U.S. President Joe Biden called former Vietnam War veteran Larry Taylor on Jul. 8 to inform him that he will receive the Medal of Honor for his actions on Jun. 12, 1968.
United States Army Heritage and Education Center, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
While surveilling a village, four American soldiers found themselves surrounded, prompting an intense firefight. Recognizing the dire situation and the urgent need for air support, Taylor, a skilled AH-1 pilot, swiftly took charge.
Together with co-pilot J.O. Ratliff and another Cobra helicopter, Taylor flew over the battlefield, providing critical air support until their ammunition was depleted. Undeterred by the scarcity of resources, Taylor devised a daring plan. He directed the four-man Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) team to create a diversion and then instructed them to retreat 100 yards away, taking cover in the grass. In an audacious move, Taylor landed his Cobra in the midst of the firefight, with the soldiers on the ground clinging tightly to the helicopter’s skids and rocket pods. Despite the immense danger, Taylor skillfully lifted the men out of harm’s way and transported them to a safer location several miles away.
For his actions, Taylor received a Silver Star. The quest to recognize Taylor’s extraordinary valor commenced after a conversation between Dave Hill and another Army Ranger during a unit reunion in 1999. It was then that Hill discovered Taylor had not received the Medal of Honor for his bravery, prompting him to question why. Determined to rectify this oversight, Hill embarked on a mission that spanned over two decades.
The first step towards the upgrade came in January 2017 when a letter from then-Senator Bob Corker’s office pledged support for Taylor’s cause. This marked the beginning of a lengthy process that required substantial evidence and eyewitness testimonies. Hill and the group advocating for Taylor’s honor sought two witnesses who could attest to the events of that fateful night. Although Hill and Ratliff were still alive, Ratliff was living abroad and out of reach. The search for another witness commenced, involving efforts to locate the families of the soldiers who were present during the firefight. Unfortunately, most of these veterans had passed away, except for Gerald Patty’s family.
Despite encountering obstacles, the group submitted the upgrade packet with only one witness, hoping it would be sufficient. However, the Army requested further information and an additional witness to corroborate the events. Their search for Ratliff intensified, and eventually, they were able to establish contact. Ratliff provided an exceptional witness letter, supporting and validating all the details mentioned in the original application.
Despite their best efforts, the initial submission was deemed lacking in new information by the board responsible for Medal of Honor upgrades. However, the involvement of retired 4-star General B.B. Bell proved to be a breakthrough. General Bell, having extensive experience with award recommendations, interceded in the process. He convinced the Army to reconsider, highlighting the additional information they possessed that Taylor’s command did not.
As a result of General Bell’s intervention, the submission for upgrade finally made its way to the Pentagon. In April 2023, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin granted approval and forwarded Larry Taylor’s request for the Medal of Honor to the White House. President Joe Biden personally signed off on the upgrade, recognizing Taylor’s extraordinary heroism during that critical juncture in Vietnam. The President will honor Larry Taylor with a ceremony at the White House, paying tribute to his remarkable acts of bravery in June 1968.
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