What highest U.S. Army rank was posthumously awarded to George Washington during the 1976 Bicentennial?

George Washington was posthumously awarded the rank of General of the Armies during the 1976 Bicentennial.

Congress passed Public Law 94–479 to ensure that no United States Army officer would outrank Washington, the nation’s first commanding general. The law was approved during the Bicentennial year and made the appointment effective from July 4, 1976, the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

The appointment was unusual because Washington had died in 1799. The Department of the Army formally issued the promotion order in 1978, but the effective date remained July 4, 1976.

General of the Armies is distinct from General of the Army, the five-star rank created during World War II. John J. Pershing had previously held the higher title during his lifetime, while Washington’s appointment was posthumous. The distinction is sometimes loosely described as a six-star rank, although no official six-star insignia was created.