William P. Yarborough

William Pelham Yarborough
Nickname(s)	"Father of the Modern Green Berets"
Born	May 12, 1912 Seattle, Washington, United States
Died	December 6, 2005 (aged 93) Southern Pines, North Carolina, United States
Buried at	Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, United States
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1931–1971
Rank	Lieutenant General
Unit	Infantry Branch
Commands held	2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion 473rd Infantry Regimental Combat Team 1st Battle Group, 7th Infantry Regiment 66th Counterintelligence Corps Group United States Army Special Warfare Center/School for Special Warfare I Corps
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Army Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star Legion of Merit with 3 oak leaves Bronze Star Italian Bronze Medal of Military Valor Italian Cross for Valor French Croix de guerre with Palm Korean Order of Merit Second Class

Lieutenant General William Pelham Yarborough (May 12, 1912 – December 6, 2005) was a senior United States Army officer. Yarborough designed the U.S. Army's parachutist badge, paratrooper or 'jump' boots, and the airborne jump uniform. He is known as the "Father of the Modern Green Berets." He is descended from the Yorkshire House of Yarborough. Yarborough is a distant cousin to such British noble figures as the Baron Deramore and Lord Alvingham.

William Pelham Yarborough was born May 12, 1912 in Seattle, Washington. He is the son of Colonel Leroy W. and Addessia Yarborough. He attended high school at San Rafael Military Academy in California and later at Columbus, Georgia. In 1931, Yarborough enlisted in the United States Army, obtaining an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy a year later in 1932. At his graduation from West Point in June 1936 Yarborough was sworn in as a second lieutenant by General of the Armies John Joseph Pershing. He was assigned to the 57th Infantry Regiment, Philippine Scouts at Fort McKinley, Luzon where he remained until February 1940, when he was transferred to the 29th Infantry Regiment at Fort Benning, Georgia. He volunteered for the airborne forces and joined the newly formed 501st Parachute Battalion in late 1940 and was given command of Company "C". Later, as Test Officer for the Provisional Parachute Group in 1941, he designed the paratrooper's boot, the paratrooper's uniform, the parachutist's qualification badge, and a number of aerial delivery containers for which he received U. S. patents.

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