Karl G. Taylor Sr.

Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipient (1939 1968)

Karl Gorman Taylor Sr. (July 14, 1939 – December 8, 1968) was a United States Marine Corps staff sergeant who was killed in action during his second tour of duty in the Vietnam War. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration for valor, for his heroic actions on December 8, 1968.

Karl Taylor was born on July 14, 1939, in Laurel, Maryland. He graduated from Arundel Junior High School in 1953, then attended Arundel Senior High School until 1956. After leaving high school, he was employed by a construction company as a Tournapull Scraper Operator. In 1961, he received a high school equivalency diploma from the Armed Forces Institute in Madison, Wisconsin.

He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps along with his brother, Walter William Taylor, at Recruiting Station Baltimore on January 15, 1959. Upon completion of recruit training with the 3rd Recruit Training Battalion at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, he went on to infantry combat training with the 1st Infantry Training Regiment, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. After completing infantry training in July 1959, he was assigned duty as a rifleman, section leader, and a platoon guide, successively, with Company A, 1st Battalion 6th Marines, 2nd Marine Division. He was promoted to private first class on July 1, 1959; to lance corporal on March 1, 1960; and to corporal on October 24, 1960. From January until February 1962, he attended the Drill Instructor School at Parris Island, then served as a Drill Instructor at 2nd Recruit Training Battalion until January 1963. After this enlistment tour was over, Cpl. Taylor returned to inactive duty for three months and was with the 4th Marine Corps Reserve and Recruitment District at Philadelphia. On March 26, 1963, he returned to active duty at Marine Corps Base Quantico, and served as Assistant Police Sergeant and, later, Police Sergeant, Guard Company, Service Battalion, Marine Corps Schools. He was promoted to sergeant on December 1, 1963.

He was transferred to the 3rd Marine Division, in August 1964. Sgt. Taylor saw a one year tour of duty as rocket section leader and platoon guide, with Company G, 2nd Battalion 3rd Marines which included duty in South Vietnam. Reassigned to Sub Unit #2, Headquarters Company, Headquarters and Service Battalion, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, in August 1965, he served as an instructor for the NCO Leadership School until the following November. In January 1966, he returned to the United States and to Marine Corps Schools, Quantico, for duty as Candidate Company Platoon Sergeant and Platoon Sergeant of Company A, 2nd Platoon, Officer Candidate School. He was promoted to staff sergeant on September 1, 1966. In February 1968, he returned to the 3rd Marine Division in Vietnam, this time for duty as Platoon Sergeant and Company Gunnery Sergeant of Company I, 3rd Battalion, 26th Marine Regiment.

Staff Sgt. Taylor was mortally wounded while participating in Operation Meade River on December 8, 1968, as he was charging an enemy machine gun bunker with a grenade launcher to allow his rifle company platoon members to rescue wounded Marines. He was able to take out the enemy position just before he was killed. He was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his heroic actions that day.

In a White House ceremony on February 16, 1971, President Richard Nixon presented Staff Sgt. Taylor's Medal of Honor to his family – his wife, daughter, age 8, and two sons, age 7 and 4.

Staff Sgt. Taylor is buried in Independence Cemetery at Independence Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania.

Taylor's son Kevin enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1984. In 1997, he was with the Construction Equipment Repair Branch, MCB Quantico, Virginia.

Taylor has his name inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Panel 37W, Row 070. In 2001, Marine Corps League Detachment 1084 was named "Marine Corps League SSgt. Karl G. Taylor Sr. Detachment 1084" in Jessup, Howard County, Maryland.