George Edwin Taylor

George Edwin Taylor August 6, 1930 - March 1, 2015 George Edwin "Colonel Ed" Taylor Colonel Ed Taylor passed away peacefully on Sunday afternoon, March 1, 2015 at the Clyde E. Lassen State Veterans Nursing Home. He was 84 years old. A 30-year career Army veteran who served multiple combat tours in Vietnam and Korea, he was preceded in death by his wife of 53 years, Janice Clay Taylor; and is survived by "his only son and best friend," Captain Dwyn Taylor, Civil Engineer Corps, U.S. Navy (Ret); his daughter in law, Kimberly Lynn Taylor; and two granddaughters, Bethany and Olivia Taylor. Born in Greenville, SC and a resident of Newnan, GA throughout most of his youth, Ed Taylor graduated as the ROTC Distinguished Cadet at Clemson University in 1952. Throughout his thirty years of service as an Army officer, he continued to distinguish himself as a strong servant leader willing to fight for freedom at any cost. Renowned for his bravery in combat, he earned three Silver Star medals, the Legion of Merit medal, three Distinguished Flying Cross medals, the Soldier's Medal (for non-combat valor), four Bronze Star medals with "V" for valor, the Meritorious Service Medal, nine Air Medals with "V" for valor, three Army Commendation Medals with "V" for valor, the Purple Heart for wounds sustained in combat, and a variety of other service ribbons and medals. He achieved the rank of Colonel and commanded a wide range of military units in Vietnam, across the United States, and throughout Germany during the Cold War. Upon retirement from the Army in 1982, he and his wife, Jan, relocated permanently to St. Augustine, FL. "Colonel Ed" embraced life as a proud military veteran and was instrumental in securing services for fellow veterans in St. Johns County. He helped establish the St. Johns County Veterans Service Council, served on a wide variety of veterans' organizations, and played a key role in the decision by the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs to establish the Clyde E. Lassen State Veterans Nursing Home in St. Johns County. An "Atomic Veteran" exposed directly to a 27-kiloton nuclear blast, he also was a member of the U.S. Veterans Administration's Atomic Veterans Board for Dosage Reconstruction to ensure veterans exposed to nuclear radiation received appropriate benefits. In his honor, the "Colonel Ed Taylor Award" was established in 2008 by the St. Johns County Veterans Service Council to recognize each year the outstanding veterans' organization that contributes significantly to the veterans of this county. As an ordained Elder in the Presbyterian Church, Ed Taylor was a man of strong Christian faith who sought to serve his fellow man with the same vigor he demonstrated throughout his military career. He and his family joined Memorial Presbyterian Church upon arrival in St. Augustine and remained an active member there throughout the balance of his life. Colonel Ed Taylor will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery. A memorial service will be held at Memorial Presbyterian Church at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 5, 2015. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Veterans Council of St. Johns County, P.O. Box 2117, St. Augustine, Florida 32085. Arrangements are being handled by St. Johns Family Funeral Home.