About William Orlando Darby
William O. Darby was a career United States Army officer who fought in World War II, where he was killed in action at age 34 in Italy. He was posthumously promoted to brigadier general. Darby was the founding commander of the First Ranger Battalion, which evolved into the United States Army Rangers. He was subsequently portrayed by James Garner in the 1958 theatrical film about Darby's career titled Darby's Rangers, which was also the title of his memoir, the source for many of his exploits. Darby's first assignment was as assistant executive and supply officer with the 82nd Field Artillery at Fort Bliss, Texas.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.