May 18, 2006

USCPF Plays a Part in the General George C. Marshall Event

On the evening of May 18, The George C. Marshall International Center celebrated the opening of a photo and art exhibition commemorating General Marshall's Mission to China. This event was held at Dodna Manor, the Marshall's Leesburg home.

To honor this occasion, Dr. Wang Chi, a professor at Georegtown University, addressed guests with a lecture on General Marshall and his experiences in China. From December 1945 to January 1947, President Truman sent General Marshall to China as his representative. Marshall served as a special envoy, mediating between Mao Zedong's Communists and Chiang Kai-Shek's Nationalists after the defeat of the Japanese and the end of World War II. President Truman hoped that Marshall, who was highly regarded in China, would be able to create a coalition government between the two parties.

Unfortunately, General Marshall was unable to secure the peace that he and President Truman had hoped for. However, Marshall did advise Truman not to send American troops to China.

While in China, both General Marshall, and his wife Katherine, developed a close friendship with Madame Chiang. Madame Chiang had initially believed that by gaining Marshall's support and by persuading him to make peace, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek would be in "good shape."

The exhibition includes photos of General Marshall, Mrs. Marshall and Madame Chiang in 1945 and 1946. Also included in the exhibition are a series of paintings presented as a gift to General Marshall by Madame Chiang.