George Marshall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids George C. Marshall
Official portrait, 1946
3rd Secretary of Defense
In office 21 September 1950 – 12 September 1951
President	Harry S. Truman
Deputy	Stephen Early Robert A. Lovett
Preceded by	Louis A. Johnson
Succeeded by	Robert A. Lovett
10th President of the American Red Cross
In office 1 October 1949 – 1 December 1950
President	Harry S. Truman
Preceded by	Basil O'Connor
Succeeded by	E. Roland Harriman
2nd Chairman of the American Battle Monuments Commission
In office January 1949 – 16 October 1959
Preceded by	John J. Pershing
Succeeded by	Jacob L. Devers
50th Secretary of State
In office 21 January 1947 – 20 January 1949
President	Harry S. Truman
Deputy	Dean Acheson Robert A. Lovett
Preceded by	James F. Byrnes
Succeeded by	Dean Acheson
United States Special Envoy to China
In office 20 December 1945 – 6 January 1947
President	Harry S. Truman
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Position abolished
15th Chief of Staff of the United States Army
In office 1 September 1939 – 18 November 1945
President	Franklin D. Roosevelt Harry S. Truman
Deputy	Lorenzo D. Gasser William Bryden
Preceded by	Malin Craig
Succeeded by	Dwight D. Eisenhower
Personal details
Born	George Catlett Marshall Jr. (1880-12-31)31 December 1880 Uniontown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	16 October 1959(1959-10-16) (aged 78) Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Resting place	Arlington National Cemetery
Political party	None
Spouses	Lily Carter Coles ​ ​ (m. 1902; died 1927)​ Katherine Boyce Tupper Brown ​ (m. 1930)​
Education	Virginia Military Institute
Civilian awards	Nobel Peace Prize Congressional Gold Medal Charlemagne Prize Complete list
Signature
Military service
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1902–1959
Rank	General of the Army
Commands	Chief of Staff of the United States Army Deputy Chief of Staff of the United States Army 5th Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division Fort Moultrie and District I, Civilian Conservation Corps Fort Screven and District F, Civilian Conservation Corps 8th Infantry Regiment
Battles/wars	Philippine–American War World War I Western Front Meuse-Argonne Offensive World War II Chinese Civil War Operation Beleaguer Korean War
Military awards	Army Distinguished Service Medal (2) Silver Star Croix de Guerre Complete list
College football career
VMI Keydets
Position	Left Tackle
Career history
College	VMI (1900)
Career highlights and awards
All-Southern (1900)

George Catlett Marshall Jr. (December 31, 1880 – October 16, 1959) was an important American army officer and statesman. He rose through the United States Army to become the top military leader, known as the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army. He served under Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman.

After his military career, Marshall became Secretary of State and later Secretary of Defense under President Truman. Winston Churchill called Marshall the "organizer of victory" because of his amazing leadership during World War II. He helped the Allied forces win the war.

As Secretary of State, Marshall created a plan to help Europe recover after the war. This plan, called the Marshall Plan, helped many countries rebuild their economies. For this important work, he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953. He is the only Army general ever to win this award.

Early Life and Education

George Catlett Marshall Jr. was born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. He was the youngest of three children. His parents were George Catlett Marshall and Laura Emily Marshall.

From a young age, George wanted to be a soldier. He decided to attend the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) for his education. His brother, who also went to VMI, didn't think George would do well. But George was determined to prove him wrong. He enrolled at VMI in December 1897 when he was 16 years old. His mother sold some land to help pay for his schooling.

The 1900 VMI Keydets football team. George Marshall is circled in the picture.

At VMI, Marshall was always excellent in military training. He became the "first captain," which was the highest rank a cadet could achieve. He also played football as an offensive tackle. In 1900, he was chosen for the All-Southern team. He graduated from VMI in 1901.

Military and Government Career

Marshall served in the U.S. Army both at home and overseas. He started as a platoon leader and company commander in the Philippine–American War. He was a top student at the United States Army Command and General Staff College in 1907. He also graduated first in his class at the United States Army War College in 1908.

When the U.S. entered World War I in 1917, Marshall helped organize and train soldiers. He also planned important combat operations in France, like the Meuse–Argonne offensive. After the war, he worked closely with John J. Pershing, who was the Army Chief of Staff.

Marshall later taught at the United States Army War College. In 1927, he became assistant leader of the Army's United States Army Infantry School. There, he updated how the army worked, which was very helpful during World War II.

In 1939, Marshall became the Chief of Staff of the United States Army. This was the highest-ranking officer in the U.S. Army. He worked with Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson to greatly expand the U.S. military. He was promoted to a five-star rank as General of the Army. Marshall helped coordinate all the Allied operations in Europe and the Pacific during World War II.

After the war ended in 1945, Marshall retired from active service. However, he remained on active duty because of his five-star rank. From 1945 to 1947, he served as a special envoy to China. He tried to help the different groups in China form one government, but he was not successful.

From 1947 to 1949, Marshall served as United States Secretary of State. In this role, he created the Marshall Plan. This plan provided billions of dollars to help rebuild Europe after World War II. This effort earned him the 1953 Nobel Peace Prize.

After being Secretary of State, Marshall led the American Red Cross. He then became United States Secretary of Defense at the start of the Korean War. He worked to rebuild the military's confidence after World War II. He also helped prepare the military for the Cold War. After his time as Secretary of Defense, Marshall retired to his home in Virginia.

Death and Burial

George Marshall passed away on October 16, 1959, in Washington, D.C. He had a special military funeral, as he preferred a simple ceremony. His body lay in state at the Washington National Cathedral for 24 hours.

Marshall was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. He was laid to rest next to his first wife and her mother. His second wife was also buried with him later. His headstone lists his important roles: "Chief of Staff U.S. Army, Secretary of State, President of American Red Cross, Secretary of Defense."

Reputation and Legacy

George Marshall is remembered as a very important and selfless American leader during the early Cold War. President Truman once said that Marshall was the greatest American contributor of his time. Truman praised Marshall's skills as an administrator and his knowledge of military affairs.

Marshall is most famous for the Marshall Plan. This plan provided a lot of aid to help European countries recover after World War II. It helped restart their economies and rebuild their destroyed cities.

Tributes and Memorials

Many places and organizations honor General Marshall. The George C. Marshall Foundation keeps his official papers and other important documents from the 20th century. The George C. Marshall International Center preserves his home, Dodona Manor, as a museum. It also offers educational programs about his life and leadership.

Several streets are named after him, including some in Germany. On April 30, 1998, the first public statue of General Marshall in Europe was unveiled in Germany. It shows him walking across a bronze bridge, symbolizing his efforts to build friendships and alliances.

Civilian Honors

George Marshall received many awards for his work outside the military:

Images for kids

• 

  Brigadier General Marshall in 1938

• 

  Cover to the book Infantry in Battle, a guide for officers. Marshall helped create this book.

• 

  Army Chief of Staff Marshall with Secretary of War Henry Stimson.

• 

  Army Chief of Staff George C. Marshall with Chief of the Army Air Force General Henry "Hap" Arnold in England on July 23, 1945.

• 

  General Marshall with Chiang Kai-shek and Zhou Enlai in China, 1946.

• 

  General Marshall being sworn in as Secretary of State by Chief Justice Fred Vinson in the Oval Office on January 21, 1947.

• 

  Secretary of State Marshall speaks to The House Appropriations Committee. January 15, 1948.

• 

  Secretary of Defense George C. Marshall in his office at The Pentagon.

• 

  Dodona Manor, the 19th century home of George Marshall and his wife Katherine.

• 

  Cover of Together: Annals of an Army Wife, a book by Katherine Tupper Marshall. Published 1946.

• 

  General John Pershing (left) with Colonel Marshall in France, 1919.

• 

  Army Chief of Staff George Marshall with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. "Hap" Arnold accompanying Brig. Gen. James H. Doolittle as he receives the Medal of Honor from President Franklin Roosevelt. April 18, 1942.

• 

  Oveta Culp Hobby being sworn in as the first leader of the WAAC. General George C. Marshall and Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson witness the ceremony. May 16, 1942.

• 

  Army Chief of Staff George Marshall, 1944.

• 

  General Marshall greets Major General John R. Deane and Brigadier General Stuart Cutler while arriving at Potsdam, Germany on July 15, 1945.

• 

  George C. Marshall shaking hands with his predecessor James F. Byrnes, as President Truman looks on, at the White House, January 21, 1947.

• 

  Secretary of State George Marshall greeted by President Harry S. Truman at Washington National Airport. August 13, 1947.

• 

  Secretary of State Marshall pointing out landmarks at Mount Vernon to Mexican President Miguel Aleman. April 1947.

• 

  Award of honorary degrees at Harvard to J Robert Oppenheimer (left), George C. Marshall (third from left), Omar N. Bradley (fifth from left), and T. S. Eliot (second from right). The President of Harvard University, James B. Conant, sits between Marshall and Bradley. June 5, 1947.

• 

  Secretary of Defense Marshall with President Truman and Princeton University President Harold W. Dodds at the Library of Congress. May 17, 1950.

• 

  Anna M. Rosenberg being sworn in as Assistant Secretary of Defense. General George Marshall and Robert A. Lovett witness. November 15, 1950.

• 

  Secretary of Defense George C. Marshall with President Truman, Secretary of State Dean Acheson, and Prime Minister of France Rene Pleven at the White House on January 29, 1951.

• 

  General Marshall's Congressional Gold Medal. Designed in 1946.

• 

  President Roosevelt's nomination of General Marshall to be Major General. June 30, 1939.

• 

  President Harry S. Truman awarding General Marshall an Oak Leaf Cluster to his Distinguished Service Medal on November 26, 1945.

• 

  General Marshall's Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour (France).

See also

In Spanish: George Marshall para niños