The Papers of George Catlett Marshall comprise the eminent soldier and statesman's most noteworthy personal and official correspondence, speeches, congressional testimonies, and statements to the press. Volume 1 follows Marshall from childhood to his appointment as acting Chief of Staff of the US Army. It covers his education at the Virginia Military Institute and early service in France, China and the Philippines, as well as his experiences as aide-de-camp to General John J. Pershing and as assistant commandant of the Infantry School as Fort Benning, Georgia, where he mentored future leaders such as Omar Bradley, Matthew Ridgway, Joseph Stilwell and, Walter Bedell Smith.