Omar Bradley rose to command the largest body of American soldiers ever to serve under one general, yet he was known for his modesty and his concern for the ordinary soldier, which earned him the name the GI General1. From the beaches of Normandy to the heart of Germany, he was at the centre of the American war in Europe.
North Africa and Sicily
Born in Missouri in 1893, Bradley graduated from West Point alongside2Dwight Eisenhower. Sent to North Africa after the reverse at Kasserine Pass, he served as Patton's deputy and in April 1943 took command of II Corps for the final battles in Tunisia, then led a corps in the conquest of3Sicily in 1943, winning Eisenhower's confidence as a steady and capable commander.
Bradley (left) with his West Point classmate Eisenhower and with Patton, whose deputy he had been in North Africa, surveying war damage in Bastogne, Belgium, on 5 February 1945. Public domain
Normandy and the drive across Europe
On D-Day, 6 June 1944, Bradley commanded the US4First Army coming ashore in Normandy. As American forces grew, he rose to lead the 12th Army Group, the largest American field command in history1, driving across France and into Germany and holding the line against the German counteroffensive in the Battle of the Bulge.
Situation map of Bradley's 12th Army Group headquarters for noon on 4 August 1944, as American forces broke out of Normandy (Library of Congress). Public domain
The soldier's general
After the war Bradley headed the Veterans Administration, then became the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff3 and was promoted to five-star General of the Army in 1950, the last American to hold that rank5. He died in 19815, remembered for competence without flamboyance and for never forgetting the men in the ranks.
Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson (left) swears in General Omar Bradley (right) as the first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on 16 August 1949. Public domain
Sources and notes
Numbered notes in the text point to the works below.
He was an American five-star general (1893 to 1981) who led US ground forces from Normandy across Europe and became the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Why was Bradley called the GI General?
For his modest manner and his concern for the welfare of the ordinary soldier, the GI.
What did Bradley command on D-Day?
He commanded the US First Army, which landed on the American beaches in Normandy on 6 June 1944.
What was the 12th Army Group?
The largest American field command in history, which Bradley led across France and Germany in 1944 to 1945.
Was Omar Bradley a five-star general?
Yes. He was promoted to General of the Army in 1950 and was the last American to hold five-star rank.
Command an army group in Europe
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