William P. Yarborough - Later Life

Later Life

Yarborough was a member of the Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs. He was also an honorary member of the British SAS Regiment and a member of the St. John's Lodge 260, F&AM. He wrote two books: Bail Out Over North Africa and So You Want A Volunteer Army. General Yarborough was married to his wife Norma for over 60 years. They had three children: 2 girls and one boy, LTG (Ret.) William Lee Yarborough, US Army. Mrs. Yarborough died in 1999.

Shortly before his death, Yarborough was honored on September 30, 2005 with the donation of a bust in his honor at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville, North Carolina. In 2012, he and President John F. Kennedy were memorialized by a new statue at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg. The statue was commissioned by Ross Perot.

A veteran of four combat jumps, General Yarborough holds, among other awards and decorations, the Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Legion of Merit with three Oak Leaf Clusters, Bronze Star, Joint Services Commendation Medal, Italian Bronze Medal for Valor, Italian Cross for Valor, French Croix de guerre with Palm, Regimental Badge 3d Zouaves, Korean Order of Merit Second Class, Combat Infantryman Badge, the Cambodian, Korean, Philippine, Thai and Vietnamese Parachutist Badges, and the Unit Citation with Oak Leaf Cluster.