"General George Marshall, Army Chief of Staff during World War II, wanted desperately to lead the D-Day invasion of Europe. Any general would want to lead the "Great Crusade." But that didn't happen. The assignment went to General Eisenhower, one of his protégés and junior to him. President Roosevelt, well aware of how badly Marshall wanted the mission, discussed it with him. At the end of the conversation, as Marshall was leaving, Roosevelt said gently, "Well, I didn't feel that I could sleep at ease if you were out of Washington." Marshall, that great man, knew his place was not to wade into the surf out of a landing craft in the Philippines or command the assault on the Normandy beaches, but to ensure that MacArthur and Eisenhower could."
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Military leaders from the United StatesEpiscopalians from the United StatesSpecial Envoys of the Secretary-General of the United NationsUnited States Secretaries of StateVirginia Military Institute alumni
Original Language: English
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Sources
Colin Powell, It Worked For Me: In Life and Leadership (2012), p. 58-59
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_C._Marshall
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