William T. Ryder
| Brig. Gen. William T. Ryder | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 16, 1913 |
| Died | October 1, 1992 (aged 79) Pinehurst, North Carolina |
| Buried | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1936–1966 |
| Rank |
 Brigadier General
|
| Commands held |
Parachute Test Platoon 542nd Parachute Infantry Regiment |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
 Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit with three Oak Leaf Clusters Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster Master Parachutist Badge
|
William Thomas “Bill” Ryder (April 16, 1913 – October 1, 1992) was an officer of the United States Army and the first American paratrooper during World War II. Ryder helped pioneer Army airborne training, equipment and tactics alongside men like Jim Gavin, William Yarborough, Bill Lee, Art Gorham and Bud Miley. He was an aide to General of the Army Douglas MacArthur from 1944 until 1951. In the early 1960s he was a top Army expert in guided missile systems, retiring as a brigadier general in 1966.
Ryder graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1936. Among his classmates was William P. Yarborough.
More than 200 soldiers volunteered to make up the first platoon of paratroopers. Ryder was selected through a competitive written exam that was scheduled to take two hours. He finished it in 45 minutes while still earning the top score. The second highest scorer was Lt. James A. Bassett who thus became the assistant platoon leader. The platoon billeted at Lawson Army Air Field near Ft. Benning. Ryder is credited with creating "Ryder's Death Ride" a 34-foot tower from which trainees practiced jumping. After completing a rigorous conditioning and training program that Ryder had devised, on August 16, 1940, Ryder and ten members of his platoon made their first jump from a Douglas C-33. Ryder was the first man to exit the aircraft. The first enlisted man to jump was Pvt. William N. "Red" King. The platoon conducted its first mass jump on August 29, 1940.
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