Home > Vietnam War > Maxwell Taylor Biography

Born August 26, 1901
Keytesville, Missouri
Died April 19, 1987
Washington, D.C.

American general; ambassador to South Vietnam, 1964–1965

General Maxwell Taylor was one of America's leading military figures of the twentieth century. He served in the United States military for nearly five decades, from the early 1920s through the late 1960s. During that time he became known as a top military general, scholar, and administrator. In 1962 he was named chairman of the nation's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), a military advisory group to the president that includes the top officers from each branch of the American armed forces. As chairman of the JCS from 1962 to 1964, he advocated extensive bombing campaigns against North Vietnam but warned against introducing U.S. ground troops into the conflict. When U.S. involvement in the war deepened, he also helped shape Vietnam policies as...