A Tennessee veteran became the 33rd Tennessean to receive the Medal of Honor, the highest honor the United States can bestow on a member of the military.
On Tuesday, President Joe Biden awarded the honor to 81-year-old former Army pilot Captain Larry Taylor who, while serving in the Vietnam War, risked his life by flying into intense enemy fire to save four members of a reconnaissance squad from an imminent enemy overtake.
On the evening of June 18, 1968, 80 North Vietnamese soldiers had encircled the four members of a U.S. Army reconnaissance squad when then-1st Lt. Taylor (pictured above) used his Cobra attack helicopter to fly to their rescue. Taylor provided air support for the squad until he was out of ammo before flying down and ordering the four men to jump onto the exterior of the helicopter, as it only had two seats, and hold on. All four soldiers on the reconnaissance squad survived.
During the medal ceremony, Biden said that enemy fire hit Taylor’s helicopter several times and according to Army standards, he could have left the fight. At one point Taylor’s commanding officer told him to withdraw but he refused to put his own life above the lives of the four men in need.
“That’s valor. That’s our nation at its very best,” Biden said.
According to the army, Taylor’s actions that evening were unheard of.
In August 1968, Taylor departed Vietnam. Having earned the rank of captain, the Army discharged him from active duty in August 1970. He retired from Army Reserve duty in October 1973.
After his discharge, he managed a roofing and sheet metal business in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He currently resides in Signal Mountain, Tennessee, with his wife Toni.
Taylor received a plethora of battle honors during his time in the U.S. Army, including two Distinguished Flying Crosses, a Bronze Star, and the Silver Star. The president mentioned that Taylor completed almost 2,000 combat missions in total during his time with the Army and received 43 air medals.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (R) applauded Taylor for going above and beyond the call of duty.
“Congratulations to Captain Larry Taylor on becoming the 33rd Tennessean to receive the Medal of Honor. We are forever indebted to Captain Taylor and the Tennessee heroes who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to defend our nation and her people,” Lee said.
U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said that it was an honor to watch Taylor receive the Medal of Honor for his “immense display of heroism.”
Since the military decoration’s inception in 1861, a Tennessean has received the Medal of Honor in almost every military conflict, thanks to the state’s long tradition of combat heroes. Of the 33 recipients in Tennessee, six have received the Medal of Honor for their service during the Vietnam War.
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star, The Star News Network, and The Tennessee Star. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Captain Larry Taylor” by Joe Biden.
