Given the question: Facts: - battles: korean war world war ii - death date: 01 october 1992 - allegiance: united states of america - commands: parachute test platoon 542nd parachute infantry regiment - placeofburial: arlington national cemetery - awards: 30px three oak leaf clusters 30px bronze star medal with oak distinguished leaf cluster 30px master parachutist badge service medal 30px legion of merit with - birth date: 16 april 1913 - serviceyears: 1936 - 1966 - name: brig. gen. william t. ryder - branch: 30px united states army - death place: pinehurst , north carolina - rank: 25px brigadier general Based on these bullet points, write a short biography describing the life of william t. ryder .
The answer is:
william thomas '' bill '' ryder -lrb- april 16 , 1913 -- october 1 , 1992 -rrb- was the first american paratrooper .ryder helped pioneer army airborne training , equipment and tactics alongside men like jim gavin , william yarborough , bill lee , art gorham and bud miley .he was an aide to general of the army douglas macarthur from 1944 until 1951 .in the early 1960s he was a top army expert in guided missile systems retiring as a brigadier general in 1966 .