Benjamin Harrison (major general)
| Benjamin Leslie Harrison | |
|---|---|
MG Benjamin L Harrison
|
|
| Born |
July 23, 1928 Trumann, AR |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1946 - 1978 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
| Awards |
Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star (2) Distinguished Flying Cross (2) Legion of Merit (2) Soldier's Medal Air Medal (40) |
Major General (Ret.) Benjamin L. Harrison (born 1928), is an American military leader notable for his contributions to the tactics of modern airmobile warfare involving the integration of helicopters with infantry and armor forces for both rapid deployment and subsequent support. General Harrison was an early advocate, theorist and practitioner of these tactics, commonly referred to as "air assault." They are analogous to the revolutionary use of armor and air support with infantry in blitzkrieg warfare in early World War II, and are critical to modern military doctrine as practiced in Vietnam Iraq and Afghanistan.
General Harrison developed basic principles and practices of "vertical envelopment" theory in the years following the Korean War to take advantage of the developments in rotary wing aircraft during the period between World War II and the Vietnam War. He was able to put those principles into practice in Vietnam, first as a combat aviation battalion commander and later as an infantry brigade commander in the 101st Airborne Division, one of the pioneer airmobile divisions, and expanded them as an advisor to commanding generals of the South Vietnamese 1st Division and the Vietnamese Airborne Division during Operation Lam Son 719.
Benjamin Leslie Harrison was born one of two children of Dr. Ben L. Harrison, MD, and Ruth Blackshare Harrison in the rural community of Trumann, in the northeastern corner of Arkansas on July 23, 1928. Ben’s father died in 1938 when Ben was 10. An excellent student, Ben was able to transfer to Arkansas State College while still a junior in high school. He subsequently transferred to the University of Mississippi as a sophomore in 1945.
Early in 1946, six months before his 18th birthday, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He rose rapidly through the ranks, becoming a Regular Army sergeant first class at age 19. He completed airborne training as the enlisted honor graduate of the class. Upon completion of his enlistment, he returned to the University of Mississippi, obtaining his Bachelor of Arts degree there in 1951, majoring in psychology. He had remained in the enlisted Army Reserve, was commissioned a second lieutenant of Infantry as Distinguished Military Graduate in 1951 and volunteered for active duty to serve as a military personnel psychologist.
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