Perspectives in Military History Lecture: Airborne Mafia

Join us on Wednesday, 8 April 2026, at 6:30 p.m. EDT, when Dr. Robert F. Williams, Army University Press Research Historian & author, will deliver a lecture titled “The Airborne Mafia: The Paratroopers Who Shaped America’s Cold War Army” at the United States Army Heritage and Education Center (USAHEC).

The lecture will explore how a small group of World War II airborne officers took control of the US Army after World War II.  Dominating institutional thought and imparting their values, beliefs, and norms throughout the service, they enjoyed a special privilege within the group culture. The lecture will focus on the paratrooper triumvirate of Matthew Ridgway, Maxwell Taylor, and James Gavin and the lasting impression they made on how the US Army fought.

The event is free and open to the public. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Following the lecture, Dr. Williams will be available for a book signing and Q&A session. Copies of “The Airborne Mafia: The Paratroopers Who Shaped America’s Cold War Army” will be available for purchase.

For those unable to attend in person, the lecture will be live streamed at https://www.youtube.com/@US_AWC/streams.