William C. Lee
| William C. Lee | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Nickname(s) | "Father of the U.S. Army Airborne" |
| Born |
March 12, 1895 Dunn, North Carolina, United States |
| Died | June 25, 1948 (aged 53) Dunn, North Carolina, United States |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1917–1944 |
| Rank |
 Major General
|
| Unit |
 Infantry Branch
|
| Commands held | 101st Airborne Division |
| Battles/wars |
World War I World War II |
| Awards |
Distinguished Service Medal Parachutist Badge Army of Occupation of Germany Medal World War I Victory Medal World War II Victory Medal |
Major General William Carey "Bill" Lee (March 12, 1895 –June 25, 1948) was a senior United States Army officer who fought in both World War I and World War II, where he commanded the 101st Airborne Division, nicknamed the "Screaming Eagles". Lee is often referred to as the "Father of the U.S. Airborne".
Lee was born in Dunn, North Carolina, one of the seven children of Eldridge Lee and his wife Emma. His father was a merchant. Lee attended Wake Forest College and North Carolina State College. He participated in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program, graduated from NC State, being commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Infantry Branch of the United States Army in 1917, after the American entry into World War I. Lee served in World War I with the American Expeditionary Force (AEF), which was commanded by General John J. Pershing, on the Western Front. During the war he served as both a platoon and company commander.
He stayed in the army during the interwar period and, soon after the war ended, and taking an interest in armored warfare, he attended the tank warfare training schools in Fort Meade, Maryland and at Versailles, France. In the 1930s he attended the U.S. Army Command and General Staff School and was promoted to major soon after. On a tour of Europe he first observed the revolutionary new German airborne forces which he believed the U.S. Army should adopt. He returned to the United States where he was ordered to the Office of the Chief of Infantry at Washington, D.C..
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