James M. Gavin

James M. Gavin
Lieutenant General James M. Gavin, pictured here in 1964.
United States Ambassador to France
In office March 21, 1961 – September 26, 1962
President	John F. Kennedy
Preceded by	Amory Houghton
Succeeded by	Charles E. Bohlen
Personal details
Born	James Maurice Gavin (1907-03-22)March 22, 1907 New York City, New York, United States
Died	February 23, 1990(1990-02-23) (aged 82) Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Resting place	West Point Cemetery, West Point, New York, United States
Spouses	Irma Baulsir ​ ​ (m. 1929; div. 1947)​ [a] Jean Emert Duncan ​ (m. 1948)​
Children	5
Nickname(s)	"The Jumping General" "Slim Jim" "Jumpin' Jim"[1]
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1924–1958
Rank	Lieutenant General
Unit	Infantry Branch
Commands	505th Parachute Infantry Regiment 82nd Airborne Division VII Corps
Battles/wars	World War II Operation Husky Operation Avalanche Operation Overlord Operation Market Garden Battle of the Bulge Korean War
Awards	Distinguished Service Cross (2) Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star (2) Bronze Star Medal Purple Heart Distinguished Service Order (United Kingdom) Legion of Honour (France)
Service number	0-17676

James Maurice Gavin (March 22, 1907 – February 23, 1990), sometimes called "Jumpin' Jim" and "the jumping general", was a senior United States Army officer, with the rank of lieutenant general, who was the third Commanding General (CG) of the 82nd Airborne Division during World War II. During the war, he was often referred to as "The Jumping General" because of his practice of taking part in combat jumps with the paratroopers under his command; he was the only American general officer to make four combat jumps in the war.

Gavin was the youngest major general to command an American division in World War II, being only 37^[2] upon promotion,^[3] and the youngest lieutenant general after the war, in March 1955. He was awarded two Distinguished Service Crosses and several other decorations for his service in the war. During combat, he was known for his habit of carrying an M1 rifle, typically carried by enlisted U.S. infantry soldiers, instead of the M1 carbine, which officers customarily carried.^[4]

Gavin also worked against segregation in the U.S. Army,^[4] which gained him some notability. After the war, Gavin served as United States Ambassador to France from 1961 to 1962.

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