Many Nebraskans have visited Pershing Auditorium in Lincoln for sporting events and concerts. The building is named after World War I Gen. John J. Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe.
In 1917, Pershing helped transform America’s peacetime military of 220,000 soldiers and officers. Within 18 months, Pershing and 2 million American doughboys were fighting in France. They helped the Allies turn the WWI battle tide against German troops and force a surrender.
Stern and ramrod straight, Pershing wasn't simply a general. He was the highest-ranking active duty officer in American military history and once one of the most well-known men on earth.
“I would say his bearing. His presence,” said Doran Cart, curator at the National WWI Museum and Memorial. “You see it in everything. You see it in the photographs. You see it in the film footage.”
