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The class the stars fell on is an expression used to describe the United States Military Academy Class of 1915. In the United States Army, the insignia reserved for generals is one or more stars. Of the 164 graduates that year, 59 (36%) attained the rank of general, the most of any class in the history of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, hence the expression. Two reached the rank of five-star General of the Army. There were also 2 four-star generals, 7 three-star lieutenant generals, 24 two-star major generals and 24 one-star brigadier generals.〔 Additionally, Dwight D. Eisenhower, one of the five-star generals, went on to become the 34th President of the United States.〔 ==About the class== Some 287 cadets entered the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York in 1911, the largest plebe (entering or most junior) class up to that date.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Glossary of Terms )〕 That year, the United States Congress changed the rules regarding appointment to the Academy. Previously, Congressmen had been allowed to make one appointment every four years. This was now increased to one every three years. Fourteen more cadets received appointments to the class, which they joined six weeks late, in August 1911, thereby missing out on the infamous period of hazing known as Beast Barracks. They were known as the "Augustines" after the month on which they joined. Among their number was Omar Bradley. Only 164 cadets graduated and were commissioned as second lieutenants on 12 June 1915, but that was still the largest graduating class up to that time, and the US Army had only 105 slots available for them. The class First Captain (the cadet brigade commander) was Roscoe B. Woodruff.〔 The top 19 graduates all went into the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Ranking first in the class was William E. R. Covell, who edged out Edwin R. Kimble by the narrowest of margins. Covell went on to become a general during World War II. Kimble served during World War I as a major in France, where he died on 9 April 1918 of septicemia after a surgical operation. The youngest graduating member of the class was Clyde R. Eisenschmidt, who was born on 30 July 1894. He retired as a lieutenant colonel on 30 June 1940. The oldest member of the class was Robert B. Lorch, who was born on 18 December 1888. After serving in France as a major during World War I, he was honorably discharged from the Army on 8 December 1922. Recalled during World War II, he reached the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1950. In a class with many superb athletes, Thomas B. Larkin won the physical fitness contest and was designated "strong man" of the Corps. The lowest ranking member of the class, known as the class "goat", was Charles C. Herrick. After service in France as a major, he was honorably discharged on 15 December 1922, and became an investment banker. Recalled to active duty during World War II, he reached the rank of colonel. Also among the class was Luis R. Esteves, the first Puerto Rican to attend West Point, and the first to graduate. He too would become a general.〔 Sixteen members of the class were the sons of West Point graduates. Three were both sons of graduates and grandsons of graduates. Alexander P. Cronkhite was the son of Major General Adelbert Cronkhite, from the class of 1882, and the grandson of Brigadier General Alexander C. M. Pennington, Jr., of the class of 1860. Ranked 7th in the class, Cronkhite died in a mysterious shooting accident on 25 October 1918. John F. Conklin was the son of Colonel John Conklin of the class of 1884. His maternal grandfather was Major General William H. French of the class of 1837. Oscar Straub was the son of Colonel Oscar I. Straub of the class of 1887, and the grandson of Brigadier General E. Van A. Andruss, from the class of 1864. In addition, John R. Mendenhall's father John Ross Mendenhall had attended the Academy but dropped out in 1881 without graduating, and his grandfather, Colonel John Mendenhall, was a graduate of the class of 1851. Of the others: * Douglas H. Gillette was the son of Major Cassius E. Gillette from the class of 1884; * Stafford LeRoy Irwin was the son of Major General George LeRoy Irwin from the class of 1889; * Sydney Graves was the son of Irwin's classmate William S. Graves; * Vernon Evans was the son of Lieutenant Colonel William Pierce Evans from the class of 1878; * John E. Rossell was the son of Colonel William T. Rossell of the class of 1879; * Donald A. Davison was the son of Lorenzo P. Davison of the class of 1885; * Henry McE. Pendleton, was the son of Rossell's classmate Colonel Edwin P. Pendleton; * Blackburn Hall, was the son of William Preble Hall, a Medal of Honor recipient from the class of 1868; and * Hubert R. Harmon was the son of Colonel Millard F. Harmon of the class of 1880. Harmon was preceded by his two older brothers, Kenneth B. Harmon, of the class of 1910, and Millard F. Harmon, Jr., of the class of 1912. Hubert Harmon was ejected when it was discovered that he had two brothers at West Point, as it was felt that the taxpayers would not be getting their money's worth educating three sons of the same family. He was readmitted in June 1911 after his father lobbied numerous government officials. He now only had one brother at West Point, as Kenneth had graduated the year before. Both Millard, Jr., and Hubert subsequently became three-star generals. Due to its origins as an engineering school, the West Point curriculum emphasised mathematics and other technical subjects of relevance to that speciality rather than education in military topics. Much of the military training that was conducted concerned close order drill and equitation. Of the top 25 graduates of the class of 1915, 24 were commissioned into the Corps of Engineers. The exception, James A. Lester, who was ranked 23d in the class, chose to go into the field artillery instead. He would also become major general.〔〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The class the stars fell on」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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