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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
| 3 | Representatives wish to recognize General George C. Marshall, | ||||||
| 4 | who served with distinction during his time as senior | ||||||
| 5 | instructor of the 33rd Division of the Illinois National Guard | ||||||
| 6 | from November 1933 to August 1936, a position he held at the | ||||||
| 7 | rank of colonel; and | ||||||
| 8 | WHEREAS, Upon his arrival, General Marshall was described | ||||||
| 9 | as a self-possessed officer of impeccable military bearing | ||||||
| 10 | with a keen intellect and exacting standards that immediately | ||||||
| 11 | began to shape the division; and | ||||||
| 12 | WHEREAS, General Marshall instilled a principled approach | ||||||
| 13 | to discipline, earning the respect of the 33rd Division's | ||||||
| 14 | soldiers by focusing on meaningful improvements and | ||||||
| 15 | efficiency; he demonstrated a commitment to practical and | ||||||
| 16 | effective training by urging a reduction in paperwork and the | ||||||
| 17 | elimination of unrealistic drills, thereby improving the | ||||||
| 18 | division's focus and morale; and | ||||||
| 19 | WHEREAS, As a direct result of General Marshall's | ||||||
| 20 | leadership, the summer of 1934 saw every unit of the 33rd | ||||||
| 21 | Division deemed satisfactory by federal inspectors for the | ||||||
| 22 | first time in years, a testament to the success of his methods; | ||||||
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| 1 | the division's enhanced readiness was showcased with a | ||||||
| 2 | division march, a bivouac in Grant Park, and a prestigious | ||||||
| 3 | review on the grounds of the Century of Progress Fair in | ||||||
| 4 | Chicago; and | ||||||
| 5 | WHEREAS, General Marshall was instrumental in testing and | ||||||
| 6 | implementing a new mobilization plan, leading a successful | ||||||
| 7 | staff exercise at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, and adapting it | ||||||
| 8 | for the following year's training in Illinois; and | ||||||
| 9 | WHEREAS, General Marshall fostered a culture of continuous | ||||||
| 10 | improvement, directing the division to study maps and write | ||||||
| 11 | orders in the winter of 1934 and work through practical | ||||||
| 12 | problems on the ground in the spring of 1935; and | ||||||
| 13 | WHEREAS, General Marshall consistently advocated for the | ||||||
| 14 | advancement of bright, capable young officers, demonstrating a | ||||||
| 15 | humble and selfless dedication to the betterment of the | ||||||
| 16 | service over his own personal advancement; he empowered his | ||||||
| 17 | officers with greater responsibility as they gained | ||||||
| 18 | experience, allowing him to contribute his talents to the | ||||||
| 19 | division newspaper with articles on military history and a | ||||||
| 20 | column highlighting division news; and | ||||||
| 21 | WHEREAS, By the spring of 1935, General Marshall reported | ||||||
| 22 | that the 33rd Division had improved in all respects over the | ||||||
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| 1 | preceding year and that the soldiers now understood the | ||||||
| 2 | importance of severity in training; and | ||||||
| 3 | WHEREAS, General Marshall's tenure culminated in the 33rd | ||||||
| 4 | Division's successful participation in the August 1936 Army | ||||||
| 5 | maneuvers in Michigan, which involved more than 24,000 men and | ||||||
| 6 | lasted for two weeks; and | ||||||
| 7 | WHEREAS, Shortly following these maneuvers, General | ||||||
| 8 | Marshall's exceptional service was recognized with a promotion | ||||||
| 9 | to the rank of brigadier general; he was later promoted to | ||||||
| 10 | general and appointed as chief of staff of the United States | ||||||
| 11 | Army through World War II; and | ||||||
| 12 | WHEREAS, General Marshall's work was further commended by | ||||||
| 13 | Major General Leo Boyle, who held the rank of captain during | ||||||
| 14 | General Marshall's time as senior instructor and later served | ||||||
| 15 | as the Adjutant General of Illinois from 1940 to 1969, stating | ||||||
| 16 | General Marshall had left his mark on the 33rd Division and | ||||||
| 17 | praising him for raising the standard with his keen insight, | ||||||
| 18 | personal and military knowledge, and leadership; therefore, be | ||||||
| 19 | it | ||||||
| 20 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 21 | HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 22 | we recognize the lasting and significant contributions of | ||||||
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| 1 | General George C. Marshall to the Illinois National Guard and | ||||||
| 2 | the State of Illinois; and be it further | ||||||
| 3 | RESOLVED, That we commend General Marshall's exemplary | ||||||
| 4 | leadership, his unwavering commitment to excellence, and his | ||||||
| 5 | profound and positive impact on the 33rd Division, which set a | ||||||
| 6 | new standard for military readiness and professionalism; and | ||||||
| 7 | be it further | ||||||
| 8 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 9 | presented to the Illinois Army National Guard's 33rd Infantry | ||||||
| 10 | Brigade Combat Team in Urbana as a tribute to the enduring | ||||||
| 11 | legacy of General Marshall. | ||||||