109:
31:
132:
392:
308:
in 1953. He completed fixed-wing and rotary-wing flight training in June 1957. Tolson then served as assistant commandant of the Army
Aviation School for two years. He next served as Deputy Director of Army Aviation at the Pentagon until 1961, chief of the U.S.
820:
825:
830:
324:
In the
Vietnam War, Major General Tolson took command of 1st Cavalry Division in April 1967 and served in that capacity till July 14, 1968. Under his command, his division played crucial roles during the
524:
Drug and
Alcohol Abuse in the Military: Hearings, Ninety-first Congress, Second Session, United States Congress, Senate Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, Subcommittee on Alcoholism and Narcotics
765:
835:
815:
775:
790:
318:
153:
840:
795:
770:
760:
400:
108:
354:
251:
181:
805:
358:
199:
719:
286:
185:
157:
800:
785:
810:
780:
236:
149:
694:
455:
310:
224:
135:
265:, John J. Tolson was a member of the 503rd Parachute Infantry Battalion and participated in every jump with that unit, including the
494:
429:
369:
317:
from 1961 to 1963 and then
Director of Army Aviation back at the Pentagon from 1963 to 1965. Tolson served as commander of the
375:
Tolson died on
December 2, 1991, at the age of 76. He was survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter. Tolson was buried at
305:
255:
368:
on August 1, 1968. Tolson was also presented the Master Army
Aviator badge. He retired in 1973 as deputy commander of the
376:
266:
382:
His wife
Margaret Jordan (Young) Tolson (July 5, 1922 – July 8, 2020) was interred beside him on September 17, 2020.
334:
338:
301:
247:
95:
69:
258:
in 1933. He graduated from West Point with a B.S. degree in 1937 and was commissioned as an infantry officer.
85:
290:
755:
750:
365:
364:
After his
Vietnam tour ended, Tolson was promoted to lieutenant general. He was given command of the
342:
239:. Tolson credited the U.S Marines for first using helicopters to transport troops into combat in the
145:
243:, making the ground fight a three-dimensional war, thus freeing troops from the tyranny of terrain.
619:
460:
346:
228:
112:
644:
591:
552:. Vol. I. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. January 1, 1962. p. 545
547:
490:
425:
274:
203:
519:
651:. Vol. LIV, no. 1. West Point, New York. September–October 1995. pp. 164–165
419:
194:
744:
350:
330:
326:
282:
262:
207:
167:
235:, he helped implement the airmobile concept use of helicopters in combat with the
30:
314:
270:
232:
190:
171:
337:
in
January 1968. It also participated in the second biggest battle of the war:
294:
240:
669:
278:
211:
131:
321:
and commandant of the Army
Aviation School from March 1965 to March 1967.
396:
345:
in March 1968 where all three brigades engaged the enemy, as well as
575:
The First Air Cavalry Division Vietnam: August 1965 to December 1969
456:"Gen. John J. Tolson, 76, Dies; Pioneered Army's Helicopter Use"
487:
Lurps: A Ranger's Diary of Tet, Khe Sanh, A Shau, and Quang Tri
821:
Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
826:
Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
520:"Lieutenant General John Jarvis Tolson, United States Army"
489:. Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group. p. 65.
831:
Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army)
526:. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1971. pp. 17–18
598:. United States Military Academy. 1969. p. 472
177:
163:
141:
126:
118:
101:
91:
75:
56:
48:
40:
21:
766:University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni
626:. Vol. 22, no. 3. March 1976. p. 30
223:(October 22, 1915 – December 2, 1991) was a
285:. After the war, Tolson was given command of the
836:Military personnel from Raleigh, North Carolina
816:United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War
586:
584:
542:
540:
401:United States Army Center of Military History
8:
776:United States Army personnel of World War II
596:Official Register of the Officers and Cadets
514:
512:
510:
508:
506:
424:. United States Government Printing Office.
549:U.S. Army Register: Active and Retired List
254:for one year before being appointed to the
29:
18:
791:Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley
568:
566:
614:
612:
480:
478:
413:
411:
449:
447:
445:
443:
441:
407:
841:Burials at Arlington National Cemetery
421:Vietnam Studies: Airmobility 1961–1971
796:United States Army War College alumni
771:United States Military Academy alumni
592:"Class of 1937—Register of Graduates"
35:John J. Tolson III as a Major General
7:
761:People from New Bern, North Carolina
349:, the massive air assault into the
454:Bruce Lambert (December 6, 1991).
399:from websites or documents of the
353:in April 1968. He was awarded the
311:Military Assistance Advisory Group
14:
806:Recipients of the Legion of Merit
577:. Nippon Printing Co. p. 36.
395: This article incorporates
390:
287:325th Airborne Infantry Regiment
237:1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile)
158:325th Airborne Infantry Regiment
130:
107:
256:United States Military Academy
1:
801:American Master Army Aviators
786:Recipients of the Silver Star
620:"Army Aviation Hall of Fame"
418:Tolson, John Tolson (1973).
269:in 1945. He was awarded the
252:University of North Carolina
811:United States Army generals
781:Recipients of the Air Medal
377:Arlington National Cemetery
355:Distinguished Service Cross
186:Distinguished Service Medal
182:Distinguished Service Cross
857:
361:and four more Air Medals.
359:Distinguished Flying Cross
300:Tolson graduated from the
200:Distinguished Flying Cross
16:United States Army general
624:U.S. Army Aviation Digest
485:Ankony, Robert C (2009).
341:the relief of the Marine
28:
720:"Tolson, Margaret Young"
645:"John Jarvis Tolson III"
248:New Bern, North Carolina
96:United States of America
70:New Bern, North Carolina
676:. Sightline Media Group
267:recapture of Corregidor
86:Raleigh, North Carolina
397:public domain material
291:82nd Airborne Division
250:, Tolson attended the
44:John Jarvis Tolson III
379:on December 4, 1991.
315:Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
306:U.S. Army War College
302:British Staff College
119:Years of service
670:"John Jarvis Tolson"
366:XVIII Airborne Corps
343:Khe Sanh Combat Base
319:Army Aviation Center
154:Army Aviation Center
150:1st Cavalry Division
146:XVIII Airborne Corps
461:The New York Times
347:Operation Delaware
229:United States Army
225:lieutenant general
221:John J. Tolson III
136:Lieutenant General
113:United States Army
23:John J. Tolson III
339:Operation Pegasus
275:Bronze Star Medal
271:Silver Star Medal
218:
217:
204:Bronze Star Medal
191:Silver Star Medal
848:
735:
734:
732:
731:
716:
710:
709:
707:
706:
695:"Tolson, John J"
691:
685:
684:
682:
681:
666:
660:
659:
657:
656:
641:
635:
634:
632:
631:
616:
607:
606:
604:
603:
588:
579:
578:
573:Roberts (1970).
570:
561:
560:
558:
557:
544:
535:
534:
532:
531:
516:
501:
500:
482:
473:
472:
470:
468:
451:
436:
435:
415:
394:
393:
370:Continental Army
304:in 1951 and the
134:
111:
103:
82:
79:December 2, 1991
67:October 22, 1915
66:
64:
33:
19:
856:
855:
851:
850:
849:
847:
846:
845:
741:
740:
739:
738:
729:
727:
718:
717:
713:
704:
702:
693:
692:
688:
679:
677:
668:
667:
663:
654:
652:
643:
642:
638:
629:
627:
618:
617:
610:
601:
599:
590:
589:
582:
572:
571:
564:
555:
553:
546:
545:
538:
529:
527:
518:
517:
504:
497:
484:
483:
476:
466:
464:
453:
452:
439:
432:
417:
416:
409:
391:
388:
210:
206:
202:
198:
195:Legion of Merit
193:
189:
184:
170:
156:
152:
148:
84:
80:
68:
62:
60:
36:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
854:
852:
844:
843:
838:
833:
828:
823:
818:
813:
808:
803:
798:
793:
788:
783:
778:
773:
768:
763:
758:
753:
743:
742:
737:
736:
711:
686:
674:Military Times
661:
636:
608:
580:
562:
536:
502:
495:
474:
437:
430:
406:
405:
387:
384:
335:Quang Tri City
216:
215:
179:
175:
174:
165:
161:
160:
143:
139:
138:
128:
124:
123:
120:
116:
115:
105:
99:
98:
93:
89:
88:
83:(aged 76)
77:
73:
72:
58:
54:
53:
50:
46:
45:
42:
38:
37:
34:
26:
25:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
853:
842:
839:
837:
834:
832:
829:
827:
824:
822:
819:
817:
814:
812:
809:
807:
804:
802:
799:
797:
794:
792:
789:
787:
784:
782:
779:
777:
774:
772:
769:
767:
764:
762:
759:
757:
754:
752:
749:
748:
746:
725:
721:
715:
712:
700:
696:
690:
687:
675:
671:
665:
662:
650:
646:
640:
637:
625:
621:
615:
613:
609:
597:
593:
587:
585:
581:
576:
569:
567:
563:
551:
550:
543:
541:
537:
525:
521:
515:
513:
511:
509:
507:
503:
498:
496:9780761843726
492:
488:
481:
479:
475:
463:
462:
457:
450:
448:
446:
444:
442:
438:
433:
431:9781931641906
427:
423:
422:
414:
412:
408:
404:
402:
398:
385:
383:
380:
378:
373:
371:
367:
362:
360:
356:
352:
351:A Shau Valley
348:
344:
340:
336:
332:
331:Battle of Hue
328:
327:Tet Offensive
322:
320:
316:
312:
307:
303:
298:
296:
292:
288:
284:
280:
276:
272:
268:
264:
259:
257:
253:
249:
244:
242:
238:
234:
231:. During the
230:
226:
222:
213:
209:
205:
201:
196:
192:
187:
183:
180:
176:
173:
169:
166:
162:
159:
155:
151:
147:
144:
140:
137:
133:
129:
125:
121:
117:
114:
110:
106:
100:
97:
94:
90:
87:
78:
74:
71:
59:
55:
51:
47:
43:
39:
32:
27:
20:
728:. Retrieved
723:
714:
703:. Retrieved
698:
689:
678:. Retrieved
673:
664:
653:. Retrieved
648:
639:
628:. Retrieved
623:
600:. Retrieved
595:
574:
554:. Retrieved
548:
528:. Retrieved
523:
486:
465:. Retrieved
459:
420:
389:
381:
374:
363:
323:
299:
283:Purple Heart
263:World War II
260:
245:
220:
219:
208:Purple Heart
168:World War II
164:Battles/wars
81:(1991-12-02)
756:1991 deaths
751:1915 births
726:. U.S. Army
724:ANCExplorer
701:. U.S. Army
699:ANCExplorer
329:during the
233:Vietnam War
172:Vietnam War
49:Nickname(s)
745:Categories
730:2021-09-24
705:2021-09-24
680:2021-09-04
655:2021-10-08
630:2021-09-24
602:2021-09-24
556:2021-09-24
530:2021-09-24
386:References
295:Fort Bragg
241:Korean War
92:Allegiance
63:1915-10-22
41:Birth name
279:Air Medal
212:Air Medal
122:1937–1973
649:Assembly
246:Born in
142:Commands
102:Service/
467:May 19,
333:and at
227:in the
493:
428:
178:Awards
104:branch
491:ISBN
469:2012
426:ISBN
281:and
127:Rank
76:Died
57:Born
52:Jack
313:in
293:at
261:In
214:(5)
197:(2)
188:(3)
747::
722:.
697:.
672:.
647:.
622:.
611:^
594:.
583:^
565:^
539:^
522:.
505:^
477:^
458:.
440:^
410:^
403:.
372:.
357:,
297:.
289:,
277:,
273:,
733:.
708:.
683:.
658:.
633:.
605:.
559:.
533:.
499:.
471:.
434:.
65:)
61:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.