THE STORY‍
‍OF CAPTAIN
‍‍LARRY L. TAYLOR

Captain Larry Lowe Taylor was a Chattanooga native and U.S. Army helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War. On June 18, 1968, then 1st Lieutenant Taylor flew one of the Army's first Cobra gunship into a heavily defended area under intense enemy fire to rescue a four-man long-range reconnaissance patrol (LRRP) that was surrounded and in danger of being overrun. Out of ammunition and missiles, he defied orders to return to base and quickly made plans to do whatever was needed to rescue these men. With no room for the helicopter to land, Taylor hovered his helicopter close to the ground, allowing the soldiers to cling to the skids and rocket pods before flying them safely back to a nearby refueling station. For this daring act of courage and commitment, Taylor was initially awarded a Silver Star, which President Biden would upgrade to a Medal of Honor, our nation's highest military award for valor, on September 5, 2023.

Taylor would go on to become one of the most decorated Army helicopter pilots in our country's history. During his 11 months in Vietnam, Taylor flew well over 2,000 combat missions in the UH-1 and Cobra helicopters, engaged by enemy fire 340 times and forced down five times. He was awarded 61 combat decorations, including 44 Air Medals, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, two Bronze Stars, and four Distinguished Flying Crosses and a Silver Star, which was upgraded to the Medal of Honor in 2023.