General of the Army George C. Marshall

The George Washington of the20th Century

ByLTC David Saltman, ADS (Ret)

General of the Army George Catlett Marshall, 1880-1959

Photo credit: George C. Marshall Foundation

Reprinted from: Officer Review / December 1995

Distributed by theGeorge C. Marshall Foundation

P.O. Drawer 1600, Lexington, Virginia 24450 Fax: 5404645229 5404637103

byLTC David Saltman, AUS (Ret)

General of the Army George C. Marshall

The George Washington of the20th Century

Prologue

George Marshall and George Wash­ington have much in common: neitherone is fully understood by the generalpopulation. In the Revolutionary War,George Washington was appointed aGeneral by Congress to command a rebelarmy of citizen-soldiers in 1775. Atwar's end in 1783, he resigned his com­mission to retire to his home in MountVernon, VA. He was unanimously elect­ed president of the United States in1789 and served two terms until 1797.He was a brilliant leader in war andpeace, serving his country withunselfish patriotism, He died in 1799,One and one-half centuries later, inWorld War II, history repeated itself.

George Marshall was born atUniontown, PA, December31, 1880. He attended Virginia

Military Institute, excelled in leader­ship and became First Captain dur­ing the 1900-1901 school year. Hegraduated from the VMI Class of1901 and was commissioned aSecond Lieutentant with a date ofrank of February 2, 1901.

In World War I he, saw menshipped overseas with no field train­ing and vowed that this must neverhappen again. He fumed becausebravery was recognized only afterlong delays. He insisted that thevalue of medals and battlefield pro­motions lay in prompt recognition asa model of leadership and valor forall to see. As Chief of Operations ofFirst U.S. Army, he gained widerecognition for his role in preparingthe Meuse-Argonne offensive. From1919 to 1924 he was Aide-de-Campto General John J. Pershing, givinghim valuable military educationwhich he utilized effectively at theInfantry School at Fort Benning, GAfrom 1927-1932.

During his tour at Fort Benning hebecame commandant and made

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many changes in the curriculum. Hekept a careful record of those officershe considered the most capable.Among his students were 150 futuregenerals of World War II and anadditional 50 who became instruc­tors. Hundreds more were fieldgrade officers. He identified talentedofficers, helped train and educatethem, then saw to their promotionseveral years later. Marshall ,was ashrewd judge of character and capa­bility, who later picked for highcommand those whose characteris­tics were passionate devotion to theprofessional mastery of their sub­jects, tactics, strategy and logistics.Among his greatest assets were hishigh standards, his integrity, concen­trating always on the task at hand;his selfcontrol, exceptional patrio­tism and profound humility.

Marshall's insight was extraordi­nary. Using his talents as a teacher,he insisted that officers study thefirst six months of a war when armsand men are lacking, versus the clos­ing phases when supplies andtroops are plentiful. Before he wentto Washington in 1938 as Chief ofWar Plans, he had learned muchabout the supervision and trainingof the citizen-soldiers who were inthe National Guard and the Reserve.He knew well the importance ofintegrating them with the Regularforces in time of war.

As outstanding leaders, bothGeorge Marshall and George Wash­ington had learned how to challengemen to give their best. They set anexample by their own zeal and dedi­cation. Both encouraged subordi­nates to be independent and creative.They asked questions and were goodlisteners. Said Marshall: "Soldierswill tolerate almost anything inan officer except unfairness andignorance."

At the Infantry Officer CandidateSchool, Marshall emphasized thatgood leadership requires an officerto have the complete respect of

his men. A great leader overcomesall difficulties, for campaigns andbattles are nothing more than along series of difficulties to be over­come .... The power of an armycannot be measured in mere num­bers. It is based on a high state ofdiscipline and training, on readinessto carry out its mission whenever theCommander-in-Chief and Congressdecide. Any compromise of theserequirements minimizes the effec­tiveness of our military power. Weare always in need of leaders.

Marshall was transferred to Wash­ington in 1938. His brilliant work asChief of War Plans and DeputyChief of Staff in 1938-1939 convincedPresident Franklin D. Roosevelt thatMarshall was the most qualifiedleader who could meet the great mil­itary challenges of war.

On September 1, 1939 he wasappointed Army Chief of Staff,by coincidence the day that Hitlerinvaded Poland-the day thatmarked the beginning of WorldWar II. Marshall's keen mindabsorbed endless detail that he couldrecall at will. His testimony beforeCongress was straightforward, nevermaking false statements to accom­plish his goals.

In 1939 the Army had a peacetimeforce of less than 200,000 men, rank­ing it seventeenth among the world'sarmed forces. At its peak, this forcegrew to over eight million in WorldWar II. The awesome task of enlist­ing personnel and the vast warmateriel needed to equip an army(including air force units which werean army responsibility, initially), is agreat tribute to the outstanding lead­ership of George Marshall.

In the Spring of 1940, TreasurySecretary Henry Morgenthau was soimpressed by Marshall's outline ofAmerica's defense needs that hebrought him to see the President.Roosevelt said he was not ready topressure Congress. Marshall walkedover to the President and asked forthree minutes of his time. The presi­dent listened intently to the listof critical requirements outlined byMarshall, who concluded: "Mr.President, if you do not do some­thing immediately, I greatly fearwhat will happen to this country."The President was convincedand asked Congress for a billion­dollar budget.

Officer Review/December 1995

He was persuasive with Congresson extension of the draft, with peri­odic requests for enormous appro­priations as the army expanded. Hispresence was awe-inspiring. He hadan unwavering commitment to thesupremacy of national over personalinterests, the ability to delegateauthority while accepting full re­sponsibility, a combination of dignityand humility.

By 1943, the problem arose of whowould be overall commander inEurope, which entailed the cross­Channel invasion of France. Thiswas a position that Marshall wouldhave relished, but he left that criticaldecision to President Roosevelt. Saidthe President: "I feel I could notsleep at night with you out of thecountry." After this remark, GeneralMarshall made two important deci­sions: General Dwight Eisenhowerwould be the supreme commanderin Europe and General DouglasMacArthur would be the supremecommander in the Pacific.

General Marshall wrote to eachparent or wife when a man waskilled in World War II. Toward theend of the war he sent printed cardspersonally. This was a man ofunusual character, who cared aboutt1le smaller details as well as the bigones because he considered all ofthem important.

The alliance between Roosevelt

Generals Eisenhower, Marshall and Arnold leave a DUKWamphibious 2.5-tontruck to visit American installations in Normandy, 12 June 1944.

Credit: The George C. Marshall Research Library, Lexington, Virginia

told his wife. "I cannot allow myselfto get angry for it is too exhausting.My brain must remain clear at alltimes."

In order to maintain high morale,he established Post Exchanges tokeep up with the troops overseas. Hedirected that hot Thanksgivingturkey dinners be supplied to alltroops even in the front lines. ("I wasa beneficiary of this legacy onThanksgiving 1944, pleasantly sur­prised to eat a hot turkey dinner inmy mess kit, while standing up ina German pillbox we had capturedearlier.")

People were at ease in his presencebecause he did not talk down to any­one. He listened attentively to all theessential facts before he reached aconclusion or announced a decision.He never tried to impress anyone forhe inspired the confidence of aleader. One of Marshall's strongprinciples: "Leadership requires tak­ing responsibility, not asserting rankand privilege".

House Speaker Sam Rayburn tellswhy General Marshall had so muchinfluence and respect from Congress."When General Marshall takes thewitness stand to testify, we forgetwhether we are Republicans orDemocrats. We know we are in thepresence of a man who is telling thetruth about the problem he isdiscussing."

In World War II General Marshallwas a global commander, in chargeof ground and air forces in nine the­aters throughout the world. Hismany burdens included persuadingCongress to appropriate funds forever-increasing manpower andmateriel, as well as influencingindustry leaders to keep pace withthe ever-expanding military needs.He spent six long years as the archi­tect and builder of the most power­ful army in American history.

Marshall's dedication to his coun­try above all else is a model of lead~

ership at its best. Old friends werebypassed if they could not meet hisstringent high standards of buildingthe best fighting force possible.This regrettable situation occurredbecause older officers never had theopportunity to handle large units ofdivision size or higher. 'Many suf­fered physical exhaustion, a seriousdefect of the function of command.Said Marshall: "Leadership in thefield depends on strong physical sta­mina, the ability to withstand hard­ship and lack of s~eep, yet haveenough energy to command anddominate men on the battlefield."

As Chief of Staff he made constantvisits to his troops and made lists ofthose items that needed correction.Such mundane things as shortages ofshoes, blankets, hospital supplies,laundry facilities or whatever weretargeted for immediate action. Hisconcern for the morale of his troopscame first, even while handling aglobal war.

He was convinced that men foughtbetter if they understood why theywere in the service and what theywere contributing to the nation'sdefense. "Morale wins the victorybecause it provides courage andhope, confidence and loyalty. It isthe esprit de corps." In the new army,where millions of citizens werecalled into the service, respect forleadership rather than fear motivat­ed the new citizen-soldier to seek agreater leadership role. Within amonth of the attack on Pearl Harboron December 7, 1941, officer candi­date schools were established for allbranches of the Army.

In bearing the burden of enlargingmanpower and materiel on twofronts, he set rigid standards forhimself. "I cannot afford the luxuryof sentiment-that is for others" he

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and Marshall was unbreakable.Marshall had become very effectivein his dealings with Congress.Although Commander-in-Chief ofthe armed forces, Roosevelt reliedheavily on General Marshall as thearchitect and chief strategistof thewar. When Roosevelt died in April1945, his successor, President HarryTruman was keenly aware ofMarshall's military and adminis­trative genius. Among all the Britishand U.S. Chiefs of Staff, Marshallwas the leading figure in develop­ing a global force, in sharing re­sources and production with alliedforces around the world. WinstonChurchill's tribute is as follows:

"During my long and closeassociation with successiveAmerican administrations, thereare few men whose qualities ofmind and character haveimpressed me so deeply. Hewas a great American, wisein war, understanding in coun­sel, resolute in action. In peacehe was the architect whoplanned the restoration of thebattered European economy.He always fought victoriouslyagainst defeatism, discour­agement and disillusion. Suc­ceeding generations must notforget his achievements and hisexample."

In demobilization after World WarII, he advocated a much smallerpeacetime active force so as not to bea heavy tax burden on United Statescitizens. His plan was to maintaina citizen-soldier concept, reserveforces to supplement the regularestablishment. They would receiveperiodic training throughout theyear and constitute a pool whichcould be called upon in time ofnational emergency.

At one point in his career, Marshallwas asked by the commandinggeneral of Virginia Military Institutewhat advice he would give a youngofficer going to war. In substance,he wrote:

1. When conditions are difficultand the command is depressed andpessimistic, you must be cheerfuland optimistic.2. When evening comes and every­one is exhausted, hungry and inlow spirits, put aside your person­al fatigue, display energy in check­ing the comfort of your units and

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prepare for tomorrow.3. A successful officer should showloyalty to his chiefs. In your effortsto carry out their plans orpolicies,the less you approve, the moreenergy you must direct to theiraccomplishment.4. The more alarming the reportsand conditions viewed in battle,the more determined should beyour attitude. Never ask for reliefof your unit and never hesitate toattack.Although General Marshall left his

post as Army Chief of Staff in Nov­ember 1945, one month later Presi­dent Truman needed his servicesand sent him to China as his officialambassador. When he returned ayear later, in 1947, he was appointedSecretary of State. In 1949 at the ageof 68, he was still in the service ofhis country.

While Secretary of State, Marshallmade a speech at Harvard Uni­versity on June 5, 1947 outlining theserious predicament of war-tornEurope. The physical destructionand economic dislocation of WorldWar II threatened a complete break­down of social and commerciallife. It is only logical, emphasizedMarshall, that the United Statesshould do whatever it could to assistin the return of economic health tothe world, without which there canbe no political stability and noassured peace. Our policy is notdirected against any country or doc­trine but against hunger, poverty,desperation and chaos. The recoveryinitiative must come from theEuropean nations themselves.

The reaction in Europe was posi­tive. Congress appropriated $13.3billion for recovery over a four-yearperiod. The aid supplied criticallyneeded materials to get productionstarted again. This released produc­tive energy many times the value ofthe goods involved. The programreceived world-wide recognition andwas popularly referred to as "TheMarshall Plan." .

In 1949, at the age of 69 andalthough in poor health, his nextassignment was President of theAmerican Red Cross which positionhe held from 1949 to 1950.

In 1950 at the outbreak of theKorean War, he was recalled to mili­tary service again, this time as Sec­retary of Defense from 1950 to 1951.

President Harry Truman sharedChurchill's admiration for Marshallwhen he stated: "To my mind,General George Marshall typifiesGeorge Washington in many waysas a man of great personal force,intellect, vision and inborn leader­ship. He, in his own way, rates thedistinction of being first in war, firstin peace, and first in his role of help­ing to rebuild and reshape the post­war free world."

General Marshall's service to hiscountry was a lifelong period ofleadership and devotion that clearlymarks him as the most outstandingAmerican of the 20th Century. In1953 he received the Nobel PeacePrize, a great international tribute tothe first military man in history toreceive such a distinctive award.

General of the Army George C.Marshall died on October 16, 1959 atthe age of 78. His legacy of leader­ship continues on. Every year thetop ROTC students from all over theUnited States convene in Lexington,VA for the Marshall ROTC AwardSeminar, a fitting climax to the pro­grams whch have been developed asa living memorial to one of Amer­ica's greatest leaders. ?ffi

Preserving andpromoting inAmerican Societythe ideals andvalues ofdisciplined selflessservice, hard work,integrity andcompassion ofGeorge CatlettMarshall.

Officer Review/December 1995