William P. Yarborough facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Pelham Yarborough
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| Nickname(s) | "Father of the Modern Green Berets" |
| Born | May 12, 1912 Seattle, Washington, United States |
| Died | December 6, 2005 (aged 93) Southern Pines, North Carolina, United States |
| Buried |
Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, United States SECTION 4 GRAVESITE 3099-D
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| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/ |
 United States Army |
| Years of service | 1931–1971 |
| Rank |  Lieutenant General |
| Service number | 0-202362 |
| Unit |  Infantry Branch |
| Commands held | 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion 473rd Infantry Regimental Combat Team 1st Battle Group, 7th Infantry Regiment 66th Counterintelligence Corps Group United States Army Special Warfare Center/School for Special Warfare I Corps |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Army Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star Legion of Merit with 3 oak leaves Bronze Star Italian Bronze Medal of Military Valor Italian Cross for Valor French Croix de Guerre with Palm Eulji Order of Military Merit |
Lieutenant General William Pelham Yarborough (born May 12, 1912 – died December 6, 2005) was an important United States Army officer. He is famous for designing the U.S. Army's parachutist badge, special paratrooper boots, and the M42 airborne jump uniform. Many people call him the "Father of the Modern Green Berets" because of his work with Special Forces.
Contents
Early Life and Army Start
William Pelham Yarborough was born in Seattle, Washington, on May 12, 1912. His father, Leroy W. Yarborough, was a Colonel in the Army. William went to military high school in California and Georgia.
In 1931, William joined the United States Army. A year later, in 1932, he was accepted into the United States Military Academy, also known as West Point. After graduating in 1936, he became a second lieutenant. He was first stationed in the Philippines.
Designing Paratrooper Gear
In 1940, Yarborough joined the new airborne forces. He became a test officer for the Provisional Parachute Group in 1941. During this time, he designed many important items for paratroopers. These included their special boots, their uniforms, and the parachutist badge. He also created special containers to drop supplies from airplanes. He even received U.S. patents for some of his designs.
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- This shows the first parachutist
badge and airborne background
trimming. William P. Yarborough
designed both for the 501st
Parachute Battalion during WWII.
Yarborough met his future wife, Norma Tuttle Yarborough, when they were young. Their families were neighbors at different Army bases. They married and had three children.
World War II Service
When the United States entered World War II in 1942, Yarborough was a major. He became an Airborne Advisor to Major General Mark W. Clark. He helped plan the airborne part of Operation Torch, which was the Allied invasion of North Africa.
First Combat Jumps
On November 7, 1942, Yarborough was part of a paratrooper task force flying to North Africa. This was the longest flight ever made by parachute troops for an operation. His plane was shot down, but he survived. He then helped capture an airfield in Algeria. A week later, he parachuted into another airfield near the Tunisian border. He fought with French and U.S. paratroopers in Tunisia.
In March 1943, Yarborough returned to North Africa. He led the 2nd Battalion of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. He led his battalion during the Allied invasion of Sicily, called Operation Husky. Later, he was given command of the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion.
Fighting in Italy and France
Yarborough's unit, the 509th, was part of the first landings at Anzio in Italy in January 1944. They held an important position on the beach for two months. After Anzio, the 509th led the Allied landings in southern France. They landed on a mountaintop before dawn. His paratroopers then helped capture cities like Cannes and Nice. They also protected the U.S. Seventh Army as it moved north.
In January 1945, Yarborough returned to Italy. He commanded the 473rd Regimental Combat Team. This unit fought its way up the coast of Italy as World War II was ending. During this campaign, he received the Silver Star medal for his bravery.
Post-War Assignments
After World War II, Yarborough stayed in Europe. He worked as a Provost Marshal, which is like a military police chief. He helped organize the "Four Power International Patrol" in Vienna, Austria. This patrol included military police from Russia, France, Britain, and America.
From 1947 to 1949, he worked at the Armed Forces Information School in Pennsylvania. He then went to England to attend the British Staff College. Later, he worked with NATO plans in London. He also studied and taught at the United States Army War College.
In 1956, he became Deputy Chief of the U.S. Military Advisory and Assistance Group in Cambodia. He helped advise the Cambodian military. After this, he commanded the 1st Battle Group, 7th Infantry, in Germany. He also led the 66th Counterintelligence Corps Group in Germany.
Leading the Special Warfare Center
In January 1961, Yarborough became the commander of the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He stayed in this role until 1965. He was very important in building up the Special Forces. He helped create four new Special Forces Groups.
He also worked to make the JFK School better. He brought in experts in different fields and invited political leaders to speak. He reviewed all the training programs and wrote many papers about Special Operations. He also made sure foreign students could train there and expanded language classes. He started five new courses, including training for military advisors and counter-terrorism.
The Green Beret
During his time as commander, he arranged for President John F. Kennedy to visit Fort Bragg in 1961. This visit had two big results. First, it helped get more money to develop the Special Forces into a stronger unit. Second, President Kennedy officially approved the Green Beret as the official headgear for Special Forces soldiers. This made the Green Berets famous. Yarborough's original design for the paratrooper uniform was also used for the Army's tropical uniform in 1963. This uniform was later worn by all Army units in the Vietnam War.
Work in Colombia
In 1962, Yarborough led a U.S. Special Warfare team to Colombia. He suggested that the U.S. help Colombia develop its security system. This included training local personnel to deal with internal threats and support government reforms.
Later Military Career
After leading the Special Warfare School, Yarborough served in Korea. He was the chief spokesman and negotiator for the UN Command in talks with North Koreans and Chinese.
He then worked at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. He was responsible for all Special Forces, psychological operations (PSYOP), and Civil Affairs units. He also became the Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence for the Army. In this role, he oversaw intelligence training and security programs.
In 1968, he took command of I Corps in Korea. This large unit included American and Korean divisions, with about 100,000 soldiers. In 1969, he became the Chief of Staff for the U.S. Army Pacific. He was in charge of many Army activities across the Pacific region. He retired from the Army in 1971.
After retiring, the Army asked him to study the situation in Asia after the Vietnam War. He also gave talks about military power and the history of Special Forces. He visited countries like Rhodesia and Mozambique for the U.S. State Department.
Later Life and Legacy
William P. Yarborough was a member of the Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs. He also wrote two books: Bail Out Over North Africa and So You Want A Volunteer Army. He was married to his wife Norma for over 60 years. They had three children.
Just before he passed away, Yarborough was honored on September 30, 2005. A bust, which is a sculpture of his head and shoulders, was placed in his honor at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville, North Carolina. In 2012, a new statue of him and President John F. Kennedy was put up at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg.
General Yarborough made four combat jumps during his career. He received many awards and decorations, including the Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, and Legion of Merit. He also earned the Combat Infantryman Badge and parachutist badges from several countries.
Lieutenant General William P. Yarborough was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. The Yarborough knife, a special knife given to all Special Forces Qualification Course graduates, is named after him.
