FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of Heroes: Karl G Taylor, Sr ~ 20 March 2017

Serving The Best Troops and Veterans In The World !! | StarCMC and The Canteen Crew

[Kathy in Alaska]

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!

For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.

Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!

~ Hall of Heroes ~

Karl G. Taylor, Sr.
Information from here.

           

Karl Gorman Taylor, Sr. (July 14, 1939 – December 8, 1968) was a United States Marine who posthumously received the United States' highest military decoration – the Medal of Honor – for his actions in Vietnam in December 1968.

Karl Taylor was born on July 14, 1939 in Laurel, Maryland. He graduated from Arundel Junior High School in 1953, then attended Arundel Senior High School for three years until 1956. After leaving high school, he was employed by a construction company as a Tournapull-Scraper Operator. In 1961, he received a high school equivalency diploma from the Armed Forces Institute in Madison, Wisconsin.

He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps along with his brother, Walter William Taylor, at Recruiting Station Baltimore on January 15, 1959. Upon completion of recruit training with the 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, he went on to infantry combat training with the 1st Infantry Training Regiment, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. After completing infantry training in July 1959, he was assigned duty as a rifleman, section leader, and a platoon guide, successively, with Company A, 1st Battalion 6th Marines, 2nd Marine Division. He was promoted to private first class on July 1, 1959; to Lance Corporal on March 1, 1960; and to Corporal on October 24, 1960. From January until February 1962, he attended the Drill Instructor School at Parris Island, then served as a Drill Instructor at 2nd Recruit Training Battalion until January 1963.

After this enlistment tour was over, Cpl Taylor returned to inactive duty for three months and was with the 4th Marine Corps Reserve and Recruitment District at Philadelphia. On March 26, 1963, he returned to active duty at Marine Corps Base Quantico, and served as Assistant Police Sergeant and, later, Police Sergeant, Guard Company, Service Battalion, Marine Corps Schools. He was promoted to sergeant on December 1, 1963.

Transferred to the 3rd Marine Division, in August 1964, Sgt Taylor saw a one-year tour of duty in the Vietnam war as rocket section leader and platoon guide, with Company G, 2nd Battalion 3rd Marines. Reassigned to Sub Unit #2, Headquarters Company, Headquarters and Service Battalion, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, in August 1965, he served as an instructor for the NCO Leadership School until the following November.

Upon his return to the United States in January 1966, Sgt Taylor returned to Marine Corps Schools, Quantico, for duty as Candidate Company Platoon Sergeant and Platoon Sergeant of Company A, Officer Candidate School. He was promoted to staff sergeant on September 1, 1966. In February 1968, he returned to the Far East and the 3rd Marine Division, this time for duty as platoon Sergeant and Company Gunnery Sergeant of Company I, 3rd Battalion, 26th Marine Regiment. While participating in Operation Meade River on December 8, 1968, he was mortally wounded, while charging an enemy machine gun bunker to allow his platoon to rescue wounded Marines. He was able to take out the enemy position just before he was killed. For this action, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

On February 16, 1971, President Richard Nixon, in a White House ceremony, presented SSgt Taylor's Medal of Honor to his family — his wife, daughter, age 8, and two sons, age 7 and 4.

He was buried in Independence Cemetery at Independence Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania.

 

The President of the United States in the name of the Congress takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to

STAFF SERGEANT KARL G. TAYLOR UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

for service as set forth in the following CITATION:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Company Gunnery Sergeant during Operation MEADE RIVER in the Republic of Vietnam on the night of 8 December 1968. Informed that the commander of the lead platoon had been mortally wounded when his unit was pinned down by a heavy volume of enemy fire, Staff Sergeant Taylor along with another Marine, crawled forward to the beleaguered unit through a hail of hostile fire, shouted encouragement and instructions to the men, and deployed them to covered positions. With his companion, he then repeatedly maneuvered across an open area to rescue those Marines who were too seriously wounded to move by themselves. Upon learning that there were still other seriously wounded men lying in another open area, in proximity to an enemy machine gun position, Staff Sergeant Taylor, accompanied by four comrades, led his men forward across the fire-swept terrain in an attempt to rescue the Marines. When his group was halted by devastating fire, he directed his companion to return to the company command post; whereupon he took his grenade launcher and, in full view of the enemy, charged across the open rice paddy toward the machine gun position, firing his weapon as he ran. Although wounded several times, he succeeded in reaching the machine gun bunker and silencing the fire from that sector, moments before he was mortally wounded. Directly instrumental in saving the lives of several of his fellow Marines, Staff Sergeant Taylor, by his indomitable courage, inspiring leadership, and selfless dedication, upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

/S/ RICHARD M. NIXON

 

Please remember, the Canteen is family friendly and we exist to support and honor our troops and their families, as well as our Allies Troops and theirs.  Thank you to every Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine and Coast Guardsman out there for doing what you do to keep us safe.  We are ever in your debt.  And thank you, too, to the families and friends who support them.  God bless our troops.

[radu]

Yeouch! Still 80 degrees? Man, y’all ARE gonna have a rough summer at this rate!
Our highs this weekend were in the low 60s and that’ll be pretty much what we’ll have all week. Not too bad.

We did have a great time last night. It was good to hear the guys play again and two others played with them. Turned out it was a reunion of their original band formed during their time stationed in Germany years ago.

[left that other site]

A rather fanciful excerpt:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFXbCSDq6Cg

[Publius]

Clever!

[radu]

LOL! We have missed each other the past few nights. One or the other of us wasn’t here.

Sounds like you had a good weekend with your son. Also sounds like our weather is similar. I agree a bit coolish is better than cold ANY day. It’ll still be nice when jackets aren’t necessary any more.

Pixie has settled in nicely. She’s such a sweet mellow kitteh. She’s finally starting to back off on food consumption. Poor thing must have missed more meals than we realized because she kept gorging. I think she’s finally figured out there will be food available at all times so she doesn’t have to camp out by the food dish.

It’s the same ol’ same ol’ with the others. Moments of quiet between bouts of rowdiness. LOL

[ConorMacNessa]

We warmed up a little yesterday and today. Several of my plants perished in the ice and snow - we will have to purchase some roses and perennials.

"I am an American fighting man. I serve in the forces guarding our country and our way of life.
I am prepared to give my life in their defense."

[left that other site]

The Beautiful 777:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=617GWiy5dnw

[luvie]

How fun that must have been! Do y’all dance or sit and watch?

Yep..,and our rainfall is falling behind, too. I might go spend the summer in WY. LOL! Wouldn’t that shock the kids? heehee

[radu]

Well dang it. I’d hoped you’d been able to save everything that was up already but that’s hard to do, especially when you get clobbered with ice.

We got lucky and managed to save the perennials but it was a close call. Did lose all the pretty pink blooms that were only half-open on the camellia bush. All dropped to the ground the first night of the cold spell a few days ago. There’s always next year.

[PROCON]

Well now...

[PROCON]

Well now...

[luvie]

Well, yeah! ;)

WOOHOO!!

[radu]

Well now... looks like someone was paying attention and some two weren’t. LOL!

WOOHOO! PRO gets #50!

[luvie]

I totally wasn’t. LOL! Was watching the owlets in OKC. They are growing like little weeds! I missed them last night and BOOM!

[radu]

LOL! I’ve been watching them too! They’ve finally reached the age where they’re getting active and entertaining.

Been flipping between them and the Hanover eagles. We have a pip there!

[luvie]

Oh, that’s great! In a few days there’ll be some action on that nest. Brooding eagles...like watching paint dry! LOL!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, radu...((HUGS))...how are you fixed for rain?

Kitties getting outside yet?

We have had another sunny, blue sky day...a little melting, but not enough to make the streets all wet. This coming week is supposed to be days about freezing....then we could start seeing wet streets. No good with the nights still freezing hard.

[Kathy in Alaska]

I have LOTS of melting ahead.

Right now I'm working on a path to the mailbox....right now it is mostly ice.

[radu]

The pip showed up yesterday sometime but I didn’t see it until today. Could hear the eaglet chirping a little last night and can hear it tonight when Liberty stands up for a sec. She isn’t doing it much, though, since she got little sleep last night. Snow and sleet kept piling up on her again. Poor bird. No snow tonight at least.

[Kathy in Alaska]

I can live with the snow easier than the ice.

Hope you are all melted REALLY soon and can get back to fun walks.

[radu]

((HUGS)) You made it back. Mom all settled in for the evening?

Yeah, it’s going to be rough up there when all that snow starts melting during the day and freezing on the streets at night. Going anywhere will be an “adventure”.

Just saw the revised forecast for this week and it looks good. Lots of low 70s and upper 60s and some good rain chances two or three days.

Kitties won’t be going out any more, unfortunately for them. Hubby sold our field and woods acreage recently - GRRRR - and the guy who bought it is allowing a friend to let his pack of dogs run loose to kill rabbits. They do wreak havoc on the crops. But those dogs will go after the cats if they see them and we already have one crippled cat that was lucky to survive a dog attack a couple of years ago. He was attacked by only two and I saw around ten dogs running around here a couple of days ago. I was NOT amused.

So all the kittehs are now inside for life.