{"id":476121,"date":"2025-06-11T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-11T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=476121"},"modified":"2025-06-11T10:21:46","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T10:21:46","slug":"usareur-af-honors-international-heroes-who-helped-create-the-us-army","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=476121","title":{"rendered":"USAREUR-AF Honors International Heroes who helped create the US Army"},"content":{"rendered":"

WIESBADEN, Germany<\/strong> \u2013 As the U.S. Army approaches its 250th birthday on June 14, 2025, U.S. Army Europe and Africa is spotlighting a unique aspect of its history: the contributions of European leaders who fought for American independence and built the U.S. Army. The Army\u2019s origins are deeply intertwined with the support of individuals from across Europe, forging lasting bonds of cooperation and shared ideals.<\/p>\n

USAREUR-AF is paying tribute to the \u201cHeroes of Two Nations<\/em>\u201d \u2013 individuals who dedicated themselves to the cause of American liberty while maintaining strong ties to their homelands. These figures demonstrate that the American Revolution was a truly global movement fueled by a shared belief in liberty.<\/p>\n

Among those honored are:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Brigadier General Christian Febiger (Denmark): A key commander under George Washington, Febiger\u2019s leadership was crucial at the decisive Battle of Yorktown \u2013 widely considered the turning point of the Revolutionary War.<\/p>\n

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\n Brigadier General Christian Febiger (Denmark): A key commander under George Washington, Febiger\u2019s leadership was crucial at the decisive Battle of Yorktown \u2013 widely considered the turning point of the Revolutionary War.
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Marquis de Lafayette, Comte de Rochambeau, and General Louis Leb\u00e8gue Duportail (France): These French officers provided critical military and engineering expertise, with Lafayette\u2019s dedication to freedom solidifying the Franco-American alliance while he also served as one of Washington\u2019s senior advisers. Rochambeau commanded alongside Washington at the Battle of Yorktown, and Duportail served as Washington\u2019s Chief of Engineers in the Continental Army.<\/p>\n

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\n Marquis de Lafayette\u2019s dedication to freedom solidified the Franco-American alliance while he also served as one of Washington\u2019s senior advisers.
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\n Comte de Rochambeau commanded alongside Washington at the Battle of Yorktown and provided critical military expertise and helped shape our nation.
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\n General Louis Leb\u00e8gue Duportail served as Washington\u2019s Chief of Engineers in the Continental Army.
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Baron von Steuben (Germany): Credited with transforming the Continental Army into a professional fighting force, von Steuben authored the \u201cBlue Book\u201d \u2013 the Army\u2019s first drill manual \u2013 establishing standards still in use today. Major General Johann de Kalb (Germany) gave his life fighting for American liberty at the Battle of Camden.<\/p>\n

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\n Baron von Steuben is credited with transforming the Continental Army into a professional fighting force, von Steuben authored the \u201cBlue Book\u201d \u2013 the Army\u2019s first drill manual \u2013 establishing standards still in use today.
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\n In 1777 Johann von Robais, Baron de Kalb, born Johann Kalb, sailed to North America with his prot\u00e9g\u00e9, the Marquis de Lafayette, and joined the Continental Army, where he was appointed the rank of major general. de Kalb was at Valley Forge for most of the winter between 1777 and 1778, commanding a division of Patterson’s and Learned’s Brigades. During this time, he wrote letters of introduction for John Adams to the French court.
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Michel Dragon (Greece): One of the first Greek Americans, Dragon commanded provincial militias in the Gulf Coast Campaign, participating in key battles like Baton Rouge and Pensacola.<\/p>\n

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\n Michel Dragon is one of the first Greek Americans to join the Continental Army and commanded provincial militias in the Gulf Coast Campaign, participating in key battles like Baton Rouge and Pensacola.
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Colonel Michael Kov\u00e1ts (Hungary): A cavalry expert who trained hussar regiments under Casimir Pulaski, Kov\u00e1ts\u2019 legacy is honored at The Citadel Military College.<\/p>\n

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\n Michael Kovats was a cavalry expert who trained hussar regiments under Casimir Pulaski, Kov\u00e1ts\u2019 legacy is honored at The Citadel Military College.
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Philip Mazzei (Italy): A close friend of Thomas Jefferson, Mazzei advocated for democratic ideals and secured European support for the American cause.<\/p>\n

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\n Philip Mazzei was a close friend of Thomas Jefferson, Mazzei advocated for democratic ideals and secured European support for the American cause. (Illustration enhanced by Sandra Roemer)
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Generals Tadeusz Ko\u015bciuszko and Casimir Pulaski (Poland): Ko\u015bciuszko\u2019s engineering brilliance secured victories like Saratoga, while Pulaski, known as the \u201cFather of the American Cavalry,\u201d displayed exceptional courage at Brandywine.<\/p>\n

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\n General Tadeusz Ko\u015bciuszko\u2019s engineering brilliance secured victories at Saratoga and others. Ko\u015bciuszko carried an old Spanish sword at his side, which was inscribed with the words \u201cDo not draw me without reason; do not sheathe me without honor.\u201d (Illustration enhanced by Sandra Roemer)
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\n Casimir Pulaski, known as the \u201cFather of the American Cavalry,\u201d displayed exceptional courage at Brandywine. (Illustration enhanced by Sandra Roemer)
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George Farragut (Spain): Farragut, originally Jorge, fought bravely in the Southern Campaigns, including the pivotal Battle of Cowpens, demonstrating the dedication of immigrants to the American cause.<\/p>\n

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\n George Farragut fought the British at Savannah and was captured in the Siege of Charleston in 1780, where Farragut’s left arm was broken by a cannonball. After being released in a prisoner exchange, he fought as a volunteer at the Battle of Cowpens and at Wilmington. (Illustration enhanced by Sandra Roemer)
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\u201cThese stories remind us that freedom is an ideal worth fighting for, together,\u201d said USAREUR-AF Chief of Staff, Maj. Gen. Levon Cumpton. \u201cHonoring these international heroes both celebrates the Army\u2019s rich history and reaffirms the enduring partnerships that strengthen our mission today.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the U.S. Army enters its third century of service, remembering these \u201cHeroes of Two Nations<\/em>\u201d underscores the global foundation upon which the nation \u2013 and its Army \u2013 were built.<\/p>\n

Learn more about the \u201cHeroes of Two Nations<\/em>\u201d: https:\/\/www.europeafrica.army.mil\/HeroesOfTwoNations\/<\/a><\/p>\n

This we\u2019ll defend.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

WIESBADEN, Germany \u2013 As the U.S. Army approaches its 250th birthday on June 14, 2025, U.S. Army Europe and Africa is spotlighting a unique aspect of its history: the contributions of European leaders who fought for American independence and built the U.S. Army. The Army\u2019s origins are deeply intertwined with the support of individuals from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":476123,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-476121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/476121","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=476121"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/476121\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":476136,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/476121\/revisions\/476136"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/476123"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=476121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=476121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=476121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}