These wartime duties, however, were not always those he wanted. Like many officers, Marshall wanted combat experience. Leading troops on the battlefield offered action and rapid promotion. Marshall had neither. When other officers marched off to the front lines, Marshall was kept back. Why? In the eyes of his commanders, Marshall's talent for organizing and supporting troops was even more valuable than leading them into battle. Those planning skills were so impressive that the Army soon ordered Marshall from the battlefield altogether and sent him to its headquarters southeast of Paris, France.

See remainder of biography.