This honor was mine: Medal of Honor recipient James Taylor showed me how LBJ presented the award in recognition of his heroic rescues in Vietnam

Medal of Honor recipient Jim Taylor demonstrates placement of medal (Special to the Picket)

When a Medal of Honor recipient insists (or asks, for that matter) you sit at his table, you don’t say no.

I found myself in this unexpected situation Tuesday afternoon while onboard a train carrying 13 Medal of Honor recipients during an immersive reenactment of the Civil War’s “Great Locomotive Chase” in North Georgia in April 1862. Members of the Andrews Raid were the first to receive the Medal of Honor.

I was darting between cars and taking pictures for the Picket’s Facebook page when I encountered James “Jim” Taylor, who was wearing a bright blue shirt with the words Medal of Honor beneath a burst of stars.

What happened next deeply touched me, and left an indelible memory.

Taylor, 87, was holding his medal, held in place by a blue ribbon, in front of him, and I assumed he was just adjusting it before returning it around his neck.

Instead, the Vietnam War hero beckoned to me. After I sat in a chair, he proceeded to reenact how President Lyndon B. Johnson placed the medal at the White House on Nov. 19, 1968.

Don’t worry: He did not place the medal around my neck.

Taylor asked me to open my outstretched hands to mimic a neck. He then moved the ribbon around the hands before placing the medal in the cup of my fingers, showing the bright medal to onlookers.

The demonstration took about a minute. I don’t know if the Army veteran has done this before with other people. I have no idea why he picked me. Someone did film the moment. (Picket photo in Kennesaw)

But I felt I was part of something special. I texted my family one of the photos in this post.

I will admit to not ever hearing of Taylor, who was a first lieutenant at the time he merited the nation’s highest military award for valor.

The Californian was in action on Nov. 9, 1967, west of Que Son. Any description I could provide would not be adequate, so it is best to provide the citation.

Capt. Taylor, Armor, was serving as executive officer of Troop B, 1st Squadron. His troop was engaged in an attack on a fortified position west of Que Son when it came under intense enemy recoilless-rifle, mortar, and automatic-weapons fire from an enemy strong point located immediately to its front. One armored cavalry assault vehicle was hit immediately by recoilless-rifle fire and all five crewmembers were wounded. Aware that the stricken vehicle was in grave danger of exploding, Capt. Taylor rushed forward and personally extracted the wounded to safety despite the hail of enemy fire and exploding ammunition. Within minutes a second armored cavalry assault vehicle was hit by multiple recoilless-rifle rounds. Despite the continuing intense enemy fire, Capt. Taylor moved forward on foot to rescue the wounded men from the burning vehicle and personally removed all the crewmen to the safety of a nearby dike. Moments later the vehicle exploded.

As he was returning to his vehicle, a bursting mortar round painfully wounded Capt. Taylor yet he valiantly returned to his vehicle to relocate the medical evacuation zone to an area closer to the front lines. As he was moving his vehicle, it came under machine- gun fire from an enemy position not 50 yards away. Capt. Taylor engaged the position with his machine gun, killing the three-man crew. Upon arrival at the new evacuation site, still another vehicle was struck. Once again Capt. Taylor rushed forward and pulled the wounded from the vehicle, loaded them aboard his vehicle, and returned them safely to the evacuation site. His actions of unsurpassed valor were a source of inspiration to his entire troop, contributed significantly to the success of the overall assault on the enemy position, and were directly responsible for saving the lives of a number of his fellow soldiers. His actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military profession and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.

I did a bit of research on Taylor this morning after returning home last night.

Sammy Davis, third from left, and  Jim Taylor to his left (White House photo)

The official photo of Taylor with LBJ shows him in a line, next to Sgt. Sammy L. Davis. Fittingly, Davis was among those on the CSX journey Tuesday from Kennesaw, Ga., to Ringgold, where he gave remarks to a large crowd in the town’s depot.

The veterans are taking part in the 2025 Medal of Honor Celebration in Chattanooga, Tenn. The principal sponsors are the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and the Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center. (There are currently 61 living Medal of Honor recipients.)

Taylor, in a video recorded years ago, said he did not want to be considered above millions of other veterans.

The day’s events – in Atlanta, Kennesaw and Ringgold – and, of course, the train ride, were an amazing experience. As a military brat in Germany, we lived near an Air Force Vietnam War recipient. To meet or talk with 13 was a real privilege.

Jim Taylor (right) and other medal recipients Tuesday at the Atlanta History Center (Picket photo)