From left, Captain Taylor’s wife Toni Taylor, Captain Larry Taylor, Chattanooga First Lady Ginny Kelly, and Mayor Tim Kelly
There is no one I can think of who is as deserving of being awarded the Medal of Honor as Captain Taylor is. This distinction was a longtime coming. Out of more than 3,500 Medal of Honor recipients, there are only about 65 still with us today, so Monday’s parade was a special opportunity to honor someone with a distinct sense of valor and bravery, yet someone who carries that with a unique humility.
I first met Captain Taylor through my time in the car business, and yet I had no idea just how much of a true hero he was until we all found out he was being recognized for his actions.
It seems we are constantly told that the prevailing characteristic of our present time is rancorous political divisiveness. But seeing everyone who showed up to celebrate him reminds me of just how proud and patriotic a city Chattanooga is, and that the values that bring us together are far stronger than the ones that try to tear us apart.
Mayor Tim Kelly