William Taro Fairbourn (June 28, 1914 – February 21, 1987) was an American decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of major general.

[1][2] Fairbourn was subsequently commissioned second lieutenant in the Marine Corps on July 10, 1935, and ordered to the Basic School at Philadelphia Navy Yard for further officers education.

[1] Fairbourn was attached to the heavy cruiser USS Chester as commanding officer of Marine detachment and was promoted to the rank of captain in April 1941.

[1][5] Fairbourn subsequently succeeded lieutenant colonel Donald M. Weller in command of 2nd Battalion of his regiment and remained on Guam during the mopping up operations against the small scattered groups of Japanese soldiers.

Fairbourn landed later in the afternoon of that day and following the deployment of his batteries, his battalion began supporting 21st Marine Regiment during the attack on Motoyama Airfield.

[1] Upon the graduation in June 1950, Fairbourn was ordered to Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia and attached to the headquarters of Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic.

[2] Fairbourn was detached from Norfolk in July 1952 in order to attend Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, and completed the Strategy and Tactics course in June 1953.

[1][2] Colonel Fairbourn served as chief of staff, 3rd Marine Division under Major General Francis M. McAlister in Okinawa, Japan from November 1957 to March 1958 and returned to the United States one month later.

[1] Because of his radical about-face on the nuclear weapons issue, some of Fairbourn's comrades, including Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Admiral Moorer, who say the retired general has simply "jumped from the frying pan into the fire".

Fairbourn was ordered for temporary duty as special assistant to the chief of staff, Headquarters Marine Corps in August 1967 and promptly retired on September 1, 1967, after 32 years of active service.

He was also a member of the executive committee of Utahns Against the Nuclear Arms Race and associate director of the Center for Defense Information under retired rear admiral Gene La Rocque.

[8][9][10][11] Here is the ribbon of Major General Fairbourn:[12] This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.