Editing George C. Marshall (section)

==World War I==
[[File:111-SC-6377 - Staff, First Division - NARA - 55173660 (cropped) (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|Major General [[Robert Lee Bullard]] (center, facing towards his right, photo's left), the newly appointed commander of the 1st Division, and members of his divisional staff at [[Gondrecourt-le-Château|Gondrecourt]], France, 17 January 1918. To Bullard's right is Lieutenant Colonel George C. Marshall, the 1st Division's assistant chief of staff for operations.]]

Shortly after the [[American entry into World War I]] in April 1917, Marshall had roles as a planner of both training and operations.{{sfn|George Catlett Marshall Timeline}} In the summer, he was assigned as assistant chief of staff for operations on the staff of the newly created [[1st Infantry Division (United States)|1st Division]], commanded by Major General [[William L. Sibert]], a fifty-six-year-old engineer officer.{{sfn|Zabecki|Mastriano|2020|p=115}} After overseeing the division's mobilization and organization in Texas, he departed for France with the division staff in mid-1917.{{sfn|George Catlett Marshall Timeline}} On the long ocean voyage, his roommate was the division's assistant chief of staff for training, Major [[Lesley J. McNair]];{{sfn|Calhoun|2012|p=43}} the two formed a personal and professional bond that they maintained for the rest of their careers.{{sfn|Calhoun|2012|p=43}} Marshall was the first passenger from the first boat transporting [[American Expeditionary Forces]] (AEF) soldiers to set foot in Europe, and one of the first to enter the [[Trench warfare|trenches]] of the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Roberts |first=Andrew |url=https://archive.org/details/masterscommander0000robe_g9v1 |title=Masters and Commanders: The Military Geniuses Who Led the West to Victory in World War II |publisher=[[Penguin Books]] |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-141-02926-9 |edition=1 |location=London |pages=xxxiii-xxxv |language=en |via=Archive Foundation}}</ref>

After arriving in France, Marshall served with the 1st Division on the Saint-Mihiel, Picardy, and Cantigny fronts.{{sfn|George Catlett Marshall Timeline}} Although the division was designated as a Regular Army formation, most of the officers and men serving within its ranks were almost completely lacking in combat experience. They were also deficient "in training, staff work, and logistical problems. More than half of its soldiers were new recruits. Only a few of its [[non-commissioned officer]]s had been in the Army for two years or more, and nearly all of the lieutenants had been commissioned less than six months".{{sfn|Zabecki|Mastriano|2020|p=116}}

In late 1917, General [[John J. Pershing]], the [[commander-in-chief]] (C-in-C) of the AEF, inspected the 1st Division.{{sfn|Willbanks|2013|p=29}} Unimpressed by what he observed, Pershing began to berate the division commander, Major General Sibert, in front of his staff, including Marshall. Sibert took Pershing's criticism in silence, but when Pershing turned his attention to the division chief of staff, Marshall angrily interceded to inform Pershing of logistical and administrative difficulties of which Pershing was unaware.{{sfn|Runkle|2017}} Marshall also informed Pershing that the AEF staff had not been very helpful in dealing with the problems. Sibert and his staff were concerned that Marshall's willingness to confront Pershing had probably cost him his career. Instead, Pershing began to seek out Marshall and ask for his advice whenever he visited the 1st Division,{{sfn|Willbanks|2013|p=29}} which, over the winter, "completed extensive training, much of it under French tutelage". By mid-April 1918 the division, now commanded by Major General [[Robert Lee Bullard]], was deemed to have progressed enough in its training to have its own sector of the Western Front to hold.{{sfn|Zabecki|Mastriano|2020|p=116}}

Marshall won recognition and acclaim for his planning of the [[Battle of Cantigny]], which took place from 28 to 31 May 1918;{{sfn|George Catlett Marshall Timeline}} Marshall's success resulted in the first notable American victory of the war.{{sfn|Davenport|2015}} As he conducted pre-attack planning, Marshall traveled alone under cover of darkness to personally view the terrain and mentally map it.{{sfn|Marshall's Silver Star}} Marshall ventured beyond the front lines and far into [[No man's land|no-man's land]], often under friendly artillery fire and routinely risking discovery and capture by [[Imperial German Army]] troops.{{sfn|Marshall's Silver Star}} On 26 May, he was injured while traveling to several subordinate units to conduct pre-attack coordination.{{sfn|Marshall|1976|p= 93}} As he departed the division headquarters area, his horse stumbled, fell, and rolled over;{{sfn|Marshall|1976|page=93}} Marshall's left foot was caught in the stirrup, and he sustained a severe sprain and bruise.{{sfn|Marshall|1976|page=93}} A physician bound Marshall's injured ankle and foot with adhesive tape so he could avoid medical evacuation and remain with the division to oversee the attack.{{sfn|Marshall|1976|pages=93–94}} In 1920, Marshall was awarded the [[Citation Star]] for his heroism during this battle.{{sfn|Marshall's Silver Star}} When the [[Silver Star]] medal was created in 1932, Citation Stars were converted to the new award.{{sfn|Marshall's Silver Star}}{{sfn|Plampin|1963|p=xiv}}<ref name="Valor"/>{{efn-ua|Marshall's Silver Star citation reads: "he was Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations at the First Division Headquarters from 8 June 1917, to 6 July 1918. By his superior professional attainments, his tactical skill, his sound judgment, and his courageous conduct in obtaining information through personal visits to the most exposed lines, he contributed in a determining manner to the training, morale, and operations of the Division in the Toul Sector, the Cantigny Sector, and the movement for the offensive at Soissons."{{sfn|Marshall's Silver Star}}}}

[[File:Colonel George Marshall.tif|thumb|right|Colonel Marshall in France in 1919]]

In mid-1918, Pershing brought Marshall on to the AEF operations staff, G-3, where he worked closely with Pershing and was a key planner of American operations.{{sfn|George Catlett Marshall Timeline}} He was instrumental in the planning and coordination of the [[Meuse–Argonne offensive]], which contributed to the defeat of the [[German Empire]] on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] in 1918.{{sfn|Lengel|2008}} Marshall held the permanent rank of [[Captain (United States O-3)|captain]] and the temporary rank of [[Colonel (United States)|colonel]] and was recommended for promotion to temporary [[brigadier general (United States)|brigadier general]] in October 1918, but the [[Armistice of 11 November 1918|Armistice with Germany]] on 11 November 1918 occurred before the recommendation was acted on.{{sfn|Tucker|Roberts|2006|p=1186}}

After the Armistice, Marshall served as chief of staff for the [[VIII Corps (United States)|VIII Corps]].{{sfn|George Catlett Marshall Timeline}}{{sfn|Zabecki|Mastriano|2020|p=120}} For his services during the war he was awarded the [[Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army)|Army Distinguished Service Medal]], the citation for which reads:

{{Blockquote|The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, 9 July 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Colonel (Infantry) George Catlett Marshall, Jr. (ASN: 0-1616), United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility during World War I. Colonel Marshall has performed the duties of Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3, 1st Division, from 26 June 1917 to 12 July 1918. He served in the G-3 Section, General Headquarters, American Expeditionary Forces, from 13 July 1918 to 19 August 1918, in G-3 section, 1st Army, from 20 August 1918 to 16 October 1918; as Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3, of the 1st Army from 17 October to 19 November 1918; and as Chief of Staff of the 8th Army Corps from 20 November 1918 to 15 January 1918, during which period the 1st Division served in the Toul sector and at the Cantigny attack and the 1st Army operations in the St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne offensives. By untiring, painstaking, and energetic efforts he succeeded in all these undertakings. His efforts had a marked influence on the successes achieved by the units with which he served.<ref name="Valor">{{cite web|title=George Catlett Marshall|url=https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/17880|publisher=Military Times}}</ref>}}