The Daily Record
The Life And Impact Of William C. Lee
By EMILY NICOLE MORELAND
Gen. William C. Lee is widely considered the “Father of the US Army Airborne,” having one of the largest influences on the Airborne division in the 1900s. He made a large impact in war, success of the U.S. Army and on individuals who see him as an influential leader to this day.
William Carey Lee was born on March 12, 1895 in Dunn. He attended Wake Tech and North Carolina State University, graduating as an active member of the ROTC program and was immediately commissioned as an infantry second lieutenant in the U.S. Army in 1917.
He served in World War I and through this time, moved up in rank toward being a major general which he reached by the time the United States entered World War II. Sponsored by President Franklin Roosevelt, Lee was authorized to form the first paratroop platoon, followed by the Provisional Parachute group and the United States Airborne Command.
He became the first commander at the Army’s jumping school in Fort Benning, Ga. He won awards like the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Parachutist Badge, Army of Occupation of Germany Medal, World War I Victory Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal.
William C. Lee is of importance to the United States of America because of the hard work, dedication and passion. He is a great example of what a leader should exhibit. He directly impacted the United States of America throughout his time in the Army by “fathering” the Airborne, taking part in multiple wars and taking part in duty. He set the precedent of what people need to strive for and the drive they must have to succeed. Many people have followed in his footsteps since; without someone proving their worth and capability, we’d be left in a world of self doubt without anyone trying to achieve the unachievable.
Because of people like William C. Lee, we continuously show that we as Americans strive for the highest length possible. Since the time of Gen. William C. Lee, we have made incredible improvements that our leaders who led us to do so would be endlessly proud of. People like Ulysses Grant, William C. Lee and more have set the standard of our future; they directly impacted the United States of America by setting us up for success and always striving for that itself. We continue to defend our freedom in honor of our leaders who did so for us.
On Feb. 5, 1944, William C Lee suffered a stroke or a heart attack (unknown) and was unable to return to active duty from this point forward. He was denied the ability to lead the 101st Division into Normandy. His successor and his men honored him by shouting the name “Bill Lee” as they jumped. He officially retired in December, leaving behind an unforgettable legacy that we continue to honor today.
William C. Lee exhibited all of the seven army values; leadership, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage. He is one of the many courageous leaders who set the standard we follow today, and for that, we honor him through our duty, respect and following of the other values.
He impacted both then and now by applying lessons learned to the United States army and implementing the way to personally follow as well. “A good Indian makes one great chief” is a quote I hear daily in my JROTC program, and I think this directly applies to William C. Lee. He took the initiative to follow correctly behind his leaders, and then became a great leader himself. This is something that everyone must do at some point in their lives, in many different situations. People like William C. Lee have shown us how to do this and why it’s so important; the impact it will leave is timeless. Emily Nicole Moreland, a rising junior at Harnett Central High School, is the daughter of Peggy Littleton and Joey Smith of Lillington.
Emily
