Namesake:

Commander Jesse Junior Taylor

Commander Taylor was born in Wichita, Kansas on 16 January 1925. He enlisted in the Navy in October 1942, and served as an Aviation Radioman until the end of World War II with Bombing Squadron VB-II aboard the carrier USS HORNET in the South Pacific.

During the Korean conflict, he returned to the Navy for training as a Naval Aviator and, in May 1952, received his commission as an Ensign. After a tour with Composite Squadron Four, he served as NROTC Instructor at the University of California at Los Angeles. Further flight training and a tour with the Staff of Chief, Naval Air Training followed at NAS Pensacola, Florida. He was promoted to Lieutenant Commander while serving with VF-174. He attended the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, and directed the Flight Division of the Bureau of Naval Weapons at St. Louis, Missouri for two years.

In July 1965, LCDR Taylor was assigned to Air Wing 16 aboard the attack carrier USS ORISKANY, and sailed to the Western Pacific. He flew 16 missions between September and November, earning an Air Medal and a Gold Star in lieu of a second award. Advanced to the rank of Commander on 1 September 1965 he had not been officially given the rank at the time of his death.

On 17 November 1965, Commander Taylor was flying his A-1 Skyraider during attacks on a key bridge near the North Vietnamese Port of Haiphong. Ground fire had downed one of the other Navy aircraft, and its pilot had ejected in a heavily defended area. Commander Taylor heard the radio transmission describing the pilot's plight. Realizing that time was of the essence in any attempt to rescue the downed pilot, Commander Taylor made a courageous decision. Although it was not his assigned mission, and having discovered that other rescue aircraft were occupied elsewhere, he took command of the rescue effort.

Commander Taylor proceeded to the scene and found the pilot still in his parachute harness in shallow water. To cover the approach of the rescue helicopter, Commander Taylor attacked the anti-aircraft gun sites despite intense and accurate anti-aircraft fire and the fact that his own plane had sustained damage. The storm of enemy fire made it impossible for the helicopter to rescue the man on the ground. Meanwhile, because of fire in his own aircraft, Commander Taylor was forced to break off his own persistent attacks. Rather than abandon his plane in enemy territory, he elected to try to ditch in the Gulf of Tonkin. However, the fire burned through the wing of his plane, and it crashed before he had time to leave it.

For his heroic determination to save a fellow pilot, even at great risk to his own life, Commander Taylor was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.

Historical Notes:

Ship's Crest:

The Shield: The blue shield represents the U.S. Navy, and the oceans of the world on which it sails. The chevron refers to Commander Taylor's naval career; its three segments representing the three conflicts during which he served - World War II, Korea and Vietnam. The two gold stars represent the two previous U.S. Navy destroyers which have borne the name Taylor. The first, Destroyer No. 94, was laid down in 1917 at the Mare Island Navy Yard and was stricken from the Navy List in 1938. The second, DD 468, was laid down in 1941 at Bath Iron Works, and earned a total of 23 Battle Stars for action in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. She was stricken in 1969. The sea lion refers to Commander Taylor's courage and selfless dedication to duty. The sea lion holds a trident, traditionally the symbol of sea power, to symbolize further the three aspects of modern naval warfare in which TAYLOR is a potent adversary - subsurface, surface and air. The use of silver and scarlet with the traditional blue and gold of the U.S. Navy, represents Commander Taylor's shining ideals and gallant self- sacrifice in defense of a fellow aviator.

The Crest: The wings represent Commander Taylor's service as a Naval Aviator. The scarlet lightning flash refers both to his service as an Aviation Radioman and to his relentless attacks on enemy gun positions during the rescue attempt which cost him his life. The gold cross represents the Navy Cross awarded him posthumously for his heroism. The crossed swords represent the officers and enlisted personnel of the U.S. Navy who have given their lives around the globe as proud defenders of freedom and their country.

PHOTOS