Later Service
Conner was promoted to major general in 1925 and assigned to Washington, D.C. as deputy chief of staff. He was Pershing's candidate for Chief of Staff in 1930, but was passed over in favor of Douglas MacArthur. He retired as commander of First Corps Area and First United States Army on November 4, 1938 after forty-four years of service.
Conner's greatest disappointment was that he never had the opportunity to lead troops in wartime. Like Marshall, Conner was considered too valuable a staff officer to be released into the field. Nevertheless, he served as role model and inspiration to future World War II high commanders like Marshall, Eisenhower, and George S. Patton. Eisenhower considered Conner to be the greatest soldier he ever knew, saying: "In sheer ability and character, he was the outstanding soldier of my time."
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