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)

PHOTOS: 13 Medal of Honor recipients retrace the 'Great Locomotive Chase'

(Civil War Picket photos)

Jim McCloughan, Kyle Carpenter and Britt Slabinski (from left) were among 13 Medal of Honor recipients who rode a CSX executive train Tuesday afternoon that reenacted the Civil War’s “Great Locomotive Chase” in 1862. The daylong event in Atlanta, Kennesaw and other points in North Georgia was part of the 2025 Medal of Honor Celebration in Chattanooga, Tenn. Union soldiers in the Andrews Raid were the first to receive the Medal of Honor. See the Picket’s updates and photos at our Facebook page.

Medal of Honor recipients will take a special train ride in Georgia reenacting the 'Great Locomotive Chase.' They will take the same route used by Yankee saboteurs who were the first to receive the nation's top award for valor

Type of locomotive being used Tuesday (CSX); click to enlarge map showing route of the Andrews Raid in North Georgia; Ohio Pvt. Jacob Parrott received the first Medal of Honor; this is his second issue medal (Picket photo)

On Tuesday afternoon, about 15 Medal of Honor recipients will climb aboard a train in Kennesaw, Ga., to travel back in time while retracing the daring escapade of warriors first awarded the nation’s highest military award for valor.

The journey’s nexus to the Civil War episode will be somewhat remarkable, albeit no actual danger will be involved this time around.

The Medal of Honor recipients – who are meeting Sept. 29-Oct. 4 in Chattanooga, Tenn., for their annual convention – will be riding along the original route of the ambitious Andrews Raid, better known as the "Great Locomotive Chase."

The April 1862 romp began in Big Shanty (now Kennesaw) and ended near Ringgold, Ga., below Chattanooga when the Union men – most soldiers dressed in civilian clothes – jumped off the General, the train they commandeered, when it ran out of steam. Their brave mission was a strategic failure.

The Medal of Honor recipients will see both surviving engines Tuesday and start their two-and-a-half hour train journey near where the Union sabotage mission began.

The public is invited to wave at the CSX train and the honorees during the reenactment ride from Kennesaw to Ringgold. It starts around 1 p.m. ET and ends at 3:30 p.m.

As organizers note, the Great Locomotive Chase is more than a Civil War story. (At right the General inside the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History, Picket photo)

“It’s a defining moment in American military history and established Chattanooga as the birthplace of the Medal of Honor. The audacious raid, spanning roughly 87 miles over seven hours, evoked an epic chase," they said in a news release.

The very first recipients (in March 1863) of the Medal of Honor were men who took part in the Andrews Raid. Ultimately, 21 of 24 raiders received the award, while two were not eligible because they were civilians.

Eight Yankee raiders – including leader James Andrews – were tried as spies and executed in Atlanta. They are interred at Chattanooga National Cemetery. Last year, two hanged Ohio participants in the raid -- Pvt. George Wilson and Pvt. Philip G. Shadrach -- were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor after a long campaign by descendants and a Georgia researcher to have them receive the honor.

Tuesday’s immersive reenactment is being principally sponsored by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, the Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center in Chattanooga and CSX.

The Civil War Picket is planning to attend the events and post updates via Facebook.

Startled Southern conductor sprang into action

Andrews and his men traveled in groups to Marietta, below Kennesaw, where most spent the night at a hotel before the raid.

Their aim was to take a locomotive to Chattanooga while destroying sections of track and Rebel communications. The audacious raiders hoped to deliver a blow to the Southern war effort and morale.

The Texas can be seen from the front of the Atlanta History Center (Picket photo)

On that spring day in 1862, Western & Atlantic Railroad conductor William A. Fuller was shocked to see a group of men steal the General while passengers and crew were enjoying breakfast at the Lacy Hotel in Big Shanty.

Fuller and a couple of others ran north after his train. He didn’t yet know it had been taken by the Union commandos. The conductor ran across a handcar, jumped on three trains and traveled 86 miles -- along with Confederate horsemen who had been reached by telegraph -- after the raiders.

The Andrews Raid did not do much damage to the rail line, but it gained fame in the North, where the men were treated as heroes who struck a blow, however small, deep in enemy territory.

Officials at the Atlanta History Center, which showcases the Texas, have long stressed the engine tells a much larger story of the postwar growth of the city. For its restoration several years ago, they decided to paint the Texas in an 1886 scheme, rather than the bright colors it wore at its former home in the city’s Grant Park -- in part because its surviving parts date closer to that year than the Civil War.

Like the General, the object of the chase, the Texas was saved (in 1907) from the scrap heap.

Here's how the day's events will play out

The Medal of Honor recipients’ formal introduction to the chase will begin Tuesday morning with breakfast at the Atlanta History Center.

From there, participants will take a bus to Kennesaw, about 20 miles northwest. They will attend a lunch program at the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History, which is home to the General. The museum will be closed to the public Tuesday.

A rather fanciful depiction of the raid and a burning bridge (Wikipedia)

Around 1 p.m., the recipients, guests and others will board one or two modern executive rail cars positioned near where the Lacy Hotel once stood. CSX operates what once was the Western & Atlantic route.

A vintage engine cannot be used because the route was long ago modernized for faster and heavier commercial traffic.

The train will make no stops at it passes historic depots in Acworth, Adairsville, Resaca and Dalton. The retinue will arrive in Ringgold at 3:30 p.m.

Raid's legacy bigger than its accomplishments

During the trip, costumed living historians will tell the Medal of Honor recipients about those involved in the raid. Organizers note there will be no pursuing train, though the reenactors will discuss Fuller’s dogged pursuit, according to Task & Purpose website.

Charlie Crawford, president emeritus of the Georgia Battlefields Association, told the Picket last year the Andrews Raid made no difference in the war’s outcome. Still, he said, the raid “made Southerners behind the lines aware that they could be vulnerable.”

Richard Banz, executive director of the Southern Museum, said those on both sides of the Great Locomotive Chase should be considered heroes.

“These were men who were willing to sacrifice everything for their perspective countries to succeed. Amazingly, they seemed to hold each other in high esteem despite being enemies during this terrible war.”

Gordon Jones, senior military historian and curator at the Atlanta History Center, said the Andrews Raid, through books and a 1956 Disney movie, brought the Civil War to young people.

And, he added in 2024, the caper did result in something sacred that has been special to Americans for generations.

“It’s the origin story of the highest award for military valor the United States government can bestow. It’s about personal sacrifice to save others. That’s timeless.”

There are only 61 living Medal of Honor recipients.

Oorah! Marine Corps makes sure a recovered Schenkl artillery shell is safe, hands it over to Liberia House in Manassas, Va., ahead of its 200th birthday bash

Photos of returned shell (top) and after its discovery in April (below, City of Manassas)

The Liberia House in Manassas, Va., recently received an unwrapped present ahead of its 200th birthday celebration. The hand-delivered item arrived with no fanfare or box, but it did include a rather unique card.

“The following ordnance items have been certified free from bulk explosives, have been certified inert, indicated by an accompanying inert certification.”

U.S. Marines stationed about 25 miles away returned a Civil War Schenkl artillery shell that was found in April by contractors using heavy equipment at a creek near Liberia House, which has a rich history.

“At my request, they did not clean the shell up except to remove loose dirt. So it looks very much like it did when it was discovered, except now it has a big hole in the top from being worked on,” said Mary Helen Dellinger, curator at the city-run Manassas Museum, which manages the historic site.

The striking Liberia House was made from bricks fashioned from red clay on site (City of Manassas)

The fuse was not present at the time of discovery, but Virginia State Police considered the small shell to be a live round. They held it until explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) technicians at Marine Corps Base Quantico could take custody.

The Schenkl shell would have contained black powder but the Picket was unable to determine whether it still was present 160 years later. An EOD technician at the base who answered questions Tuesday about explosive ordnance said he did not have details on this shell.

The technician said if any black powder was present the item would have been carefully pressure washed and cleaned with a filtration system.

Hard to say which side had this particular round

Local officials believe the shell will be a great addition to Oct. 11 programming marking the 200^th anniversary of Liberia House. The 10 a.m.-4 p.m. event includes tours, music, 19th century games, a demonstration of quilting and storytelling.

Manassas, obviously, is associated with two major battles and numerous smaller operations and skirmishes.

The Schenkl was primarily used by Federal artillerymen in a variety of cannons, including the Parrott.

“As far as Federal vs. Confederate shell – it’s difficult to say,” said Dellinger (left in city Instagram post) of this example.

“We do know that during the Battle of Bull Run Bridge the 2^nd New York was stationed on the property (exact location unknown) and were firing at the Confederates at Fort Beauregard (located about ½ mile from Liberia). Because of the history of both sides being on the property during the war, it’s really hard to say which side left the shell behind.”

About 400,000 Schenkl shells were made during the Civil War. They came in several styles, including ones that contained case shot. It had a Papier-mache sabot.

Shell will make its public debut Oct. 11

The Prince William County property served as headquarters for Confederate and Union forces early in the war. Jefferson Davis (in 1861) and Abraham Lincoln (in 1862) came here to confer with their generals. “Proof of occupation is displayed as faded graffiti left by Union soldiers is visible on interior walls,” the city says.

Soldiers from both sides wrote graffiti in many structures in the region. Those surviving at Liberia Hall are Union.

Dellinger previously told the Picket past archaeological digs at Liberia yielded numerous Civil War-related pieces, among them buttons, bullets, small bits a pieces of metal that relate to horse equipage, other accoutrements and a sword -- “the coolest thing until this shell.”

Manassas touts its extensive Black history through a trail for residents and visitors. Liberia House tells the story of the enslaved people on the land at the time of the war.

Liberia House was built for William J. and Harriett Weir in 1825. Enslaved laborers did most of the construction on the two-story, Federal style brick home. They are believed to have crafted much of the stylish interior, too. Its 1,600 acres made Liberia a large working farm and plantation.

Dellinger said the birthday party will not have a Civil War focus but there will be come wartime components, including the debut of the Schenkl round.

”After that, I plan on leaving the shell at the house so when we have it open for public events it’s on hand for people to see.”

Marines keep busy with calls about ordnance

19th century photo of house shows men in fashionable clothing (Library of Congress)

Quantico routinely gets requests to handle possible explosive ordnance, including some dating to the Revolutionary War and Civil War. Calls come in from the National Park Service, museums and state and local governments, among other agencies.

The Quantico EOD technician told the Picket the team will try to render them safe if possible.

“Everybody has stockpiles they need certified, looked at, or inerted, on top of people finding (items) in their yards in Northern Virginia.”

Liberia House is located at 8601 Portner Ave., Manassas. The house is open for special events and tours and an annual bee festival. The grounds are open from sunrise to sunset. For more information, contact the Manassas Museum at 703-368-1873.

Someone carved initials on a New York monument at Gettysburg's Little Round Top. Now the park is seeking the public's help in holding him accountable

Man being sought after vandalism;12th New York plaque is on the tower, behind leaves (NPS photos)

A man etched initials on a bronze tablet at the “Castle” monument on Gettysburg's Little Round Top, and the park is seeking the public's help in its investigation.

“Acts of vandalism will not be tolerated in our national parks, and we are committed to holding those responsible accountable,” Gettysburg National Military Park spokesman Jason Martz told the Picket following the Sunday afternoon incident at the 44^th and 12^th New York monument.

The park posted an image of a bearded, white male on social media and asked for the public’s help.

A good Samaritan, heard scratching, took the photo and alerted authorities, said Martz. The individual carved the initials “LJR” on the edge of a tablet about the 12^th New York. The tablet is affixed to the Castle’s tower and abuts the second-floor parapet/landing. Martz told Fox 43 a pocket knife was likely used.

Dedicated in 1893, the large stone monument sits near the summit of Little Round Top, famous for dogged fighting on July 2, 1863, that left about 1,800 casualties. It was designed by Col. Daniel Butterfield of the 12th New York and stands 44 feet high.

Martz said the park will make repairs, but the timing is uncertain. “Our preservationists are amazing.”

Heavily visited Little Round Top reopened in July 2024 after a two-year rehabilitation.

The 44^th New York monument underwent repairs and upgrades to its base and sidewalks. (The 12th plaque is on the far left in this NPS photo)

According to news reports, boulders at Little Round Top had graffiti damage in August 2024, and park officials similarly decried defacement of sacred ground where men were killed, wounded or left missing.

Those with information on Sunday’s incident are asked to call the National Park Service tip line at 888-653-0009.