Which U.S. general received the rank of General of the Armies during the 1976 Bicentennial?

George Washington received the rank of General of the Armies during the 1976 Bicentennial.

Congress passed Public Law 94-479 in January 1976 to appoint Washington posthumously to the highest grade in the United States Army. President Gerald Ford signed the law on October 11, 1976. The appointment was made effective from July 4, 1976, the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

The action addressed Washington's unusual position in the Army's historical ranking. Later officers had received higher modern grades, including five-star ranks created during World War II. Congress specified that Washington's grade would rank above every other Army officer, past or present.

Washington was not the only person associated with the rank. John J. Pershing received it in 1919 while alive, and Washington received it posthumously in 1976. The distinction is also different from General of the Army, the five-star grade used by officers such as Eisenhower and Marshall.