A Biography of GENERAL JAMES M, GAVIN James Maurice "Jumpin' Jim" Gavin (March 22, 1907 - February 23, 1990) 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 upon promotion, 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 Garand rifle typically carried by enlisted U.S. infantry soldiers, as opposed to the M1 carbine rifles traditionally carried by officers. Gavin also worked against segregation in the U.S. Army,[3] which gained him some notoriety.

Gavin

Bradley Biggs

Archon Books

<p>In the winter of 1943-44, in an army that often relegated blacks to menial jobs, a small group of American soldiers succeeded in becoming the nation's first all-black parachute infantry test platoon, company and battalion: the 555th Battalion of the 82nd Airborne -- the Triple Nickles. The high professional standards of the 555th, the men's skill in airborne operations, fearlessness in testing new concepts, and effectiveness in training other personnel mark them as pioneers whose achievement had an impact on society far beyond the army and paved the way for the modern military</p>

The Triple Nickles: America's first all-Black paratroop unit

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Military

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Gavin

The Triple Nickles: America's first all-Black paratroop unit