officer for a course for
lieutenants and in 1925-1926 as a student at the Command and General Staff College from which
he was the honor graduate of his class.