Joseph Taylor

Colonel Taylor was born on 10 February 1933 in Pleasant Hill, Tennessee. He participated in the ROTC program while attending Tennessee Polytechnic Institute from which he graduated 3 June 1955 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Education. Upon graduation, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the US Army Signal Corps.

His military education includes the Signal Officer’s Basic Course, the US Marine Corps Command and General Staff College and the US Army Command and General Staff College.

Upon completion of the Basic Signal Officer’s Course at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey in October 1955, Colonel Taylor was assigned as a Company Officer at the Signal School. In December 1955 he was reassigned as aide-de-camp, initially to the Commandant, US Army Signal School and, later to the Fort Monmouth Commanding General. In March 1959, Colonel Taylor was posted to Germany where he served as the Operations Officer at the Pirmasens Primary Signal Relay Center and, later in his tour became the Commander of the facilities Support Company.

Returning to the United States in June 1962, Colonel Taylor attended the US Marine Corps Command and General Staff College which was followed by an assignment as Commander, 56th Signal Company, a unit operating at Fort Ord, California and subsequently Fort Lewis, Washington. From July 1964 to June 1965, Colonel Taylor served the first of two assignments in the Republic of Vietnam; as Operations Officer, 178th Signal Company at Danang and as Assistant Operations Officer, 39th Signal Battalion in Saigon.

In 1965 Colonel Taylor was assigned as Chief, Supply Division and later the Maintenance Division, US Army Strategic Communications Command- CONUS at Sacramento, California. From July 1966 to June 1967, he attended the US Army Command and General Staff College. After completion, he was assigned as Plans Officer and later Executive Officer with the Plans and Programs Directorate, Assistant Chief of Staff for Communications-Electronics, Department of the Army, Washington, D.C.

Colonel Taylor’s second assignment, May 1970 to April 1971, to the Republic of Vietnam involved Battalion command and a subsequent XXIV Corps Signal staff position at Nha Trang and Danang, respectively. Once again stateside, he was posted to Washington, D.C as Staff Officer in the Joint Chiefs of Staffs’ Communications-Electronics Directorate (J-6) for three years, ending June 1974. He then commenced his first tour of duty, July 1974 to May 1977, with the Defense Communications Agency as Chief, Operations Division, (DCA-PAC), Wheeler Air Force Base, Hawaii. Returning to the CONUS, he performed as Assistant Chief of Staff for Communications-Electronics, Headquarters III Corps and Fort Hood at Fort Hood, Texas until August 1979. It was then to Brussels, Belgium for assignment as the Communications-Electronics Staff Planner for the US Representative to the NATO Military Committee. Concluding his military career, he served as the Deputy Commander for Allocation and Engineering, Defense Communications Agency Operations Center, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, July 1983 to September 1985.

Colonel Taylor has been awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, and Air Medal as well as numerous campaign and unit command awards.

Colonel Taylor also received the Chattanooga Chapter, MOAA member of the year award and served as a member of the Chattanooga Area Veterans Coordinating Committee and later as treasurer. He also served as a board member of the National Medal of Honor Museum of Military History, Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Colonel Taylor is predeceased by his wife of 69 years, Audrey Jean (Tittsworth) Taylor.

He is survived by his three children, Mike Taylor, Laura Rogers (Bill) and Jeff Taylor (Linda) and grandchildren Jennifer Dietze, Danny Taylor, Ryan Taylor and step-grandchildren Jordan and Kristen Rogers.

Interment will be held at the Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors in a private ceremony at a later date and time.

Memorial donations may be made in the name of Colonel Joseph W. Taylor (Ret) to the Stafford Hospital Foundation (www.marywashingtonhealthcare.com/foundations/donate-to-stafford-hospital-foundation/).

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.mullinsthompsonstafford.com for the Taylor family.