Taylor, Maxwell D.

Taylor, Maxwell D. (Davenport) (1901–87) soldier; born in Keystesville, Mo. A West Point graduate (1922), he was among those who set up the first airborne units. In World War II, he commanded the 101st Airborne Division and was the first general to land in Normandy on D-Day. He was superintendent of West Point (1945–49) and served as military governor of Berlin (1949–51). He commanded the U.S. Eighth Army in the Korean War (1953–55) before taking over as commander of the U.S. and United Nations Far East commands. He was army chief of staff (1955–59) before retiring, but President John F. Kennedy called him out of retirement in 1961 and appointed him chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1962–64). He took an active role under presidents Kennedy and Johnson in escalating the U.S. commitment to South Vietnam and served as ambassador to South Vietnam (1964–65). Regarded as more cosmopolitan than the average army officer, he was fluent in several languages and the author of four books on military issues.