James A. Taylor

Captain James A. Taylor (later Major) was commissioned upon graduation from Officer Candidate School Class 2-66. He received the Congressional Medal of Honor while serving as Executive Officer, Troop B, 1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry on 9 November, 1967 in the Republic of Vietnam. | Captain Taylor's troop was engaged in an attack on a fortified position west of Que Son where it came under intense enemy recoilless rifle, mortar, and automatic weapons fire from an enemy strong point located immediately to its front. One armored cavalry assault vehicle was hit immediately by recoilless rifle fire and all five crew members were wounded. Aware that the stricken vehicle was in grave danger of exploding, Captain Taylor rushed forward and personally extracted the wounded to safety despite the hail of enemy fire and exploding ammunition. Within minutes a second armored cavalry assault vehicle was hit by multiple recoilless rifle rounds. Despite the continuing intense enemy fire, Captain Taylor moved forward on foot to rescue the wounded men from the burning vehicle and personally removed all the crewmen to the rear. When he was returning to his vehicle, a bursting mortar round painfully wounded Captain Taylor, yet he valiantly returned to his vehicle to relocate the medical evacuation landing zone to an area closer to the front lines. As he was moving his vehicle, it came under machine-gun fire from an enemy position not fifty yards away. Captain Taylor engaged the position with his own machine-gun, killing the three-man crew. Upon arrival at the new evacuation site, still another vehicle was struck. Once again Captain Taylor rushed forward and pulled the wounded from the vehicle, loaded them aboard his vehicle, and returned them safely to the evacuation site. His actions of unsurpassed valor were a source of inspiration to his entire troop, contributed significantly to the success of the overall assault on the enemy position, and were directly responsible for saving the lives of a number of his fellow soldiers. His actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military profession and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.