James J. Lindsay
1932-
General James J. Lindsay
Place of birth	Portage, Wisconsin
Service/branch	U.S. Army
Years of service	1952-1990
Rank	General
Commands	U.S. Special Operations Command XVIII Airborne Corps 82nd Airborne Division
Battles/wars	Vietnam War
Awards	Distinguished Service Cross Silver Star (5) Legion of Merit Bronze Star with "V"

General James Joseph Lindsay is a retired United States Army four star general, and served as the first commander of the United States Special Operations Command. Emblem of the United States Special Operations Command. ...

Military career

Lindsay was born on October 10, 1932 in Portage, Wisconsin. He military career began when he enlisted in the Army in 1952. He graduated from the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School in May 1953 as a Second Lieutenant in the Infantry. His military education includes the Infantry Officer Advanced Course, the United States Marine Corps Command and Staff College and the National War College. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and a Master of Science degree in Foreign Affairs from George Washington University. Portage, commonly referred to as Where the North Begins, is a city in Columbia County, Wisconsin, United States. ... The United States Army Officer Candidate School (OCS) is a school located at Fort Benning, providing training to become a commissioned officer. ... The National War College (NWC) of the United States is a school in the National Defense University. ... The University of Nebraska at Omaha, founded 1908 as the University of Omaha, is the Omaha, Nebraska, campus of the University of Nebraska system, and is the second-largest institution of higher education in Nebraska (after the University of Nebraska-Lincoln). ... The George Washington University (GW), is a private, coeducational university located in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The school was founded in 1821 as The Columbian College in the District of Columbia by Baptist ministers using funds bequeathed by George Washington. ...

Lindsay commanded units at all levels, from platoon through MACOM, in both peacetime and war. His first assignments were with the 82nd Airborne Division and 77th Special Forces Group. Within the 82nd Airborne Division he has held eight assignments, from platoon to division level. During the Vietnam War, he was an advisor to the Vietnamese Airborne Brigade, commanded the 2nd Battalion 60th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division and was the G3 for the 9th Infantry Division. The 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army is an elite airborne infantry division and was constituted in the National Army as the 82nd Division on March 5, 1917, and was organized on March 25, 1917, at Camp Gordon, Georgia. ... 60th Infantry Regiment DUI The U.S. 60th Infantry Regiment is a regimental unit in the United States Army. ... The 9th Infantry Division was a unit of the United States Army in World War II and the Vietnam War. ...

As a general, Lindsay commanded the 82nd Airborne Division, the United States Army Infantry School, the XVIII Airborne Corps, the United States Readiness Command, and was the first Commander in Chief, United States Special Operations Command. General Lindsay retired 1 July 1990. The United States Army Infantry School is located in Fort Benning, Georgia. ... XVIII ABC Background Trim The XVIII Airborne Corps is the corps of the United States Army designed for rapid deployment anywhere in the world. ... Emblem of the United States Special Operations Command. ...

General Lindsay’s awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Cross, Army Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star with four Oak Leaf Clusters, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal with "V" device and three Oak Leaf Clusters, Combat Infantryman Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Ranger Tab, and Special Forces Tab. The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is the second highest military decoration of the United States Army, awarded for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. ... This article concerns the United States Army Distinguished Service Medal. ... The Silver Star is the fourth highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States Armed Forces. ... The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. ... The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration and is the fourth highest award for bravery, heroism or meritorious service. ... The Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) is an award of the United States Army which is presented to those officers, warrant officers and enlisted soldiers, in the grade of Colonel and below, who participate in active ground combat while assigned as a member of an infantry or special forces unit, brigade... The Parachutist Badge, also commonly referred to as Jump Wings or Snow Cone, is a military badge of the United States Armed Forces which is awarded to members of the United States Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy. ... Ranger Tab The Ranger Tab is a military decoration of the United States Army which signifies completion of the U.S. Army Ranger School, a three month course providing instruction in small-unit combat tactics in woodland, mountain, and swamp operations. ... Special Forces Tab The Special Forces Tab is a decoration of the United States Army which is awarded to any service member who completes the Special Forces Qualification Course, or the Special Forces Officer Course, at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center located at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. ...

Post military

In retirement, Lindsay serves as president of the Airborne and Special Operations Museum Foundation, and is a Senior Observer with the Army’s Battle Command Training Program. He sits on the Board of Advisors of the National Infantry Foundation. He was inducted into both the United States Army Ranger Hall of Fame and Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame. He was the 1996 recipient of the National Infantry Association’s Doughboy Award, and the 1998 recipient of the United States Special Operations Command Bull Simon Award. The National Infantry Association (NIA) was established in 1994 as a professional association for Infantrymen and Infantry supporters. ...

General Lindsay and his wife Gerry live in Vass, North Carolina. Vass is a town located in Moore County, North Carolina. ...

References

• National Infantry Foundation bio