This Week in American Military History: Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette July 31, 1777:  The Marquis de Lafayette, a 19-year-old French nobleman whom Gen. George Washington will soon take under his wing, is commissioned “major general” in the Continental Army. Aug. 1, 1943:  Operation Tidal Wave – also known … Continue reading This Week in American Military History