I Always Wanted to Fly: America's Cold War Airmen

7. B-Flight out of Kimpo: Special Operations

Chapter 7 B-Flight out of Kimpo Special Operations Headquarters, Far East Air Forces, APO 925, General Orders Number 303, 30 June 1953. By direction of the President, under the provisions of the Act of Congress approved 9 July 1918, . . . the Silver Star for gallantry in action is awarded to MAJOR DAVID M. TAYLOR, 13618A, United States Air Force. MAJOR TAYLOR distinguished himself by gallantry in action against an armed enemy of the United Nations as a pilot, 6167th Air Base Group, Fifth Air Force, on 23 April 1953. On that date, MAJOR TAYLOR flew an unarmed, unescorted C-47 cargo-type aircraft on a search mission behind enemy lines. In the vicinity of Yulli, North Korea, near which an F-84 had been shot down, MAJOR TAYLOR flew his aircraft at tree-top level for approximately one hour to search for the downed airman. In making the search, eight or ten passes were made over the same spot, each pass under fire from enemy troops. With no thought of his own safety, MAJOR TAYLOR disregarded the intense light arms and automatic weapons fire which resulted in hits and damage to the aircraft, and continued the search until directed to leave by the Controller. By his high personal courage in the face of the enemy and outstanding devotion to duty, MAJOR TAYLOR reflected great credit upon himself, the Far East Air Forces, and the United States Air Force. By order of the Commander: S. R. Brentnall, Major General, USAF, Vice Commander 126 B-Flight out of Kimpo Colonel David M. Taylor Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross (3), Bronze Star (2), Air Medal (9), Purple Heart Dave Taylor was born in 1921 and grew up in the small Mississippi town of Grenada. He occasionally played with his younger cousin, Trent Lott, who would one day become majority leader of the U.S. Senate. Young Dave’s horizons were not limited by the surrounding cotton fields. He soon became enamored with flying while helping fuel Ford trimotors at the nearby airfield in exchange for an occasional ride. Flying soon got into his blood, although there appeared to be little chance he would be able to follow his dream. When World War II started, Dave volunteered and in 1942 was assigned to flight training as an aviation cadet. In quick succession he passed through primary, basic, and advanced training, and on May 24, 1943, Dave received his pilot wings and the brown bars of a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Force. His mother pinned the lieutenant bars on her young son’s shoulders at Ellington Field, near Houston, Texas. Intensive B-17 crew training followed at a succession of airfields from Washington state to Florida. Twice, Dave’s crew and the units they trained with were certified combat—ready. Twice, his combatready squadron was designated a replacement training unit to train others for combat in the skies over Europe. At times Dave wondered if the war he wanted to fight would be over by the time he got his chance. Dave was promoted to first lieutenant and progressed to instructor pilot status. He was very good at flying the B-17. His skills confirmed many times over, Dave Taylor’s crew finally received its long-awaited orders to proceed as a replacement crew to England. The meaning of the term replacement didn’t really sink in until he got there. He had handpicked his crew of nine—copilot, bombardier, navigator, radio operator, and four gunners, all well trained in their respective specialties . On October 9, 1944, the men took a brand new B-17 bomber from Hunter Field in Savannah, Georgia, and flew it along the northern Atlantic route via Goose Bay, Labrador, and Scotland to England. 127 Korea, 1950 ‘‘After first being part of a replacement pool, we were eventually assigned to the 336th Bomb Squadron, 95th Bombardment Group, Heavy. The 95th was part of the 13th Combat Wing of the 3rd Bombardment Division, commanded by Major General Earl Partridge,’’ Dave recalled. ‘‘General Partridge replaced Major General Curtis E. LeMay that spring, who had gone on to organize the B-29s in the Pacific . Our combat wing consisted of the 95th Bombardment Group at Horham, the 100th at Thorpe Abbot, and the 390th at Framlingham. I flew a B-17G out of Horham, one of many air bases located in rural Suffolk and adjacent Norfolk Counties, halfway...