Jesse J. Taylor
| Jesse J. Taylor | |
|---|---|
Jesse J. taylor
|
|
| Birth name | Jesse Junior Taylor |
| Born |
16 January 1925 Wichita, Kansas |
| Died | 17 November 1965 (aged 40) near Haiphong, North Vietnam |
| Buried | Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch |
 United States Navy
|
| Years of service | 1942 – 1946 1951 – 1965 |
| Rank |
 Lieutenant Commander
|
| Service number | 553662 |
| Battles/wars |
World War II Vietnam War † |
| Awards |
 Navy Cross
|
Jesse Junior Taylor (16 January 1925 – 17 November 1965) was a United States Navy naval aviator, Lieutenant Commander during the Vietnam War. He also served as an enlisted man during World War II. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for actions 17 November 1965 over North Vietnam. He was the namesake of USS Taylor.
Jesse Junior Taylor was born in Wichita, Kansas, on 16 January 1925 to Jesse D. Taylor of Kansas and Mabel Taylor of Nebraska. In 1935 the family lived in the Kansas City area and in 1940 they lived in the Los Angeles metro area. Taylor enlisted in the Navy after high school on 26 October 1942. He joined Bombing Squadron 11 (VB-11) as an aviation radioman and enlisted Naval Aircrewman and was deployed with the squadron to the carrier USS Hornet in September 1944. Over the following four months, VB-11 carried out a highly successful combat tour, flying 490 strike sorties against a variety of enemy targets in the Pacific. Taylor, as an aviation radioman, earned a ribbon for Hornet's Presidential Unit Citation. He served with VB-11 until discharged from the Navy on 5 February 1946.
Following his reentry into civilian life, he attended Long Beach City College for two years before going to work with several private concerns in the Los Angeles area. However, he returned to the college in 1950 and, while there, enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve shortly after Korean War began.
Reporting for duty in January 1951, Taylor underwent flight training as a Naval Aviation Cadet (NAVCAD) and was soon designated a Naval Aviator. Commissioned an Ensign in May 1952, he went on to receive further training until he joined Composite Squadron Four (VC-4) in January 1953 as a replacement pilot and Maintenance and Material Officer.
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