Pershings

Pershings is a plural form associated with the name Pershing. It can refer to people who bear the Pershing surname, most notably General John J. Pershing (1860–1948), a U.S. Army officer who commanded American forces in World War I, and other individuals with that surname. The term is also used in reference to military hardware named after General Pershing, as well as other uses that honor the family name.

One major use of the term is in reference to the MGM-31 Pershing family of U.S. Army ballistic missiles. Named after General John J. Pershing, these missiles were developed during the Cold War for battlefield deterrence. The family includes the Pershing I, a solid-fueled, two-stage missile deployed in the 1960s and 1970s, and the Pershing II, a more accurate, longer-range version deployed in Europe during the 1980s. Pershing II was retired under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in the late 1980s, with all missiles removed from service by the early 1990s.

In general use, Pershings can refer to these missiles in historical and defense contexts or to people with the Pershing surname, particularly General John J. Pershing. The term is less commonly applied to other, non-military uses of the name Pershing.