The 2015 Morgan Hill Freedom Fest Parade will be led Saturday by retired United States Army officer James Allen Taylor, a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions in the Vietnam War, according to event organizers.
Taylor, born in Arcata, joined the U.S. Army from San Francisco in 1956 and was commissioned as an officer in 1965. He earned the military’s highest honor while a first lieutenant in Troop B, 1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, American Division.
On Nov. 8, 1967, Taylor took over after his commander was wounded in action and led preparations for a search-and-destroy mission. During a battle the next day, west of Que Son in the Republic of Vietnam, Taylor repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire to rescue crewmen from damaged assault vehicles and personnel carriers, according to Freedom Fest organizers. He was subsequently promoted to Captain and awarded the Medal of Honor Nov. 19, 1968.
“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,” according to a description on the Congressional Medal of Honor Society website. “One armored cavalry assault vehicle was hit immediately by recoilless rifle fire and all 5 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.”
Taylor reached the rank of Major before retiring from the Army in 1980. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminology from the University of Tampa.
“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,” according to cmohs.org. “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.”
As the 2015 Grand Marshal, Taylor will lead more than 100 participants in the Morgan Hill Freedom Fest’s Fourth of July parade, which is considered the largest privately organized parade in Northern California and the official Fourth of July Parade of Santa Clara County, according to organizers.
Local war veteran Art Gonzales has known Taylor through various fundraiser functions he helped with in the 1980s and lined him up to come to Morgan Hill for last year’s Fourth of July. However, a death in Taylor’s family prevented him from coming in 2014. Gonzales said Taylor is in charge of the western region for the CMOHS.
The Medal of Honor has been awarded to 3,495 American combat veterans, and 79 of those recipients are alive today, according to the CMOHS website.
“(Morgan Hill Freedom Fest organizers) are very honored to have him here in Morgan Hill and so are a lot of us who know him,” Gonzales said.
The local nonprofit Independence Day Celebration fundraises more than $150,000 and encompasses more than 500 volunteers each year to organize and produce the weeklong activities.
Along with the parade, the July 3-4 activities include The Patriotic Sing, Street Dance, Freedom Run, Car Cruise ‘n Show, award-winning parade and Fireworks on the Green show.
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Friday, July 3
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6 p.m. Patriotic Sing, Downtown Amphitheater
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7 p.m. Family Music Fest, Main Stage on Third Street
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Saturday, July 4
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7:45 a.m. 1-mile walk/5k walk/5k run, P.A. Walsh Elementary School
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9:30 a.m. car cruise
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10 a.m. Fourth of July Parade
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12 p.m. car show, Morgan Hill Community & Cultural Center
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4 p.m. Fireworks on the Green, Morgan Hill Outdoor Sports Complex
