Maxwell D. Taylor
Maxwell Davenport Taylor (August 26, 1901 – April 19, 1987) was a senior United States Army officer and diplomat of the mid-20th century.[1] He served with distinction in World War II, most notably as commander of the 101st Airborne Division, nicknamed "The Screaming Eagles."
After the war, he served as the fifth chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, having been appointed by President John F. Kennedy. He is the father of biographer and historian John Maxwell Taylor and of military historian and author Thomas Happer Taylor.
A controversial figure, Taylor was considered, along with Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, to have played a major role during the early days of the Vietnam War in the decision to deploy US combat troops to Vietnam and to escalate the conflict more generally.
Early life and career
Born in
Taylor transferred to the Field Artillery and, from 1926 to 1927, served with the 10th Field Artillery, receiving promotion to first lieutenant. Having demonstrated a facility for foreign languages, he studied French in Paris and was then assigned to West Point as an instructor in French and Spanish. He graduated from the Field Artillery School in 1933, and he completed the course at the United States Army Command and General Staff College in 1935.
Taylor was promoted to captain in August 1935 and served at the American embassy in Tokyo from 1935 to 1939, including attaché duty in China in 1937. He graduated from the United States Army War College in 1940 and was promoted to major in July 1940.
World War II
Early assignments
Taylor served on the War Plans Division staff in 1940 and took part in a defense cooperation mission to Latin American countries. He commanded the 1st Battalion of the 12th Field Artillery Regiment from 1940 to 1941, and then served in the Office of the Secretary of the General Staff until 1942. He received temporary promotions to lieutenant colonel in December 1941, colonel in February 1942, and brigadier general in December 1942.
Combat in Italy
In 1942, Taylor became chief of staff of the
Hundreds of miles behind the front lines of battle, Taylor was forced by the rules of engagement to wear his American military uniform to prevent himself, if captured, from being shot as a spy. He met with the new Italian prime minister, Marshal Pietro Badoglio, and General Carboni. The air drop near Rome to capture the city was called off at the last minute since Taylor realized that 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 mission. His efforts behind enemy lines got Taylor noticed at the highest levels of the Allied command.
101st Airborne Division
After the campaigns in the Mediterranean, Taylor was assigned to become the
Taylor took part in the division's parachute jump into Normandy on June 6, 1944 (D-Day), the first Allied general officer to land in France on D-Day. He subsequently commanded the 101st in the Battle of Normandy, including in the capture of Carentan on June 13, and the division continued to fight in the campaign as regular infantry. The 101st Airborne Division was pulled out of the line in late June, having been in almost continuous action for nearly a month, and in early July, he returned to England to rest and refit and absorb replacements, after having suffered over 4,600 casualties.
Having been brought up to strength, Taylor led the 101st in Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands in September 1944. He was not present for the division's action during the Siege of Bastogne as part of the Battle of the Bulge since he was attending a staff conference in the United States. The Divisional Artillery commander, Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe, exercised command in his absence. Taylor called the defense of Bastogne the 101st Airborne Division's "finest hour" of the war and stated that his absence was one of his greatest disappointments of the war.[3] After Bastogne, Taylor's 101st saw little further service in the war and was sent to the United States in late 1945, where it was deactivated in November.
Post-World War II
On September 4, 1945, Taylor became superintendent of the United States Military Academy.[4][5][6] In 1947, he drafted the first official Honor Code publication marking the beginning of the written "Cadet Honor Code" at West Point.[7] He was succeeded by Bryant Moore on January 28, 1949.[8] Afterwards he was the commander of allied troops in West Berlin from 1949 to 1951; when he left that post, he felt like a "Berliner," more than a decade before John F. Kennedy gave his famous "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech in the city.[9] In July 1951 he was promoted to lieutenant general and assigned as the U.S. Army Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Administration at the Pentagon.
In June 1953, he was sent to Korea, where he commanded the
During 1957, President
As Army Chief of Staff, Taylor was an outspoken critic of the Eisenhower administration's "New Look" defense policy, which he viewed as dangerously overreliant on nuclear arms and neglectful of conventional forces; Taylor also criticized the inadequacies of the Joint Chiefs of Staff system. Frustrated with the administration's failure to heed his arguments, Taylor retired from active service in July 1959. He campaigned publicly against the "New Look," culminating in the publication in January 1960 of a highly critical book, The Uncertain Trumpet.
Return to active duty
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As the 1960 presidential campaign unfolded, Democratic nominee John F. 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.
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.[citation needed] 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 that was wholly mutual and which remained firm until RFK's assassination in 1968.
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." In January, 1965 Robert Kennedy named his next-to-last son
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 adviser, cutting out the Joint Chiefs. On October 1, 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.
Vietnam War
Taylor was of crucial importance during the first few years of the
In May 1963, mass protests and civil disobedience broke out in South Vietnam in response to President
Taylor remained opposed to any moves towards the disposal of Diem. Years afterward, he said that Diem was "a terrible pain in the neck", but was a devoted servant of his country.[19] Taylor called on Kennedy to support Diem until a better leader had been lined up, pointing out that the officers were divided and therefore could not be relied on to plot and stage a coup.[19]
The junta led by General
In August, following widespread Buddhist protests, some senior officers, particularly the Catholic Generals
Taylor frequently clashed with General
Criticisms
Taylor received fierce criticism in Major (later Lieutenant General and
Whereas the Chiefs felt that it was their duty to offer unbiased assessments and recommendations on military matters, 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. That 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: to escalate pressure slowly against North Vietnam in order to demonstrate U.S. resolve. The Joint Chiefs, however, strenuously disagreed with that 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. McMaster contends that using a variety of political maneuvering, including liberal use of outright deception, Taylor succeeded in keeping the Joint Chiefs' opinions away from the President and helped set the stage for McNamara to begin to dominate systematically the U.S. decision-making process on Vietnam.
Taylor was also criticized by Tom Ricks in his book The Generals (2012): "Maxwell Taylor arguably was the most destructive general in American history. As Army chief of staff in the 1950s, he steered the US military toward engaging in 'brushfire wars.' As White House military adviser during the early 1960s, he encouraged President John F. Kennedy to deepen American involvement in Vietnam. As chairman of the Joint Chiefs, he poisoned relations between the military and civilian leadership. He was also key in picking Gen. William Westmoreland to command the war there."
Second retirement
Taylor again retired from the Army on July 1, 1964, having been succeeded as Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff by General
Afflicted with
Personal life
In 1925, Taylor married the former Lydia Gardner Happer (1901–1997). They had two sons: John Maxwell Taylor and Thomas Happer Taylor, the latter being a West Point graduate (Class of 1960) and Army officer.
Dramatic portrayals
- Taylor was portrayed by Paul Maxwell in A Bridge Too Far, Andrew Duggan in The Missiles of October and Bill Smitrovich in Thirteen Days.[30]
Major assignments
- Commander, 101st Airborne Division, March 1944 to August 1945
- Superintendent, United States Military Academy, September 4, 1945 to January 28, 1949
- Commander, US Forces in West Berlin, February 1949 to June 1951
- Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Administration, July 1951 to February 1953
- Commander, Eighth United States Army, February 11, 1953 to March 25, 1955
- Commander, United Nations Command, April 1, 1955 to June 5, 1955
- Chief of Staff, United States Army, June 30, 1955 to June 30, 1959
- Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, October 1, 1962 to July 1, 1964
Awards
United States decorations and medals
- Basic Parachutist Badge with two bronze jump stars
- Distinguished Service Cross
- Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army) with three oak leaf clusters
- Silver Star with one oak leaf cluster
- Legion of Merit
- Bronze Star Medal
- Purple Heart
- Presidential Unit Citation with oak leaf cluster
- World War I Victory Medal (United States)
- American Defense Service Medal with "Foreign Service" clasp
- American Campaign Medal
- campaign stars
- World War II Victory Medal
- Army of Occupation Medal
- National Defense Service Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster
- Korean Service Medal with two campaign stars
Foreign orders, decorations and medals
- Chief Commander, Philippine Legion of Honor, Philippines
- Grand Cordon, Order of the Cloud and Banner, China
- Grand Cordon, Order of the Holy Trinity, Ethiopia
- Grand Officer, Order of Leopold, Belgium
- Grand Officer with palm, Order of the Crown, Belgium
- Grand Officer, Order of Boyaca, Colombia
- Companion, Order of the Bath, United Kingdom
- Knight Commander, Order of the British Empire, United Kingdom
- Commander, Legion of Honor, France
- Knight, Legion of Honor, France
- Commander, Order of George I, Greece
- Companion, Distinguished Service Order, United Kingdom
- Croix de Guerre with palm, France
- Order of National Security Merit, 2nd class with two stars
- Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, Commander
- Brazilian Order of Military Merit, Commander
- United Nations Korea Medal
(General Taylor also received a number of other foreign honors.)
Dates of rank
No insignia | Cadet, United States Military Academy: November 6, 1918 |
Second Lieutenant, Regular Army: June 13, 1922 | |
First Lieutenant, Regular Army: February 13, 1927 | |
Captain, Regular Army: August 1, 1935 | |
Major, Regular Army: July 1, 1940 | |
Lieutenant Colonel, Army of the United States: December 24, 1941 | |
Colonel, Army of the United States: February 1, 1942 | |
Brigadier General, Army of the United States: December 4, 1942 | |
Major General, Army of the United States: May 31, 1944 | |
Lieutenant Colonel, Regular Army: June 13, 1945 | |
Brigadier General, Regular Army: January 24, 1948 (Later changed to June 27, 1944.) | |
Major General, Regular Army: July 29, 1951 | |
Lieutenant General, Army of the United States: August 3, 1951 | |
General, Army of the United States: June 23, 1953 | |
General, Regular Army, Retired List: July 1, 1959 | |
General, Retired on active duty: October 1, 1962 | |
General, Regular Army, Retired List: July 1, 1964 |
See also
- The Best and the Brightest
- General Maxwell Taylor's talk before the March 14, 1960 New York Herald Tribune Book and Author Luncheon as broadcast by WNYC.
Notes
- ^ a b "Gen. Taylor, war hero, ex-ambassador, dies". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. April 21, 1987. p. A1. Retrieved December 16, 2022 – via Google News Archive.
- ^ Krebs, Albin (April 21, 1987). "Maxwell D. Taylor, Soldier and Envoy, Dies". The New York Times. p. A1. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
- ^ Cole C. Kingseed (September 1, 2003). "An American Soldier: the Wars of General Maxwell Taylor – Book Review'". Infantry Magazine.
- ^ "West Point Salutes Taylor as New Chief". The New York Times. September 4, 1945. p. 14. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
- ^ "West Point Changes Commanders" (Press release). Associated Press. September 5, 1945.
- ^ "Gen. Maxwell Taylor Will Head West Point". The New York Times. August 21, 1945. p. 38. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
- ^ "West Point". Archived from the original on March 6, 2012. Retrieved April 9, 2008.
- ^ "A Change in the Command at U.S. Military Academy". The New York Times. January 28, 1949.
- ^ Andreas Daum, Kennedy in Berlin. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2008, p. 49.
- ^ Schlesinger, Robert Kennedy: His Life and Times p. 705
- ^ Karnow, pp. 294–315.
- ^ Jacobs, pp. 162–63.
- ^ Karnow, pp. 303–04.
- ^ Halberstam, pp. 157–58.
- ^ Jones, pp. 314–316.
- ^ a b c d e Jones, p. 319.
- ^ Jones, pp. 318–319.
- ^ Jones, p. 318.
- ^ a b c Jones, p. 320.
- ^ Jones, p. 321.
- ^ Kahin, p. 186.
- ^ Blair, p. 108.
- ^ Moyar (2004), pp. 762–763.
- ^ Moyar (2004), p. 763.
- ^ "Coup collapses in Saigon; Khanh forces in power; U.S. pledges full support". The New York Times. September 14, 1964. p. 1.
- ^ "South Viet Nam: Continued Progress". Time. September 18, 1964.
- ^ a b Kahin, p. 232.
- ISBN 978-0-06-092908-4. Retrieved September 25, 2010.
- ^ Arlington National Cemetery
- ^ Casting Band of Brothers
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.
- Blair, Anne E. (1995). Lodge in Vietnam: A Patriot Abroad. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-06226-5.
- ISBN 978-0-7425-6007-9.
- Jacobs, Seth (2006). Cold War Mandarin: Ngo Dinh Diem and the Origins of America's War in Vietnam, 1950–1963. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 0-7425-4447-8.
- Jones, Howard (2003). Death of a Generation: how the assassinations of Diem and JFK prolonged the Vietnam War. New York City: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-505286-2.
- ISBN 978-0-394-54367-3.
- ISBN 0-670-84218-4.
- Moyar, Mark (2006). Triumph Forsaken: The Vietnam War, 1954–1965. New York City: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-86911-9.
- Shaplen, Robert (1966). The Lost Revolution: Vietnam 1945–1965. London: André Deutsch. OCLC 460367485.
- ISBN 9780811768511.
- Taylor, John M. (2001). An American Soldier: The Wars of General Maxwell Taylor. Presidio Press. ISBN 978-0891417521.
External links
- General Maxwell Taylor, Official Army Bio Archived February 14, 2021, at the Wayback Machine in Commanding Generals and Chiefs of Staff a publication of the United States Army Center of Military History
- Film Footage of General Maxwell Taylor being sworn in as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Archived August 8, 2014, at the Wayback Machine at History in Pieces
- General Maxwell Taylor, Official Joint Chiefs of Staff Bio in pdf format
- General Maxwell Taylor's Orders for South Vietnam from JFK[permanent dead link] Shapell Manuscript Foundation
- Interview with Maxwell D. Taylor, 1979 (Part 1 of 4), WGBH Media Library & Archives.
- Generals of World War II
- United States Army Officers 1939–1945