U.S. Army Japan renames headquarters to honor past leader

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Schmiett | The General Maxwell D. Taylor Building plaque is posted in front of the U.S. Army Japan headquarters. Gen. Taylor took the helm of U.S. Army Japan, then U.S. Army Forces, Far East, in November 1954. He relinquished command of the unit on April 1, 1955, to lead all U.S. forces in Japan and Korea as the Commanding General of U.S. Far East Command, a unified combatant command.  

KANAGAWA, JAPAN

04.11.2023

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Schmiett 

U.S. Army Japan

CAMP ZAMA, JAPAN – U.S. Army Japan Headquarters Building 101 was renamed the General Maxwell D. Taylor Building during a memorialization ceremony, April 11, 2023.

The U.S. Army Japan Commanding General, Maj. Gen. JB Vowell, and the USARJ Command Sergeant Major, Command Sgt. Maj. Jeffery D. Weaver, unveiled the plaque of Gen. Maxwell Taylor in front of the USARJ headquarters to witnessing soldiers, civilians and host nation employees.

"The renaming of the U.S. Army Japan headquarters building comes at a time of heightened tensions in the region,” said Vowell. “However, the U.S. military’s presence in Japan, which dates back to the end of World War II, has long been seen as a stabilizing force in the region."

The building has served as the center for the planning and execution of U.S Army operations in and around Japan for more than sixty years.

Gen. Taylor took the helm of U.S. Army Japan, then U.S. Army Forces, Far East, in November 1954. He relinquished command of the unit on April 1, 1955, to lead all U.S. forces in Japan and Korea as the Commanding General of U.S. Far East Command, a unified combatant command.

As the ceremony concluded, Vowell remarked on the importance of honoring U.S. Army Japan’s history. Vowell said the history of the U.S. Army in Japan serves as a reminder of the Army’s ongoing commitment to collective deterrence and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

"Recognizing that the fabric of our history keeps us focused on the future, makes us better prepared for the future," said Vowell.

General Maxwell Taylor helped transform the 82nd Infantry Division to the U.S. Army’s first Airborne Division while serving as the unit’s chief of staff. As the Commanding General of the 101st Airborne Division, Gen. Taylor parachuted into harm’s way with his Soldiers into Normandy during D-Day. He served as the commanding of all U.S. Army ground troops during the last rounds of fighting in Korea War. Gen. Taylor also served as the U.S. Army Chief of Staff, and the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff. After military retirement, he was appointed to be the U.S. Ambassador to South Vietnam.

• Date Taken: 04.11.2023
• Date Posted: 04.13.2023 02:25
• Story ID: 442523
• Location: KANAGAWA, JP