Aaron Bank
A daring OSS operative who later built the US Army's Green Berets from scratch, shaping modern special warfare.
1902–2004 (age 102)·United States Army officer·Birthday: November 23·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Aaron Bank’s life reads like a blueprint for the modern special operator. During World War II, he wasn't just a soldier; he was an Office of Strategic Services agent who jumped into occupied France to arm and direct resistance fighters, and later planned a daring mission to snatch Adolf Hitler from his Alpine retreat. But his defining act came after the war. Seeing the need for unconventional warriors, he fought bureaucratic battles to create a new kind of unit. In 1952, he became the first commander of the 10th Special Forces Group, effectively founding the Green Berets. He instilled a doctrine of language skills, cultural understanding, and working with local forces. Later, his foresight extended to homeland security, where his consulting work led to the stringent safeguards protecting American nuclear power plants from sabotage.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Aaron was born in 1902, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Aaron Was Born
The biggest hits of 1902
Aaron's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1902Born
The eruption of Mount Pelee kills 30,000 in Martinique
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1907Started school
Financial panic grips Wall Street
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1915Became a teenager
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1918Could drive
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1920Could vote
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1923Turned 21
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1932Turned 30
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1942Turned 40
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1952Turned 50
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1962Turned 60
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1972Turned 70
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1982Turned 80
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
2004Died at 102
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
Key Achievements
- Founded and served as the first commander of the US Army's 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), creating the Green Berets.
- As an OSS officer in WWII, parachuted into France to organize and supply the French Resistance ahead of the Allied invasion.
- Planned Operation Iron Cross, a top-secret mission to capture or assassinate Adolf Hitler at his Berghof residence.
- His later security consultancy was instrumental in establishing robust physical protection standards for U.S. civilian nuclear facilities.
Did You Know?
He was fluent in French, German, and Spanish, skills crucial to his covert work.
Before joining the OSS, he was a ballet dancer and a student of architecture.
The planned mission to capture Hitler was scrapped when the dictator's movements became unpredictable in the war's final months.
He retired from the Army as a colonel after 30 years of service.
“We need a permanent group for unconventional warfare, and I will form it.”
