Gen. James J. Lindsay Began His Career At OCS

Gen. James J. Lindsay: A Soldier’s Life

By JIM PURCELL

It was May 1985 and I was 19 years old when I was assigned to Alpha Company, 319^th Military Intelligence Battalion, in the 525^th Military Intelligence Brigade (CEWI) (ABN). The 525^th was the primary organic intelligence element to the XVIII Airborne Corps and the U.S. Rapid Deployment Force at that time. After a few months working in my company’s Supply Room waiting for my clearance to come through, I was finally assigned to the Corps’ Counter-Intelligence Analysis Branch, within the Directorate of Security.  

Gen. James J. Lindsay

   Ft. Bragg, North Carolina was the home of the XVIII Airborne Corps and several of its major subordinate units, which included: the 82^nd Airborne Division, 525^th MI Brigade, 20^th Engineer Brigade, 35^th Signal Brigade, 16^th MP Brigade, 1^st Special Operations Command and the 1^st Corps Support Command (COSCOM).

   There was an enormous intelligence infrastructure within the Corps at that time, representing all the military intelligence disciplines: human intelligence, electronic intelligence and signal intelligence. And, the primary purpose of all this was to provide timely intelligence to the commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps, then-Lieutenant General James J. Lindsay, and his deputy commanders, major generals Hugh Shelton and Bernard Loefke.

   As a soldier, it was an environment where you wanted to give your best, do your best work and give it everything that you had. There was a real sense that the Corps’ leadership was in the hands of the best leaders in the U.S. Army. And, to just be there was an honor that a soldier had to live up to every day. This had a lot to do with LTG Lindsay and the leaders beneath him.

   I don’t think I heard LTG Lindsay say more than a handful of words during my tenure there. But, he was an extraordinary leader anyway. When he talked, people listened – and not just because of his rank (though there was that) but also because he knew what he was talking about. 

Gen. Shelton

   Interestingly, MG Shelton would often ask soldiers on the staff their first names and where they were from and, amazingly enough, he would remember them after the first hearing. He was a positive leader, enthusiastic and dynamic. He was also a bona fide legend to most of the troops, myself included.

GEN. LINDSAY’S ‘HALL OF FAME’ CAREER

   James Joseph Lindsay was born on October 10,1932, in Portage, Wisconsin. He went on to become an outstanding officer throughout his 38-year service career (1952-1990) and retired at the rank of general. Among his accomplishments are that he served as commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps, was the first commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, earned a place in the Officer’s Candidate School Hall of Fame and the Ranger Hall of Fame, among other laurels.

Master Parachutist Badge

   General Lindsay did not enter the ranks of commissioned officers through any of the college academies. Instead, Gen. Lindsay graduated from the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School, at Fort Benning, Georgia, in May 1953 as a second lieutenant in the infantry. He then went on to graduate from the Infantry Officer Advanced Course, also in Ft. Benning; the U.S. Army Language School (German and Russian), in California; the U.S. Marine Corps Command and Staff College, in Virginia; and the National War College, at Fort McNair, in Washington, DC.

   Gen.Lindsay would earn his bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and a Master’s Degree in foreign affairs from George Washington University, in Washington DC.

82nd ABN Div

   Gen. Lindsay’s first assignments were in the 7^th Special Forces Group and the 82^nd Airborne, where he held positions from platoon- through division-level. During the Vietnam War, Gen. Lindsay served as an advisor to the Vietnamese Airborne Brigade; commanded the 2^nd Battalion, 60^th Infantry Regiment, in the 9^th Infantry Division; and served as the operations officer for the 9^th Infantry Division.

   During his long service, Gen. Lindsay was awarded: the Combat Infantry Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Ranger Tab, Air Assault Badge, Distinguished Service Cross and Distinguished Service Medal, four Silver Star Medals, the Legion of Merit, four Bronze Star Medals, nine Air Medals and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, among others.

   The general is married with four children and resides in North Carolina. In retirement, Gen. Lindsay founded the Airborne and Special Operations Museum Foundation, in 1990. In addition, he served as a senior mentor the Army’s Battle Command Training Program.