When Larry Taylor (‘66) picked up the phone last week, the voice on the other line was President Joe Biden. The president was calling to let Taylor know he will be receiving the Medal of Honor.
As a first lieutenant in Vietnam in June 1968, the Volunteer piloted a helicopter into a village occupied by approximately 80 North Vietnamese, rescuing four fellow soldiers who’d been surrounded. He plucked up the Americans himself after an extraction plan failed to materialize.
The efforts of many, including a few of the buddies he rescued and Senator Bob Corker, helped bring Larry’s heroic effort to the attention of the White House. Fifty years after his harrowing rescue, he will be honored with the nation’s top military award.
Larry is only the fifth Medal of Honor recipient from the Chattanooga area. He was inducted into the UT Army ROTC Hall of Fame in November 2022 and currently resides in Signal Mountain, Tennessee, with his wife, Toni.
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Photo of Larry Taylor by Chattanooga Times Free Press’ Olivia Ross
The efforts of many, including a few of the buddies he rescued and Senator Bob Corker, helped bring Larry’s heroic effort to the attention of the White House. Fifty years after his harrowing rescue, he will be honored with the nation’s top military award.
Larry is only the fifth Medal of Honor recipient from the Chattanooga area. He was inducted into the UT Army ROTC Hall of Fame in November 2022 and currently resides in Signal Mountain, Tennessee, with his wife, Toni.
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Photo of Larry Taylor by Chattanooga Times Free Press’ Olivia Ross
