General of the Army Omar Bradley

Omar Nelson Bradley (1893–1981) was the last surviving five-star General of the Army and the first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Graduating from West Point in the famous 'class the stars fell on' (1915) alongside Dwight D. Eisenhower, Bradley earned the lifelong devotion of common enlisted soldiers for his unassuming demeanor, genuine care for infantry casualties, and quiet tactical competence, earning the title 'The G.I.'s General'.

After distinguishing himself under Patton in Tunisia and Sicily, Bradley commanded the US First Army during Operation Overlord, overseeing the assault on Utah and Omaha beaches. In July 1944, he planned Operation Cobra, unleashing saturation carpet bombing to rupture the German front at Saint-Lô. Elevated to command the Twelfth United States Army Group—which grew to four field armies and 1.3 million American combat soldiers, the largest purely American military force ever united under a single commander—Bradley led the drive across France and Germany to the Elbe River.