I wasn't born until 1958, and didn't acquaint the pleasure of hearing Dr. Marshall 'live'. I am, however, writing a book about the final resting place where Dr & Mrs. Marshall are buried. A little-known place on the split-hair-border of Maryland and DC, called "Fort Lincoln".
History was made for Dr. Marshall there at Fort Lincoln, and yet to my surprise, there is little mention -ever- of Peter Marshall and Fort Lincoln in the same conversation.
Even the cemetery itself, isn't too well acquainted with the celebrity in their midst. It was there, at Fort Lincoln in the late 1940’s; Peter Marshall drew a crowd of over 75,000 people, when he delivered an Easter Sunrise Service at the break of dawn. Widowed Mothers holding the hands of their children. Elderly and disabled relying on the flat surface of a headstone to steady their cane or crutch. Busses bringing tens of thousands to the service, having to discharge their passengers as far down Bladensburg Road as the {locally known} landmark: "Peace Cross".
Police in the streets outside the cemetery, assisting the throng of sudden on-comers. From the main gate of the cemetery, people had to walk over half of a mile, all up-hill!
No one complained. No one cut-in or pushed another. Everyone was there, feeling just about the same way, thankful! Even the folks, who were very early, some even spending the night in the cemetery, had occupied every available parking space among the 30+ miles of roadways throughout the cemetery. Thos poor folks didn’t know it at the time, but their early-bird parking space was actually costing them over a mile longer walk! Again, all up hill. The steep in grade of the lower part of the cemetery made it feel like climbing steps the entire way up to the location of the service called “The highlands”.
It would be nice to 'hear' his sermons, but alas, none can be found! I've had to rely on reviewers like all of you and the movie to get a real 'feel' for who this person was.
What an influence Rev. Marshall had to the WWII generation! I would love to see his work revisited. Maybe my book might help this wish. Maybe someone has an old newsreel of Dr. Marshall, yet to reveal? People today, really need to hear him again. This country is not in the same shape as it was during WWII; yet, Reverend Marshall's sermons are just as relevant now, as they were then. In one sermon, Dr. Marshall speaks of what wartime veterans have to come home to. Then he say's as if asking a vet himself "Was it worth it?" "When you lost a leg {in another country}, "Was {this war and country} it worth it?"
One can only wonder, had he lived, in this age of such civil partism, would Dr. Marshall be able to hypothesize such a scenario so openly, and not have 'his' patriotism questioned..?
Bill Wood - [email protected]
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taylorje
17 years ago
To purchase CD's or tapes of many of Dr. Marshall's sermons, go to the following website:
www.petermarshallministries.com, click on Former Senate Chaplain Dr. Peter Marshall, then on Browse Dr. Peter Marshall's Audio Library.
I came to "know" Peter after I read several of Catherine's books. I'd love to have a pastor like him. He was one in a million. I always thought his early, untimely death from a heart attack was so sad. Bypass surgery could have saved him had it been "invented" in 1949.
One anecdote that Catherine Marshall shared in her books: a woman in the church asked for an appointment to meet with Dr. Marshall in his study. Once there, she tried every way in the world to "put the moves on him." He rebuffed her every time and finally she stormed out, saying "I hate you, I hate you!" Dr. Marshall's reply, as he held the door open for her, was "Thank God for that!"
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