Dan
05-13-2005, 07:32
Saw this article this AM:
Group to Honor ‘Father of Green Berets’
BY JOHN CHAPPELL: Staff Writer
Airborne wings, the Green Beret and the numbered combat knife now given to every Special Forces soldier who wins his tabs all came from one man — retired Lt. Gen. William P. “Bill” Yarborough of Southern Pines.
A volunteer committee of friends and admirers is raising funds to do something seldom done: honor a hero while he lives to hear the praise. They have commissioned a bust of the famed Army leader to be placed in the Airborne and Special Operations Museum in downtown Fayetteville.
“We are very appreciative of the support of Sandhills Kiwanis Club for allowing us to conduct this drive in their name,” said Norris Hodgkins.
Hodgkins and retired Col. Ed Matney are seeking contributions to cover the cost of a bronze, life-size bust made by artist Zenos Frudakis. Frudakis was in the Sandhills for the dedication of another of his works, which include sculptures of Robert Dedman and golf legend Payne Stewart. Voit Gilmore approached Frudakis about the idea of doing a bust of Yarborough. Frudakis, honored to be asked, set a low price.
“He gave us a very good deal,” Hodgkins said. “He came down here for the dedication of the Dedman statue. Voit Gilmore had the idea of asking him to do a bust of Bill Yarborough. The real daddy of the thing is Voit Gilmore.”
Those behind the project are primarily members of the Sandhills Kiwanis Club, an organization in which Yarborough has long been active.
“This is indeed a great opportunity,” Gilmore said. “A wonderful museum combining with the skill of world-famous sculptor Zenos Frudakis.”
A 1926 graduate of West Point, Yarborough served 36 years in all areas of Army Airborne, special operations and intelligence.
As a captain, Yarborough designed the famous jump wings. As a major, he planned and participated in the first U.S. combat parachute assault.
Yarborough later became the first commander of the Army’s Special Warfare Center, now the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School. He’s known as “the father of the Green Berets.”
Yarborough doesn’t see what all the fuss is about.
“I don’t know why they want a statue while I am still alive,” he said. “Why don’t they wait until I’m dead? I’m 93. They won’t have to wait long.”
Members of the committee want the honor of presenting the bust when Yarborough can see it.
“He is a very genuine down-to-earth person despite the fact that he is a lieutenant general,” Hodgkins said. “He has a great mind. That was his real contribution to the Army.
“He was father of the whole Special Forces concept. His outstanding career made a difference to the whole country. What they are doing now is what he advocated way back then.”
The famous Green Beret song, book, and movie can be traced to an agreement Yarborough made with author Robin Moore. He could write about the Special Forces, but he would go through the same training as everybody else and successfully pass the qualifying tests.
Moore became the first and only civilian to complete the arduous courses now culminating in Robin Sage.
“I still hear some hair-raising legends (and indeed they are delightful myths) about my performance in the Uwharrie National Forest during the exercise in which we defeated the forces of the Pineland Aggressor with our Band of Gs,” Moore wrote in a birthday letter to Yarborough some years ago. “I did actually pin a note on the gate of Lee Mize’s opposition camp, saying we had been there.”
Moore would go on to spend a week in the Mekong Delta with Medal of Honor winner Mize’s team. Mize himself came to Yarborough’s Southern Pines home for the presentation of the first Special Forces knife known as “The Yarborough Knife” — knife No. 0001.
“He is not only the father of the Green Berets,” Mize said at the time. “He is the one who brought us out of the wilderness and brought us into the light. He has done more than anyone alive or dead for special forces.”
But Yarborough himself modestly gives credit to others for the beret idea, chiefly to soldiers who wore them into combat, first in the North African campaigns of World War II.
Col. Edson D. Raff (later commander of Special Forces at Fort Bragg) was an early proponent for paratroops attached to the British 1st Airborne Division prior to the invasion of Africa wearing berets, red ones after the British fashion.
“Just as the red beret was the mark of the British parachute soldier, the green beret was the badge of the British commando,” Yarborough said in a letter describing the history of the famous Special Forces headgear.
Without Yarborough, the green beret might never have become part of any official U.S. Army uniform.
When President John F. Kennedy came to Fort Bragg for a Special Forces demonstration in 1962, his military aide happened to be Gen. Chester V. Clifton, a West Point classmate of Yarborough’s. That connection made possible Yarborough’s now famous request.
“I indicated to General Clifton the deep feelings that the Special Forces troopers had for the green beret,” Yarborough said. “Many of them owned it and wore it surreptitiously.”
Clifton agreed, sending down a note saying the president would like to see the troops in their green berets.
Yarborough had tried to have berets approved officially often enough, but without success. This time the order came from the top. The brass gave in, and a hunt for enough green berets for the presidential visit began.
“The result was heterogeneous, but electrical,” Yarborough later said. “A crash action ensued to obtain enough ‘green beanies’ prior to the president’s visit.”
Some troops had authentic models, but others sported ladies’ haberdashery. Still others appeared garbed in green headgear from other sources.
Gilmore and Matney would someday like to see a full-size statue of Yarborough at Fort Bragg. For now, they will be happy to have the bust. Frudakis wasted no time. He visited Yarborough and took careful measurements of his head, and took many photographs.
“The museum helped us find, oh it must have been over 200, photographs of Bill Yarborough,” Matney said. “We sent SF tabs, Airborne wings, even a scarf back with him to his studio. Frudakis is painstaking about accuracy. Frudakis wanted to meet with Bill. He measured his face. Even though this bust is going to be of Bill Yarborough in 1962 or 3, he said the structure of the face does not change very much.”
For now, there is money to be raised.
Hodgkins is enthusiastic and confident it can be done. Gilmore considers the bust more than a work of art. “This bust will define greatness,” he said. “A great man, a great artist, a great museum.”
Persons wanting more information can contact Hodgkins at 692-6256 or Matney at 692-9777. Tax-deductible contributions can be sent to Sandhills Kiwanis Charitable Foundation, att. Yarborough Fund, P.O. Box 1274, Southern Pines, N.C. 28388.
Group to Honor ‘Father of Green Berets’
BY JOHN CHAPPELL: Staff Writer
Airborne wings, the Green Beret and the numbered combat knife now given to every Special Forces soldier who wins his tabs all came from one man — retired Lt. Gen. William P. “Bill” Yarborough of Southern Pines.
A volunteer committee of friends and admirers is raising funds to do something seldom done: honor a hero while he lives to hear the praise. They have commissioned a bust of the famed Army leader to be placed in the Airborne and Special Operations Museum in downtown Fayetteville.
“We are very appreciative of the support of Sandhills Kiwanis Club for allowing us to conduct this drive in their name,” said Norris Hodgkins.
Hodgkins and retired Col. Ed Matney are seeking contributions to cover the cost of a bronze, life-size bust made by artist Zenos Frudakis. Frudakis was in the Sandhills for the dedication of another of his works, which include sculptures of Robert Dedman and golf legend Payne Stewart. Voit Gilmore approached Frudakis about the idea of doing a bust of Yarborough. Frudakis, honored to be asked, set a low price.
“He gave us a very good deal,” Hodgkins said. “He came down here for the dedication of the Dedman statue. Voit Gilmore had the idea of asking him to do a bust of Bill Yarborough. The real daddy of the thing is Voit Gilmore.”
Those behind the project are primarily members of the Sandhills Kiwanis Club, an organization in which Yarborough has long been active.
“This is indeed a great opportunity,” Gilmore said. “A wonderful museum combining with the skill of world-famous sculptor Zenos Frudakis.”
A 1926 graduate of West Point, Yarborough served 36 years in all areas of Army Airborne, special operations and intelligence.
As a captain, Yarborough designed the famous jump wings. As a major, he planned and participated in the first U.S. combat parachute assault.
Yarborough later became the first commander of the Army’s Special Warfare Center, now the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School. He’s known as “the father of the Green Berets.”
Yarborough doesn’t see what all the fuss is about.
“I don’t know why they want a statue while I am still alive,” he said. “Why don’t they wait until I’m dead? I’m 93. They won’t have to wait long.”
Members of the committee want the honor of presenting the bust when Yarborough can see it.
“He is a very genuine down-to-earth person despite the fact that he is a lieutenant general,” Hodgkins said. “He has a great mind. That was his real contribution to the Army.
“He was father of the whole Special Forces concept. His outstanding career made a difference to the whole country. What they are doing now is what he advocated way back then.”
The famous Green Beret song, book, and movie can be traced to an agreement Yarborough made with author Robin Moore. He could write about the Special Forces, but he would go through the same training as everybody else and successfully pass the qualifying tests.
Moore became the first and only civilian to complete the arduous courses now culminating in Robin Sage.
“I still hear some hair-raising legends (and indeed they are delightful myths) about my performance in the Uwharrie National Forest during the exercise in which we defeated the forces of the Pineland Aggressor with our Band of Gs,” Moore wrote in a birthday letter to Yarborough some years ago. “I did actually pin a note on the gate of Lee Mize’s opposition camp, saying we had been there.”
Moore would go on to spend a week in the Mekong Delta with Medal of Honor winner Mize’s team. Mize himself came to Yarborough’s Southern Pines home for the presentation of the first Special Forces knife known as “The Yarborough Knife” — knife No. 0001.
“He is not only the father of the Green Berets,” Mize said at the time. “He is the one who brought us out of the wilderness and brought us into the light. He has done more than anyone alive or dead for special forces.”
But Yarborough himself modestly gives credit to others for the beret idea, chiefly to soldiers who wore them into combat, first in the North African campaigns of World War II.
Col. Edson D. Raff (later commander of Special Forces at Fort Bragg) was an early proponent for paratroops attached to the British 1st Airborne Division prior to the invasion of Africa wearing berets, red ones after the British fashion.
“Just as the red beret was the mark of the British parachute soldier, the green beret was the badge of the British commando,” Yarborough said in a letter describing the history of the famous Special Forces headgear.
Without Yarborough, the green beret might never have become part of any official U.S. Army uniform.
When President John F. Kennedy came to Fort Bragg for a Special Forces demonstration in 1962, his military aide happened to be Gen. Chester V. Clifton, a West Point classmate of Yarborough’s. That connection made possible Yarborough’s now famous request.
“I indicated to General Clifton the deep feelings that the Special Forces troopers had for the green beret,” Yarborough said. “Many of them owned it and wore it surreptitiously.”
Clifton agreed, sending down a note saying the president would like to see the troops in their green berets.
Yarborough had tried to have berets approved officially often enough, but without success. This time the order came from the top. The brass gave in, and a hunt for enough green berets for the presidential visit began.
“The result was heterogeneous, but electrical,” Yarborough later said. “A crash action ensued to obtain enough ‘green beanies’ prior to the president’s visit.”
Some troops had authentic models, but others sported ladies’ haberdashery. Still others appeared garbed in green headgear from other sources.
Gilmore and Matney would someday like to see a full-size statue of Yarborough at Fort Bragg. For now, they will be happy to have the bust. Frudakis wasted no time. He visited Yarborough and took careful measurements of his head, and took many photographs.
“The museum helped us find, oh it must have been over 200, photographs of Bill Yarborough,” Matney said. “We sent SF tabs, Airborne wings, even a scarf back with him to his studio. Frudakis is painstaking about accuracy. Frudakis wanted to meet with Bill. He measured his face. Even though this bust is going to be of Bill Yarborough in 1962 or 3, he said the structure of the face does not change very much.”
For now, there is money to be raised.
Hodgkins is enthusiastic and confident it can be done. Gilmore considers the bust more than a work of art. “This bust will define greatness,” he said. “A great man, a great artist, a great museum.”
Persons wanting more information can contact Hodgkins at 692-6256 or Matney at 692-9777. Tax-deductible contributions can be sent to Sandhills Kiwanis Charitable Foundation, att. Yarborough Fund, P.O. Box 1274, Southern Pines, N.C. 28388.