Born June 27, 1936

Warsaw, Poland

Military leader; chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

John Shalikashvili. © Markowitz Jeffrey/Corbis Sygma.

"The Polish underground occupied our apartment, and shortly after that the Germans bombed it. With our apartment destroyed, we lived by just moving around…. We survived by going from cellar to cellar. Most often the only way to get anyplace was through the sewer lines…. A piece of bread during this period was like a holiday meal."

General John Shalikashvili was the first person born outside the United States to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The chairman of this group of military commanders is the lead advisor to the president. "General Shali," as President Bill Clinton (1946–; served 1993–2001) referred to him when announcing Shalikashvili's appointment, served in the U.S. military for almost forty years. He was commissioned as an officer in 1959, served...