First Lieutenant Larry L. Taylor’s Daring Vietnam Rescue

On June 18, 1968, near the village of Ap Go Cong in the Republic of Vietnam, First Lieutenant Larry L. Taylor displayed exceptional bravery while serving with Troop Delta, 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 1st Infantry Division. Responding to an urgent call for air support, he led a light fire team of two Cobra helicopter gunships to aid a four-man long-range patrol team under heavy enemy attack.

Arriving to find the patrol team surrounded by a larger Viet Cong force, First Lieutenant Taylor requested illumination rounds and artillery to identify enemy positions. Braving intense groundfire, he flew his helicopter at low altitude, delivering precise rocket and machine gun fire on the enemy. For over 45 minutes, he and his wingman conducted repeated, close-range attack runs to suppress the encircling forces.

When the enemy intensified fire from Ap Go Cong, he called for artillery rounds with low-altitude illumination to ignite their positions. Running low on ammunition, he scouted the patrol team’s potential escape route but found it impassable. He returned to the patrol team, creating distractions by flying low and using his searchlight to simulate attack runs, buying the team critical time.

With fuel nearly exhausted and the patrol team running out of ammunition, First Lieutenant Taylor made the unprecedented decision to extract them using his two-man Cobra gunship. He directed his wingman to cover the team’s eastern flank, and after firing his last rounds to clear a path, he instructed the patrol team to move to an extraction point.

Under continuous enemy fire, he landed his helicopter and signaled the patrol team to climb aboard. The team, seated precariously on rocket pods and skids, was safely evacuated to a friendly location, their lives saved by his bold actions. For his heroism, First Lieutenant Taylor received the Medal of Honor.