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Maxwell Davenport Taylor
August 26, 1901(1901-08-26) – April 19, 1987 (aged 85)
General Maxwell Taylor
Place of birth	Keytesville, Missouri
Place of death	Washington, D.C.
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1922-1964
Rank	General
Commands	Superintendent, U.S. Military Academy 101st Airborne Division Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Chairman, Joint Chiefs
Battles/wars	World War II Korean War
Awards	Distinguished Service Cross Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star Legion of Merit Bronze Star Purple Heart Order of William
Other work	Ambassador

General Maxwell Davenport Taylor (August 26, 1901 – April 19, 1987) was an American soldier and diplomat of the mid-20th century. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... is the 238th day of the year (239th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... is the 109th day of the year (110th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year 1987. ... Keytesville is a city in Chariton County, Missouri, United States. ... For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ... The United States Army is the largest and oldest branch of the armed forces of the United States. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Belligerents United Nations: Republic of Korea Australia Belgium Canada Colombia Ethiopia France Greece Luxembourg Netherlands New Zealand Philippines South Africa Thailand Turkey United Kingdom United States Naval Support and Military Servicing/Repairs: Japan Medical staff: Denmark Italy Norway India Sweden DPR Korea PR China Soviet Union Commanders Syngman Rhee Chung... 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. ... The Distinguished Service Medal is a high level military and civilian decoration of the United States of America which is issued for meritorious service to the government of the United States in either a senior government service position or as a senior officer of the United States armed forces. ... 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. ... For other uses, see Purple Heart (disambiguation). ... Knights Cross (3rd class) of the Order of William The Military Order of William is the oldest and, at the same time, highest honour of the Kingdom of The Netherlands. ... is the 238th day of the year (239th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... is the 109th day of the year (110th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year 1987. ... This article is about a military rank. ... This page is about negotiations; for the board game, see Diplomacy (game). ...

Taylor was born in Keytesville, Missouri and graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1922. Keytesville is a city located in Chariton County, Missouri. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... USMA redirects here. ...

World War II

Taylor's rise to the highest echelons of U.S. government began under the tutelage of General Matthew B. Ridgway in the US Army's 82nd Airborne Division when Ridgway commanded the division in the early part of World War II. In 1943, Taylor's diplomatic and language skills resulted in his secret mission to Rome to coordinate an 82nd air drop with Italian forces. General Eisenhower would later say that "the risks he ran were greater than I asked any other agent or emissary to take during the war."^[1] Hundreds of miles behind the front lines of battle, Taylor was forced by rules of engagement to wear his American military uniform, so that if captured he could not be shot as a spy. He met with the new Italian Prime Minister, Marshal Pietro Badoglio. The air drop near Rome to capture the city was called off at the last minute, when Taylor realized that it was too late. German forces were already moving in to cover the intended drop zones. Transport planes were already in the air when Taylor's message canceled the drop, preventing the suicide mission. These efforts behind enemy lines got Taylor noticed at the highest levels of the Allied command. Matthew Bunker Ridgway (March 3, 1895 - July 26, 1993) was a United States Army general. ... The 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army was constituted in the National Army as the 82nd Division on August 5, 1917, and was organized on August 25, 1917, at Camp Gordon, Georgia. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Pietro Badoglio (September 28, 1871 - November 1, 1956) was an Italian soldier and politician. ...

After the campaigns in the Mediterranean, Taylor was assigned to command the 101st Airborne Division, which was training in England, after the 101st's first commander Major General Bill Lee suffered a heart attack. The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)—nicknamed the “Screaming Eagles”—is an airborne division of the United States Army primarily trained for air assault operations. ... Major General William C. Lee William C. Lee (March 12, 1895 - June 25, 1948) was born in Dunn, North Carolina. ...

Taylor jumped into Normandy on June 6, 1944, with his men. He was the first Allied general to land in France on D-Day. He commanded the 101st Airborne Division for the rest of the war, but missed out leading the division during its most famous conflict, the Battle of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge, because he was attending a staff conference in the United States. The Division Artillery commander, Brig. Gen. Anthony McAuliffe exercised command in his absence. Some of the paratroopers resented Taylor for this later. General Taylor called the defense of Bastogne the 101st Airborne Division's "finest hour" of the war and stated that his absence there was one of his greatest disappointments in World War II.^[2] For other uses, see Normandy (disambiguation). ... Battle plans for the Normandy Invasion — the most famous D-Day. ... Combatants United States Germany Commanders Anthony McAuliffe Hasso von Manteuffel Strength 101st Airborne Division, Combat Command B of 10th Armored Division Nine German divisions (mostly Panzer) (estimated) Wikisource has original text related to this article: THE ARDENNES: BATTLE OF THE BULGE. CHAPTER XIX: THE BATTLE OF BASTOGNE The Battle of... For the 1965 film, see Battle of the Bulge (film). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... An American Paratrooper using a T-10C series parachute Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and formed into an airborne force. ...

After World War II

Honor Monument at West Point

From 1945 to 1949 Taylor was superintendent of West Point. In 1947, he drafted the first official Honor Code publication marking the beginning of the written “Cadet Honor Code” at West Point.^[3] Afterwards he was the commander of allied troops in Berlin from 1949 to 1951. The commanding officer of the United States Military Academy is its Superintendent. ... Alternate meanings: West Point (disambiguation). ... This article is about the capital of Germany. ...

In 1953, he was sent to the Korean War. From 1955 to 1959, he was the Army Chief of Staff, succeeding his former mentor, Matthew B. Ridgway. During his tenure as Army Chief of Staff, Taylor attempted to guide the service into the age of nuclear weapons by restructuring the infantry division. Observers such as Colonel David Hackworth have written that the effort gutted the role of US Army company and field grade officers, rendering it unable to adapt to the dynamics of combat in Vietnam. Belligerents United Nations: Republic of Korea Australia Belgium Canada Colombia Ethiopia France Greece Luxembourg Netherlands New Zealand Philippines South Africa Thailand Turkey United Kingdom United States Naval Support and Military Servicing/Repairs: Japan Medical staff: Denmark Italy Norway India Sweden DPR Korea PR China Soviet Union Commanders Syngman Rhee Chung... The Flag of the Chief of Staff of the United States Army The Chief of Staff of the United States Army (CSA) is the highest ranking officer in the United States Army and is member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff [1]. Prior to 1903, the military head of the... Matthew Bunker Ridgway (March 3, 1895–July 26, 1993) was a United States Army general. ... For other uses, see Colonel (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

During 1957, President Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered General Taylor to deploy 1,000 troops from the 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock, Arkansas to enforce Federal court orders to desegregate Central High School during the Little Rock Crisis. Dwight David Eisenhower, born David Dwight Eisenhower (October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969), nicknamed Ike, was a five-star General in the United States Army and U.S. politician, who served as the thirty-fourth President of the United States (1953–1961). ... The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)—nicknamed the “Screaming Eagles”—is an airborne division of the United States Army primarily trained for air assault operations. ... Little Rock redirects here. ... Central International Studies High School is a secondary school in Little Rock, Arkansas. ... The Little Rock Nine is the common term applied to the nine African-American students who were prevented from attending Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas during 1957. ...

As Army Chief of Staff, Taylor was an outspoken critic of the Eisenhower Administration's "New Look" defense policy, which he viewed as dangerously over-reliant on nuclear arms and neglectful of conventional forces; he also criticized the inadequacies of the Joint Chiefs of Staff system. Frustrated with the administration's failure to heed his arguments, General Taylor retired from active service in July of 1959. He campaigned publicly against the "New Look," culminating in the publication in January 1960 of a highly critical book entitled "The Uncertain Trumpet." The New Look was the name given to the national security policy of the United States during the administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. ...

Return to Duty

As the 1960 presidential campaign unfolded, Democratic nominee John Kennedy criticized Eisenhower's defense policy and championed a muscular "flexible response" policy intentionally aligned with Taylor's views as described in "The Uncertain Trumpet." After the April 1961 failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion, Kennedy, who felt the Joint Chiefs of Staff had failed to provide him with satisfactory military advice, appointed Taylor to head a task force to investigate the failure of the invasion. John Kennedy and JFK redirect here. ... Flexible response was a nuclear strategy implemented by John F. Kennedy in 1961 to supersede the previous policy of Massive Retaliation. ... Belligerents Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces Cuban exiles trained by the United States Commanders Fidel Castro José Ramón Fernández Ernesto Che Guevara Francisco Ciutat de Miguel John F. Kennedy Grayston Lynch Pepe San Roman Erneido Oliva Strength 15,000 1,511 Cuban exiles 2 CIA agents Casualties and losses... Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States of America symbol The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is a group comprising the Chiefs of service of each major branch of the armed services in the United States armed forces. ...

Both President Kennedy and his brother, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, had immense regard for Taylor, whom they saw as a man of unquestionable integrity, sincerity, intelligence and diplomacy. The Cuba Study Group met for six weeks from April to May 1961 to perform an 'autopsy' on the disastrous events surrounding the Bay of Pigs invasion. In the course of their work together, Taylor developed a deep regard and a personal affection for Robert F. Kennedy, a friendship which was wholly mutual and which remained firm until Kennedy's assassination in 1963. Robert Francis Bobby Kennedy (November 20, 1925 – June 6, 1968), also called RFK, was one of two younger brothers of U.S. President John F. Kennedy and served as United States Attorney General from 1961 to 1964. ... Map showing the location of the Bay of Pigs. ... Robert Francis Bobby Kennedy (November 20, 1925 – June 6, 1968), also called RFK, was one of two younger brothers of U.S. President John F. Kennedy and served as United States Attorney General from 1961 to 1964. ...

Taylor spoke of Robert Kennedy glowingly, "He is always on the lookout for a 'snow job', impatient with evasion and imprecision, and relentless in his determination to get at the truth." Robert Kennedy named one of his sons Matthew Maxwell Taylor Kennedy (better known as an adult as "Max"). Matthew Maxwell Taylor Kennedy (born January 11, 1965), also known as Max Kennedy, was born in New York, New York. ...

Shortly after the investigation concluded, the Kennedys' warm feelings for Taylor and the president's lack of confidence in the Joint Chiefs of Staff led John Kennedy to recall Taylor to active duty and install him in the newly-created post of "Military Representative to the President." His close personal relationship with the President and White House access effectively made Taylor the president's primary military advisor, cutting out the Joint Chiefs. On 1 October 1962, Kennedy ended this uncomfortable arrangement by appointing Taylor as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a position in which he served until 1964. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is by law the highest ranking military officer of the United States military, and the principal military advisor to the President of the United States. ...

The Vietnam War

Taylor was of crucial importance during the first weeks and months of the Vietnam War. Whereas initially President Kennedy had told Taylor that "the independence of South Vietnam rests with the people and government of that country," Taylor was soon to recommend that 8,000 American combat troops be sent to the region at once. After making his report to the Cabinet and the Chiefs of Staff, Taylor was to reflect on the decision to send troops to South Vietnam that, "I don't recall anyone who was strongly against, except one man, and that was the President. The President just didn't want to be convinced that this was the right thing to do.... It was really the President's personal conviction that U.S. ground troops shouldn't go in."(Schlesinger, Robert Kennedy: His Life and Times) Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000...

Criticisms:

Taylor received fierce criticism in Maj. (now Col.) H.R. McMaster's book "Dereliction of Duty". Specifically, Gen. Taylor was accused of intentionally misrepresenting the views of the Joint Chiefs to Secretary of Defense McNamara, and cutting the Joint Chiefs out of the decision making process.^[4] Whereas the Chiefs felt that it was their duty to offer unqualified assessments and recommendations on military matters, Gen. Taylor was of the firm belief that the Chairman should not only support the President's decisions but also be a true believer in them. This discrepancy manifested itself during the early planning phases of the war while it was still being decided what the nature of American involvement should be. McNamara and the civilians of the Office of the Secretary of Defense were firmly behind the idea of graduated pressure, that is, to escalate pressure slowly against North Vietnam in order to demonstrate US resolve. The Joint Chiefs, however, strenuously disagreed with this and believed that if the US got involved further in Vietnam, it should be with the clear intention of winning and through the use of overwhelming force. Using a variety of political maneuvering, including liberal use of outright deception, McMaster contends that Gen. Taylor succeeded in keeping the Joint Chief's opinions away from the President and helped set the stage for McNamara to begin to dominate systematically the US decision making process on Vietnam. Col. ...

Second Retirement

He again retired and became Ambassador to South Vietnam from 1964 to 1965, succeeding Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. He was Special Consultant to the President and Chairman of the Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board (1965–1969) and President of the Institute for Defense Analyses (1966–1969). After World War II France attempted to regain control of Vietnam, which they had lost to Japan in 1940. ... Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. ... The Presidents Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board (PFIAB) is part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States. ... The Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) is a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) focusing on defense issues. ...

General Taylor died in Washington, D.C. on 19 April 1987 of Lou Gehrig's Disease. He was interred at Arlington National Cemetery. For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ... is the 109th day of the year (110th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year 1987. ... Motor neurone disease (MND) is a term used to cover a number of illnesses of the motor neurone: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), progressive muscular atrophy (PMA), progressive bulbar palsy (PBP) and progressive lateral sclerosis (PLS). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Dramatic portrayals

• Taylor was portrayed by Paul Maxwell in A Bridge Too Far and by Bill Smitrovich in Thirteen Days.

Paul Maxwell (b. ... This article is about the 1977 film. ... Bill Smitrovich (born May 16, 1947) is an American actor. ... Thirteen Days (2000) is a Hollywood film about the Cuban Missile Crisis, directed by Roger Donaldson and starring Kevin Costner, Bruce Greenwood, and Steven Culp. ...

See also

United States Army Portal

Image File history File links United_States_Department_of_the_Army_Seal. ...

References

• For Bay of Pigs and Vietnam War material - "Robert F. Kennedy and His Times", Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.

• "The Chairmanship of the Joint Chiefs of Staff." Ronald H. Cole, Lorna S. Jaffe, Walter S. Poole, Willard J. Webb. Joint History Office, Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1995. Section II, pp. 77-84. http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/jel/history/jcspart2.pdf

• "An American Soldier: the Wars of General Maxwell Taylor" John M. Taylor, Presidio Press, 1989

Notes

See also

• The Best and the Brightest

The Best and the Brightest (1972) is an account by journalist David Halberstam on the origins of the Vietnam War. ...

External links

• General Maxwell Taylor, Official Army Bio
• General Maxwell Taylor, Official Joint Chiefs of Staff Bio in pdf format
• Maxwell Davenport Taylor, General, United States Army at Arlington National Cemetery Website

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