News Release - House Passes Etheridge Legislation Honoring Father of the Airborne

News Release
Congressman Bob Etheridge
North Carolina

September 7, 2004

Contact: Sara Lang
Phone: (202) 225-4531

House Passes Etheridge Legislation Honoring Father of the Airborne

WASHINGTON - The U.S. House of Representatives today passed U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge's (D-Lillington) legislation to name the Dunn Post Office the "General William Carey Lee Post Office," in honor of a Dunn native who was the Father of the Airborne. The next step for the legislation will be consideration in the Senate.

"Today the House of Representatives honored a true American hero," Etheridge said. "General William Carey Lee worked to make our nation and our world safer and embodied the North Carolina values of love of country, faith in God and belief in family. I hope that the Senate will act quickly to approve this legislation and create a lasting tribute to this small town boy who became a big time hero."

William Carey Lee was born in Dunn on March 12, 1895 and served in Europe during World War I. In the 1930s he saw firsthand the innovations the Germans were making with parachute and glider troops and returned stateside to develop a test platoon of paratroopers. By the end of 1942, this group had become the Airborne Command headquartered at Fort Bragg, and the 82nd and the 101st airborne divisions had been formed. Major General Lee was the first commanding general of the new 101st Airborne.

After a year of rigorous training, General Lee and his paratroopers departed for England to fight in World War II. Just as the Division was making its final preparations for the invasion of Normandy, General Lee suffered a stroke that forced him to step down from his command. On D-Day the men of the 101st Airborne Division yelled "Bill Lee" as they jumped from their planes and into combat as a tribute to their former commander. The courage of Lee's men is legendary, and they have been immortalized as the "Band of Brothers" in the bestselling book by the late historian Stephen Ambrose and the HBO miniseries.

The Dunn community honors General Lee each year with a week-long celebration in June. The General William C. Lee Airborne Museum in Dunn also honors his life and legacy.