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In the same year, John became a teacher for African American students.
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Pershing graduated as the 30th of 77 in his class.
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Pershing would fight in the Western US against several Native American tribes, including the Lakota and the Apache, during the closing years of the Indian Wars (though the last tribes would not be suppressed until the early 20th century). He would lead the 10th Cavalry Regiment, one of the original Buffalo Soldier Regiments.
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He would train cadets at West Point, becoming fairly unpopular with his cadets for his stricness and discipline. He would be given the epithet "Nigger Jack" (Because of his service with the 10th Cavalry), but this name would later morph into the more famous (and less crude) "Black-Jack", an epithet which would remain with him the rest of his life.
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Pershing would fight during the Spanish-American War, and would see posts in Cuba and Puerto Rico.
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Pershing would be instrumental in combating rebellions during the Phillippine-American War, and he is particularly remembered for his fight against the Moros, the Muslim rebellious population of the islands. These fights were brutal and some of the tactics used are, retrospectively, seen as atrocities, though historians still debate whether or not Pershing ordered them himself.
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He would also serve as an observer during the Balkans shortly after.
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Warren was the daughter of an influential senator, and this marriage would be very beneficial for Pershing in the future.
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After the Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa crossed the border and attacked a US town, Pershing would mount an expedition to hunt him down. He was unsuccessful, but this campaign would bring Pershing to the forefront of national attention.
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After the Assassination of the Austro-Hungarian heir to the throne, Franz Ferdinand, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, triggering a diplomatic automaton of alliances that would plunge Europe into the Great War. The United States had no reason or obligation to join the war so, for now, remained neutral.
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Pershing would lose his entire family to a fire accident at this time, leaving him alone in the world. He would have a number of affairs throughout his life however, and would remarry in 1946 in secret.
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After American entry into the Great War, and the death of the first choice for the role, Pershing would be promoted to general of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF). He would be promoted after the war to General of the Armies, the highest possible rank in the US military.
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In 1919, Pershing was promoted to General of the Armies of the United States, the absolute highest military rank possible. He was, at the time, the only person to ever be given the rank (though George Washington was awarded it posthumously) and, contrary to the belief that a 5-star general is the highest, his rank was equivalent to that of a 6-star general.
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After retirement, Pershing would largely retreat to a private life, though he would from time to time make public appearances, and would be vocal in his support of Britain during the Second World War. He would die at the age of 84, of heart disease.