MajGen Larry Taylor, USMCR (ret.)

Major General Larry Taylor served in Iraq in ’08-09 as a State Dept contractor, managing a program for Civilian Police International.

General Taylor was born March 28, 1941, in New York City. He attended the Atlanta, Georgia, public schools and graduated from Georgia Tech in 1962 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Management. After designation as a Naval Aviator, he served as a squadron pilot with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadrons 264 and 263 in 1964 and 1965. During this period he participated in operations in Santo Domingo during the Dominican Republic crisis.

In late 1965, he transferred to the 3d Battalion, 8th Marines as Forward Air Controller/Air Liaison Officer. He completed his initial active duty in December 1966 while serving as Platoon Commander, Air/Naval Gunfire Platoon, 2d Marine Division.

For all of 1967 and most of 1968, General Taylor served in Laos and Vietnam as a pilot for Air America, flying the H-34.

Returning to the U.S. in late 1968, he began his Marine Corps reserve career flying the H-34, the UH-1 “Huey”, and the AH-1 “Cobra”. He served in a variety of billets at the squadron, wing, and division levels and was privileged to command the following units:

• Marine Attack Helicopter Squadron 773 (1980-82)

• 4th Air/Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO) (1982-1984)

• 2d Marine Expeditionary Brigade (1992-93)

• 4th Marine Aircraft Wing (1993-96)

General Taylor then served in Central and South America as Deputy Commander, Marine Forces South, based in Panama. He retired from the United States Marine Corps Reserve on 1 October 1997, after 38 years of service – 5 years active and 33 years reserve.

General Taylor was recalled from retirement and assumed command of the Marine Corps Mobilization Command, Kansas City, Missouri in November 2001. He relinquished command in May 2002, and then served as Deputy Commander, Marine Forces Reserve in New Orleans, Louisiana until July 2003.

General Taylor is active with the Reserve Officers Association of the United States, the USO Council of Georgia, the Reserve Forces Policy Board, the Society for American Baseball Research, and is chairman of the Marine Corps Coordinating Council of Greater Atlanta. In civilian life, he retired in March 2001 as a 747-400 Captain with Northwest Airlines.

The grandson of Russian Jewish immigrants to America, General Taylor regards his highest honor is to hold the title of United States Marine.