John Otho Marsh Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Otho Marsh Jr.
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| 14th United States Secretary of the Army | |
| In office January 30, 1981 – August 14, 1989 |
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| President | Ronald Reagan George H. W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Percy Pierre (Acting) |
| Succeeded by | Michael P. W. Stone |
| Counselor to the President | |
| In office August 9, 1974 – January 20, 1977 Serving with Robert Hartmann, Rogers Morton
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| President | Gerald Ford |
| Preceded by | Anne Armstrong Dean Burch Kenneth Rush |
| Succeeded by | Edwin Meese (1981) |
| Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs | |
| In office April 17, 1973 – February 15, 1974 |
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| President | Richard Nixon |
| Preceded by | Rady A. Johnson |
| Succeeded by | John M. Maury |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 7th district |
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| In office January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1971 |
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| Preceded by | Burr Harrison |
| Succeeded by | Kenneth Robinson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 7, 1926 Winchester, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | February 4, 2019 (aged 92) Raphine, Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic (Before 1980s) Republican (1980s–2019) |
| Education | Washington and Lee University (LLB) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1944–1947 (Active) 1947–1951 (Reserve) 1951–1976 (Guard) |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Unit | United States Army Reserve Army National Guard |
| Battles/wars | Allied-occupied Germany Vietnam War |
John Otho Marsh Jr. (born August 7, 1926 – died February 4, 2019) was an important American leader. He worked as a politician and also taught law at a university. He is best known for being the United States Secretary of the Army for eight years. This job means he was in charge of the entire U.S. Army. Before that, he was a member of the United States House of Representatives for Virginia.
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Early Life and Military Service
John O. Marsh Jr. was born in Winchester, Virginia. He went to Harrisonburg High School. In 1944, during World War II, he joined the United States Army. He became an officer at age 18.
He served in Germany from 1946 to 1947. After that, he was part of the United States Army Reserve until 1951. He graduated from Washington and Lee University in 1951. Later, he joined the Army National Guard in Virginia. In 1964, he completed the Army's Airborne School. He retired from the Army in 1976 as a lieutenant colonel.
A Career in Law and Politics
After college, Marsh became a lawyer in 1952. He practiced law in Strasburg, Virginia, and even served as a town judge there. From 1954 to 1962, he was the town attorney for New Market, Virginia.
Serving in Congress
From 1963 to 1971, John Marsh was a U.S. Representative for Virginia. He was a member of the Democratic Party. During his time in Congress, he even served in the Vietnam War for a month. He did not tell his fellow soldiers he was a Congressman.
Marsh was the last Democrat to represent his district for a long time. This area included cities like Winchester and Charlottesville. The district later started voting more for the Republican Party.
Working with President Ford
In 1973, Marsh was chosen to be the United States Assistant Secretary of Defense. This meant he helped the Secretary of Defense. In 1974, he became a National Security Advisor for Vice President Gerald Ford. When Ford became President, Marsh became a Counselor to the President. This was a very important job, and he was one of President Ford's top advisors.
Leading the U.S. Army
From 1981 to 1989, John Marsh served as the United States Secretary of the Army. He worked under President Ronald Reagan. During his time, he helped make the United States Army stronger. He increased the Army's budget by 30%. He also supported improving special operations forces.
Marsh played a key role in getting Congress to agree to place Pershing II missiles in Germany. This decision helped lead to a major agreement with the Soviet Union. This agreement, called the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, helped reduce nuclear weapons.
Marsh was the longest-serving Army Secretary, holding the position for eight years and six months. He once said he was proud of the U.S. Army's service.
Later Contributions
After his time as Army Secretary, Marsh continued to serve the country. From 1989 to 1994, he led the Reserve Forces Policy Board. He also worked with a pharmaceutical company called Novavax, Inc..
Marsh was a close advisor to Dick Cheney when Cheney was Vice President. He also taught at several universities. He was a visiting professor at the Virginia Military Institute. He also taught law at The College of William & Mary and George Mason University.
In 2007, Marsh helped investigate problems at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He was part of a special panel that looked into medical care there. They suggested moving medical services to a new location.
The John O. Marsh Institute for Government and Public Policy at Shenandoah University is named after him.
Personal Life and Family
John Marsh lived in Winchester, Virginia, with his wife. They had three children and seven grandchildren. He passed away on February 4, 2019, at age 92. He died from heart problems in Raphine, Virginia.
His son, John "Rob" Otho Marsh III, also served in the U.S. Army. He was a medic in the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu. Rob was injured during this battle while trying to help a wounded soldier. He received several awards for his bravery, including the Legion of Merit and two Bronze Stars. Today, Rob is a clinic doctor in Middlebrook, Virginia.
