Baron Friedrich Von Steuben (1730 - 1794)

Regarded as one of the fathers of the US Army, Freidrich Wilhelm Von Steuben was an Prussian baron, who with Benjamin Franklin’s imprimatur, was appointed Inspector General of the Continental Army during the American Revolution. Von Steuben developed a new unified system of standardized drills, conduct regulations, hygienic procedures, and use of the bayonet. He also composed a manual for the undisciplined rag shag army at Valley Forge that continues to influence manuals today. Later, he became Major General and George Washington’s chief of staff and trusted advisor. After the war, Steuben was made a US citizen. Historians recount how he was openly a homosexual, during a time when being gay was considered a crime. His statue adorns one of the four corners of Lafayette Square in Washington, DC and Steuben Day parades in NYC, Chicago and Philadelphia honor his memory.