Thursday, March 28, AD 2024 4:39am

The Beginning of the Rise of George C. Marshall

 

 

A century ago George C. Marshall, an acting Colonel on the Operations Staff of the American Expeditionary Forces, was finishing up a military miracle, overseeing the movement of 400,000 American troops to participate in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.  Marshall had first come to the notice of General Pershing on October 3, 1917 when Pershing was severely dressing down officers of the First Division after he had viewed what he regarded as a fouled up training exercise.  Major Marshall, the Operations Officer for the Division, interrupted Pershing and reminded him of the problems the First Division was laboring under. Pershing, instead of taking umbrage, listed carefully to what the young Major had to say, and on future visits to the First Division would take Marshall aside for the “straight scoop” on what was going on with the Division.  Pershing had Marshall eventually transferred to the Operations Staff of the AEF and after the War made him his aide.  Marshall, who would be Chief of Staff of the Army during World War II, remarked in an interview in 1957 that he never encountered an officer more willing to accept constructive criticism than Pershing.  Like many an American officer who rose to fame in World War II, Marshall’s service in World War I taught him many important lessons, and not the least important was the willingness to listen to subordinates who were giving him information to help solve the myriad of military conundrums that any conflict kicks up.

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Dale Price
Dale Price
Monday, September 24, AD 2018 8:20am

I remember reading in a book about the Meuse Argonne that Pershing out of the blue assigned the logistical planning task to Marshall for what was at that time the greatest military operation in American history.

A bigger “eep!” moment for an untried officer is hard to imagine.

Marshall saluted, walked out and spent some time feeling very overwhelmed. Then he got to work.

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