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Former soldier donates flag to Dodona Manor
Standing in the hallway of Dodona Manor, blue U.S. Air Force hat in hand, William Vitale smiles as he begins to talk about his old boss.
"I was in the United States Air Force ... a tech sergeant," the 78-year-old Fairfax resident said. "I was assigned to the Office of the Secretary of Defense for the first five secretaries of defense. I was there when [Gen. Marshall] arrived."
In September 1950, Gen. George C. Marshall became the third secretary of defense and Vitale's boss.
Vitale visited Marshall's Leesburg home, Dodona Manor, June 19 to donate a flag, which flew on Marshall's limousine during the secretary's time in office.
Vitale came across the blue, four-star flag recently while sorting through his belongings. He and his wife, Sue, are looking to move to a retirement village.
Dodona Manor housed the Marshall family for six months out of the year from 1941 to 1959, said Dodona Assistant Director Kristie S. Lalire.
"When the Marshalls were here, they stayed from April to November," she said.
Vitale said the flag was going to be thrown away because of a hole in its upper left corner. He kept it as a souvenir.
"The chauffeur, Freeman Matthews, who drove the limo for Mr. Lovett [the deputy secretary who succeeded Marshall as secretary of defense in 1951], ... was changing the flags because there was a hole in it," Vitale said.
Matthews asked Vitale if he wanted the flag, and the then-Sgt. Vitale said, "Yes.'
It was one of two flags flown for Marshall that Vitale obtained while working for the general.
"Gen. Marshall was the type of guy who believed that everyone should do the job they were assigned," he said. "If you didn't, you didn't last long."
But at the same time, Marshall was a laid-back boss and jovial with his staff, Vitale said.
"He was very personal [and] concerned about the people around him," Vitale said, adding that while Marshall lived in Leesburg, he tried to blend in as much as possible.
This meant switching cars at a gas station between the Pentagon and Leesburg, so the neighbors wouldn't notice.
"He didn't want to come to Leesburg in a limo," Vitale said, so one of the other sergeants was assigned to wait in a jeep for the general to trade cars.
"Gen. Marshall had such status in the U.S. government that he could have anything he wanted, no questions asked," Vitale said, adding that his time under Marshall's authority was the "highlight" of his military career.
As Vitale presented the flag in Marshall's former living room to Rachel Thompson, he said, "This was the everyday flag. I don't think they fly those anymore for security reasons."
While Marshall lived at Dodona Manor, he helped create the European Recovery Program, which became known as the Marshall Plan. The plan was key to rebuilding and creating a stronger foundation for the allied countries of Europe. Marshall also won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953.
During his time in Leesburg, Marshall served as both U.S. secretary of state and secretary of defense.
Dodona Manor is a National Historic Landmark, which sits on four acres of land. It was built in the first part of the 19th century. Restorations to the house were completed in 2005 after 10 years of renovations.
Also on Tuesday, the county donated a bronze statue of Marshall, cast in 1980, to Dodona Manor. The statue will be placed on the property as soon as a base is built for it.
Contact the reporter at hhobbs@timespapers.com
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