Men of Might

Men of Might. . George Caleb , Bingham 1811-1879 LIVED IN ST LOUIS, MO , Considered one of the greatest American painters of the 19th century, his work features life in the frontier lands along the Missouri River. Born in Virginia, Bingham later moved to St. Louis and was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives. His interest in politics was reflected in his paintings of the vivid political life on the frontier. , Omar Bradley , 1893-1981 BORN IN CLARK, MO , Known as "the soldier's general" during World War II, this highly-distinguished officer of the U.S. Army was the first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and commanded the largest American force ever united under one man's leadership. General Bradley was the last of only nine people to be promoted to the five-star rank in the U.S. Armed Forces. , Seth McKee , 1916-2016 LIVED IN CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO , Upon his death at the age of 100, this four-star general was the highest-ranking survivor of the D-Day invasion of France during World War II. General McKee flew 69 missions and, over the course of his storied military career, held every officer rank in the U.S. Air Force and served under six presidents. He graduated from Cape Central High School and attended Southeast Missouri State. "I am always proud to tell everyone I am from Missouri," he stated. , John Pershing , 1860-1948 BORN IN LACLEDE, MO , Also called Black Jack, this military officer was the only American to be promoted in his own lifetime to General of the Armies, the highest possible rank in the U.S. Army. During world war one, General Pershing developed advanced mobile warfare techniques, which the American Expeditionary Force employed on the Western Front under his command. , Mark Twain , 1835-1910 BORN IN FLORIDA, MO , Born Samuel Clemens, this writer reflected his love for his boyhood hometown of Hannibal, MO, through his stories about Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn and friends. Unconventional in both his life and in his writing, he wrote with an ironic wit and tackled controversial issues of his day, including the evils of slavery.