What is a Field Marshal, and why doesn't the U.S have them?

Stupid rank for aristocratic european  armies.

I don't think it's even in use anymore.

When the rank of five-star General was created during WWII they originally wanted it to be Field Marshal but the Army rejected it because General Marshall didn't wanted to be known as "Field Marshal Marshall"!

Quoted: When the rank of five-star General was created during WWII they originally wanted it to be Field Marshal but the Army rejected it because General Marshall didn't wanted to be known as "Field Marshal Marshall"!

Actually, John J Pershig was the first five-star, General of the Army, in WWI.  They gave him five stars to be on par with the "Field Marshals" of the european armies.  

I don't know if they considered renaming it to "field marshal" in WWII, but you have to admit that Field Marshal Marshall would sound pretty dumb.

The five star rank-General or Admiral, only is awarded during wartime.  So there is no promotion to five star during peace-time.  Hence a lack of five stars.  Even though we are at war now, there is no theater large enough to warrant a five star position, so there's no point in making anybody one.

Ross

Pershing didn't wear 5 -stars.  He was General of the Armies but only wore 4 stars. 5-stars didn't come around until 1944.  He is still the highest ranked general, the 5-stars  are below "General of the Armies"

This is from a website on Pershings career.

To the end General Pershing was the highest ranking officer of the Army, as General of the Armies. The five-star rank of General of the Army, created by Congress in December, 1944, and given to Gens. George C. Marshall, Chief of Staff; Douglas MacArthur, then Commander in the Southwest Pacific; Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, and Henry H. Arnold, Commanding General of the Army Air Forces, was still a grade below his.

Quoted: Pershing didn't wear 5 -stars.  He was General of the Armies but only wore 4 stars. 5-stars didn't come around until 1944.  He is still the highest ranked general, the 5-stars  are below "General of the Armies" This is from a website on Pershings career. To the end General Pershing was the highest ranking officer of the Army, as General of the Armies. The five-star rank of General of the Army, created by Congress in December, 1944, and given to Gens. George C. Marshall, Chief of Staff; Douglas MacArthur, then Commander in the Southwest Pacific; Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, and Henry H. Arnold, Commanding General of the Army Air Forces, was still a grade below his.

It's a NCO promotion board question and the correct answer is Gen. George Washington!  

Highest-Ranking Officers in U.S. History General and Commander-in-Chief #1    * George Washington (1732–1799), b. Westmoreland County, Va., unanimously voted by Congress on June 15, 1775, to the rank of general and commander-in-chief (of the Continental army). General of the Armies #2    * John Joseph Pershing (1860–1948), b. Linn County, Mo., made permanent general of the armies, 1919. General of the Army, General of the Air Force (Five-Stars)    * George Catlett Marshall (1880–1959), b. Uniontown, Pa., promoted Dec. 1944.    * Douglas MacArthur (1880–1964), b. Little Rock, Ark., promoted Dec. 1944.    * Dwight David Eisenhower (1890–1969), b. Denison, Tex., promoted Dec. 1944.    * Henry Harley Arnold (1886–1950), b. Gladwyne, Pa. Arnold had the unique distinction of being a five-star general twice—in 1944 as general of the army, and in June 1949 as general of the air force. He is the only air force general to have held the five-star rank.    * Omar Nelson Bradley (1893–1981), b. Clark, Mo., promoted Sept. 1950. Fleet Admiral (Five-Star)    * William Daniel Leahy (1875–1959), b. Hampton, Iowa, promoted Dec. 1944.    * Ernest Joseph King (1878–1956), b. Lorain, Ohio, promoted Dec. 1944.    * Chester William Nimitz (1885–1966), b. Fredericksburg, Tex., promoted Dec. 1944.    * William Frederick Halsey (1882–1959), b. Elizabeth, N.J., promoted Dec. 1945.