David G. Taylor Memorial Scholarship

The following came in a letter from Rich Bennett, who I remember as a gym teacher at Heidelberg High School when I went there. Over the years, Rich has reached out to HHS alumni from many eras.

Dear Heidelbergers – the Class of ’87:

David Taylor, your class president at Heidelberg High School was killed in action last month in Iraq. Information on a memorial scholarship is provided below. Our goal is to raise over $2000 and we are off to a good start as donations have started to come in. For simplicity sake, please make out the check to Rich Bennett and write David Taylor Scholarship Fund in the memo section.

My address: 2007 Coast Guard Drive, Stafford, VA 22554, phone – 540-720-2034

David was a very special person in the Heidelberg family as he had the unique opportunity to live in Heidelberg during his middle and high school years, college summers, and as a soldier. When we heard the tragic news of his death, “Heidelberg hearts were breaking all over the world.” I think that it is fitting that we honor David’s memory with a scholarship in his name for a deserving senior from his alma mater. The students at Heidelberg High School need to know this boy and man in order to understand how he could connect to so many people in such a short lifetime and how he truly made a difference in this world. I believe that an essay, perhaps on some of David’s life lessons, would be most appropriate, or maybe something on courage, patriotism, or one of the other values he always carried with him. You are welcome to offer any comments or suggestions. The scholarship would be presented at the HHS Senior Awards in May 2007, appropriately right before Memorial Day when we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

I thank you for your generosity and helping to keep the Heidelberg Spirit alive.

Sincerely – Rich

Report from David’s Funeral

I attended David Taylor’s funeral in Apex, NC on Thursday, November 2. I drove up the day before from Florida and attended the visitation at the funeral home. Surrounding the flag-draped coffin were pictures of David with his wife Michelle and his son Jake. There was a video running with a collection of David’s memories. I watched some of the video from Baghdad, showing off one of Saddam’s palaces.

I talked briefly with David’s brother John; his parents, David and Kay; his father-in-law, Joe Thresher; and his brother-in-law, John Thresher. They were pleased to see so many people. I sat in the chapel for a while watching a slide show, regretting that I hadn’t been more of a shutterbug in my younger years. I had hoped to be able to contribute more to the slide show.

The next day, the funeral was at 11:00 a.m. at Olive Chapel Baptist Church. I was the last to arrive and stood in the back of the church. David’s brother John spoke eloquently about how David had always been supportive, but made him fight his own battles. He talked about David’s penchant for mischief and ability to get away with almost anything. He talked about his brother’s matter-of-fact approach to the world. In John’s words, “He was plain-spoken, practical and he took care of business.”

Major George Coppit, who has known David since high school, spoke next. George is a spinal surgeon at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D. C. George talked about David’s ability to get away with outrageous mischief. George has stayed close with David over the years and he shared some memories.

Major Mike Peters knows David through the military. He talked of David’s military career, his patriotism, and his love for his soldiers. Mike told about David’s modesty and how he liked to exaggerate stories about David just to push his buttons. Now those exaggerated stories have replaced the truth and most of what he remembers of David is legends.

Dale Brooks was the last friend to offer remembrances of David at the service. I knew her in earlier times as Dale Chapman, leader of Club Beyond, a Christian youth group. She asked some tough questions. “Why David? Why now?” She brought a Christian perspective to answering those questions.

One lasting thought from the service was this. “Only two people have every offered to die for you. One was Jesus Christ and the other is the American GI. One died for your soul, the other died for your freedom.”

We walked from the church to the cemetery outside where volunteers from the Patriot Guard ringed the grave site holding American flags. I was too far from the casket to hear the words offered by the preacher. The military honor guard gave David a respectful military sendoff and presented the American flag to David’s family.

Afterward we went to the fellowship hall and ate and met up with old friends.

Many of us wanted to know what we could do to help support David’s family, especially his widow and young son. There are three things the family has requested.

1. Thank a soldier, a police officer, a firefighter–the people who put themselves in harms way to protect and defend us every day.

2. Give to the David Taylor Memorial Gift o Dave’s alma mater, Davidson College. This fund was established at Michelle’s request. If you would like to contribute you can send your gift to:

Davidson College
Att: James Gibert
P.O. Box 7177
Davidson, NC 28035

Checks can be made payable to Davidson College. You can also contribute by phone – 704-894-2469
3. David’s family has asked us to share stories of David’s life, so they can catalog them and share them with his son, Jacob. Email your stories to dgtaylorjr (at) aol (dot) com. That’s going to be one great collection of stories about one great man.

Chris Sands

The Stars and Stripes reports on David

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=41025

1st Armored Division major killed in Iraq
Baumholder’s Taylor is division’s highest-ranking fatality

By Kevin Dougherty, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Wednesday, October 25, 2006

A 1st Armored Division major has died from injuries he sustained in a roadside bomb attack in Baghdad, an Army spokeswoman confirmed Wednesday.

The officer was identified as Maj. David Gladney Taylor of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, assigned to Baumholder, Germany, according to Army Capt. Carol Kotlowski, spokeswoman for the 1st AD. Taylor had been attached to the 4th Brigade Combat Team while in Iraq, Kotlowski said.

Taylor is highest-ranking officer of the Europe-based 1st Armored Division to die in Iraq, according to icasualties.org, a Web site that tracks coalition casualties in Iraq.

A second Army major, also based in Europe, was injured, as well as three other soldiers who were riding in the convoy when it was attacked, Kotlowski said.

The injured officer was identified as Maj. David William Haines, who was assigned to Task Force 1-18 of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team. He is normally assigned to a unit in Schweinfurt, Germany, Kotlowski said. Haines sustained shrapnel injuries to his legs, arms and abdomen.

“His vehicle was hit by an IED (improvised explosive device),” Kotlowski said of the deceased officer.

The attack occurred on or around Sunday, Kotlowski said. Both of the majors apparently were riding in the same Humvee, one of four vehicles in the convoy. Kotlowski said the convoy was on a Baghdad road apparently heading north when the attack occurred.

Medical personnel evacuated the four injured soldiers to a nearby combat support hospital. The injuries and conditions of the three other soldiers were not immediately available.

While Taylor is the highest-ranking officer, the highest-ranking enlisted soldier from 1st AD to die in Iraq was Command Sgt. Major Eric F. Cooke, who was killed by an IED on Dec. 24, 2003, near Samarra.

Scrapbook for Jake

Kelly Uribe is also putting something together with a little more lead time. She writes:

Dear Friends –

I want to put together a scrap-book for Jake that will give him a glimpse of his Dad’s life. I have enlisted my creative neighbor to design the book, but need help collecting pictures, mementos, stories or letters to Jake that you might like to include. My plan is to complete the book by Christmas. If you’d like to participate, please send me your contributions by December 1st. Hard-copies or electronic versions are fine. I sent this message to just a few of you, but know Dave’s life touched countless others. Please forward this message to anyone else who might want to contribute.

Thanks, Kelly

Kelly Davis Uribe [kelly (dot) uribe (at) osd (dot) mil]
12105 Darnley Road
Woodbridge, VA 22192

Photo slideshow – please contribute

Grier Martin is helping Michelle put together a video/slideshow to celebrate Dave’s life that will be shown at some point during the ceremonies.  If you have pictures and/or video with Dave, please provide what you can to Grier – he will take digital or hard copy. His email is grier (at) griermartin (dot) com.  Obviously, the sooner you can get these to Grier the better as time is short.

News Observer Tribute to David Taylor

http://www.newsobserver.com/505/story/502930.html

Major killed by bomb felt drawn to serve

Mandy Locke, Staff Writer

David G. Taylor Jr. wasn’t satisfied to simply serve his country in Iraq. This summer, he asked to get closer to the danger and volunteered to supervise Army troops patrolling southern Baghdad.

A roadside bomb blasted through the 37-year-old Army major’s Humvee on Sunday, killing him instantly.

“I knew things were cranking up over there,” his mother, Kay Taylor, said Wednesday evening from her mother’s home outside Apex. “We weren’t surprised, but what a damn shame. What a loss.”

Taylor, who considered his grandparents’ farm in western Wake County his second home, became a father four months ago. He flew home from Iraq this summer to be with his wife, Michelle, during childbirth. Jake was less than 2 weeks old the last time Taylor held him.

Taylor continued a family tradition of soldiering. Both his grandfathers served in World War II, and his father completed two tours in Vietnam, spending his entire career with the Army.

Since his family traveled the globe with the military, Taylor found his grandparents’ farm in Wake County an anchor. As a teenager, he spent summers driving tractors around John and Doris Overman’s tobacco and dairy farm. That’s where he earned enough Boy Scout badges to become an Eagle Scout at age 13, his mother said.

After high school in Germany, Taylor attended Davidson College in Mecklenburg County on an ROTC scholarship. He became an officer in the Army after graduation and planned to spend his career with the military.

Kay Taylor said her son felt drawn to serve in Iraq, particularly because he knew he was to be a father. “He thought the Americans needed to be there to give the Iraqi children the future of democracy,” she said. “He really felt that what he was doing there was the right thing.”

Taylor often patrolled the streets with the soldiers he supervised. On Sunday, he was training new arrivals when the Humvee he drove hit the homemade bomb, his mother said.

Taylor wasn’t one for pomp and circumstance. After his body arrives from Iraq in a few days, a friend will escort his casket to Apex. The family will say a quiet goodbye and help him settle into his grave site near his late grandfather, John Overman.

Taylor is survived by his wife, Michelle Thresher Taylor; his 4-month-old son, Jacob David Jude Taylor; his parents, Kay and David Taylor of London, England; his brother, John K. Taylor of Yokosuka, Japan; and his maternal grandmother, Doris G. Overman of Apex.

News Observer Obituary

http://www.newsobserver.com/content/obits/index.html

 MAJOR DAVID G. TAYLOR, JR., Jr, 37, US Army Infantry, was killed in action in Baghdad, Iraq on October 22nd. David was the Operations Officer of 2/6th Infantry Battalion of Baumholder, Germany. He deployed from Heidelberg, Germany in January 2006 with V Corps. David was a graduate of Davidson College.
David was married to Michelle Thresher Taylor. He is also survived by his four month old son, Jacob David Jude Taylor; parents, Kay and David Taylor of London, England; brother, John K. Taylor of Yokosuka, Japan; maternal grandmother, Doris G. Overman of Apex.
Funeral Arrangements are pending with Apex Funeral Home, 550 W. Williams St. (Hwy 55), Apex and condolences may be made at www.apexfuneral.com

Link forwarded by Mike MacLellan

Heidelberg High School remembers David

Please visit the forum.

In Memoriam

U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release

On the Web Media contact: +1 (703) 697-5131/697-5132 Public contact or +1 (703) 428-0711 +1

IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 1076-06 October 25, 2006

DoD Identifies Army Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Maj. David G. Taylor, 37, of North Carolina, died Oct. 22 in Baghdad, Iraq, from injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Taylor is assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany. For further information related to this release the media can contact the 1st Armored Division public affairs office at 49-611-705-4862.