William C. Lee

General William Carey Lee (March 12, 1895 - June 25, 1948) was born in Dunn, North Carolina. Lee is often referred to as The "Father of the US Airborne".

Related Topics:
March 12 - 1895 - June 25 - 1948 - Dunn, North Carolina - Airborne

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Lee graduated from North Carolina State College as a second lieutenant in the ROTC program in 1917.

Related Topics:
North Carolina State College - ROTC - 1917

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Lee served in WWI with the American Expeditionary Force in France, and by the time the United States entered WWII, Lee had been promoted to general and was a proponent of paratrooper warfare. Although airborne units were not popular with the top Army commanders, President Franklin D. Roosevelt sponsored the concept and Lee organized the first paratroop platoon, which led to the Provisional Parachute Group, then the United States Airborne Command. Lee was the first commander at the new Parachute School at Fort Benning, Georgia. He earned the Distinguished Service Medal for his early leadership in airborne forces.

Related Topics:
American Expeditionary Force - Paratrooper - Franklin D. Roosevelt - Fort Benning, Georgia - Distinguished Service Medal

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By August of 1942 Lee was the first commander of his new 101st Airborne Division, based at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana. Lee promised his new recruits

Related Topics:
1942 - 101st Airborne Division - Camp Claiborne, Louisiana

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:"The 101st has no history, but it has a rendezvous with destiny."

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He helped plan the D-Day drops into Normandy, and had trained to jump with his men, but was sent back to the states a few months before the battle due to a heart attack (or some say, a stroke). He was replaced in command by General Maxwell D. Taylor. To honor their "father", the paratroopers yelled out "Bill Lee!" as they made their jump on D-Day.

Related Topics:
D-Day - Normandy - Maxwell D. Taylor

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Lee retired from the Army in late 1944 and died at Dunn, North Carolina in 1948.

Related Topics:
1944 - 1948

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