12 August 2009

To West Virginians Whom It May Concern:

I am informed that Donn E. Marshall is seeking election in the November 2010 elections as the state delegate from the 55th District to the West Virginia House of Delegates. While I am not a West Virginian, which means that I am not eligible to vote for him, I strongly commend this remarkable man to your favorable attention as he seeks a position from which to serve the public interest.

I have known Donn Marshall under various circumstances for over 25 years, beginning at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia in the 1980’s. As a student he earned top grades in my courses in US Foreign Policy and National Security and US National Intelligence. Further, in light of his strong interest in public service, I advised him in his quest for employment with the US Government at the Washington level, and I remained in close touch with him later as he rose through the national-level ranks to become a leading intelligence expert in the “War against Drugs.” I saw him surmount grievous personal tragedy when his beloved wife, Shelley, was killed in the 9-11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon, leaving him with two small children, and I watched the American people rally to his support. We have remained in frequent contact since his return to private life. In this light, I know Donn Marshall well indeed and feel impelled to endorse his candidacy as in the best interests of West Virginians everywhere.

There are a number of valuable personal attributes this man would bring to public office. I would single out first and foremost his demonstrated personal integrity and moral courage – Diogenes set down his lantern when he came to Donn Marshall. Of equal significance is his high order of intelligence and plain common sense – his mind works in straight lines; he knows how to separate fact from fiction; he can make sense out of cause and effect. He is energetic and purposeful, knows how to plan and implement, has shown an unusual capacity for working with people of differing backgrounds and is highly articulate as a communicator. In the latter capacity, he has attracted favorable attention at highest governmental levels for his success in briefing foreign heads of state on US policy. He is a good listener and has a keen sense for what is important. His deep compassion for the needs and concerns of others is especially to be marked – in particular the reading programs he has established for children in the name of his late wife.

In sum, Donn E. Marshall is a potential star in the American political arena. He has more than earned positive consideration by the voters of the 55th District in the November 2010 elections.

 

Samuel V. Wilson
(Lieutenant General, U.S. Army-Retired)
President Emeritus, Hampden-Sydney College

 

Lieutenant General Samuel V. Wilson retired from active military duty in 1977, after serving thirty-seven years and rising from Infantry Private to Lieutenant General. A highly decorated veteran of World War II, he spent part of the war in the 1944 North Burma campaign with "Merrill’s Marauders," and in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). Following WWII, General Wilson studied at Columbia University and in Europe as a foreign language and area officer (FAO), mastering several languages and becoming a specialist on the Soviet Union. Key assignments during his career included tours with the Central Intelligence Agency in the Clandestine Services, and the US Army Special Forces. He served as Assistant Commandant of the US Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare School, Deputy to the Director of Central Intelligence, and Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. His career also included a four-year assignment in Viet Nam with the special rank of Minister. General Wilson joined the Hampden-Sydney College faculty in 1982 and was appointed President of the College in 1992. He retired in June 2000 as President Emeritus and currently holds the James C. Wheat Chair in Leadership Studies.