Editing George C. Marshall (section)

==Later life==
[[File:Dodona Manor.JPG|thumb|Dodona Manor, the 19th century home and gardens of George Marshall and his wife Katherine]]

===Retirement===
In September 1951, after 49 years of continuous public service, Marshall retired to his home, [[George C. Marshall's Dodona Manor|Dodona Manor]], in [[Leesburg, Virginia]].{{sfn|Wheeler|2015}} Purchased by the Marshalls in 1941, Dodona had previously served as a quiet weekend retreat for the busy couple.{{sfn|George C. Marshall's Dodona}} The home was restored beginning in the 1990s and the house and its gardens are open to the public as a museum.{{sfn|Wheeler|2015}}

It was at Dodona Manor that Marshall enjoyed his favorite food, roast leg of lamb, and his favorite beverage, an [[Old fashioned (cocktail)|old fashioned]].{{sfn|Stories of Service Richard}} Gardening was one of Marshall's favorite pastimes, and in retirement he grew vegetables throughout the year, including tomatoes and pumpkins, while Katherine Marshall enjoyed tending to her rose garden.{{sfn|George C. Marshall's Dodona}} In a 1942 letter to David Burpee, president of the [[Burpee Seeds and Plants|W. Atlee Burpee & Company]], Marshall wrote, "The business of seeds and flowers tantalizes me because I have been an amateur gardener, both flower and vegetable, since a boy of ten. There is nothing I would so much prefer to do this spring as to turn my mind to the wholesome business of gardening rather than the terrible problems and tragedies of war."{{sfn|3-147 To David Burpee}}

Katherine's love of roses was well known, leading inventor Eugene S. Boerner to create the Katherine Tupper Marshall Rose, a pink hybrid tea rose.{{sfn|Why is a rose}} It was patented by Jackson and Perkins in 1943.{{sfn|Why is a rose}}

===American Battle Monuments Commission===
Throughout his retirement, Marshall served as chairman of the American Battle Monuments Commission.{{sfn|Commission American Battle Monuments}} He oversaw the construction of fourteen cemeteries in eight countries following World War II to memorialize those killed or missing in battle.{{sfn|Building on Mission}} In the early 1950s, Marshall argued for the speedy construction and funding of cemeteries despite budget and staff cuts for the Korean War. Marshall wrote to General [[Joseph T. McNarney|Joseph McNarney]] in March 1951 saying, "I am naturally hesitant to become personally involved in individual personnel problems, but in this case, am deeply concerned about the overall morale factor if our foreign national cemeteries are not adequately maintained...."{{sfn|Building on Mission}} Marshall's efforts to secure building and maintenance staff for the cemeteries were successful, doubling the number of military officers assigned to the work.{{sfn|Building on Mission}} On 13 September 1952, Marshall attended the dedication ceremony of [[Suresnes American Cemetery and Memorial|Suresnes American Cemetery]] in France.{{sfn|Building on Mission}}{{sfn|Dedication of Cemetery}}

===Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II===
After retiring, Marshall largely withdrew from public life.{{sfn|The Leadership of George C. Marshall}} A notable exception was in June 1953, when he accepted President Eisenhower's appointment to head the American delegation to the [[Coronation of Elizabeth II|coronation of Queen Elizabeth II]].{{sfn|Queen Elizabeth II Coronation|2017}} The delegation included [[Earl Warren]] and Omar Bradley, and according to Bradley, as Marshall walked up the aisle of [[Westminster Abbey]] to take his seat before the ceremony, the congregation rose to its feet as a gesture of respect.{{sfn|The Leadership of George C. Marshall}} Marshall looked behind him to see who the arriving dignitary was, then realized the congregation had stood for him.{{sfn|The Leadership of George C. Marshall}} Marshall was also invited to the post-ceremony banquet at [[Buckingham Palace]], and was the only non-royal seated at Queen Elizabeth's table.{{sfn|The Leadership of George C. Marshall}}