WILLIAM B. TAYLOR, 1LT, USAF

William Taylor '50

Date of birth: December 3, 1927

Date of death: August 10, 1953

Age: 25

Lucky Bag

From the 1950 Lucky Bag:

WILLIAM BLAKELY TAYLOR

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Wild Bill arrived at Navy fresh from the deep South, bringing with him an easy grin, a tattered Confederate flag, and a passion for bridge. During his four years, Bill had varying interests: soccer, bridge, and his favorite study, mathematics. Before entering the Academy, Bill attended the University of Alabama, where he majored in Engineering. With this background, academics came easily and, consequently, studying occupied a minor portion of his time. Most of his studying time seemed to be spent helping his less savvy friends through the terrors of academic life.

WILLIAM BLAKELY TAYLOR

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Wild Bill arrived at Navy fresh from the deep South, bringing with him an easy grin, a tattered Confederate flag, and a passion for bridge. During his four years, Bill had varying interests: soccer, bridge, and his favorite study, mathematics. Before entering the Academy, Bill attended the University of Alabama, where he majored in Engineering. With this background, academics came easily and, consequently, studying occupied a minor portion of his time. Most of his studying time seemed to be spent helping his less savvy friends through the terrors of academic life.

Loss

From the Arizona Daily Star on August 12, 1953:

Tucson Pilot Dies
First Lt. William E B. Taylor, 25, of Tucson, a veteran of 100 Korean combat missions, was killed Monday when his F86 jet fighter plane crashed near Indian Springs, Nev.
A gunnery instructor at Nellis air force base near Las Vegas, he was leading a group of trainees when his plane went into a dive and failed to pull out.
Lieutenant Taylor was the son of Mrs. Florence S. Taylor, of 585 South Wilson avenue, and a 1950 graduate of the U.S. Naval academy, Annapolis, Md. The holder of the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with two clusters, he was assigned to Nellis Air Force Base after spending 11 months in Korea.
Born in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Lieutenant Taylor attended the University of Alabama for a year and a half before entering the naval academy, After graduating he accepted a commission in the air force and went to Randolph field, Tex., to take primary flight training. In 1951 he received his wings at Craig air force base, in Alabama, and then was transferred to Luke air force base, Phoenix for pre-combat flying.
He was a third degree Mason and a member of Pi Kappa Phi social fraternity. In addition to his mother, he is survived by a sister, Mrs. O. J. Timian, of Tucson.
Mrs. Taylor and her daughter are leaving today for Tuscaloosa, where funeral services and burial will take place.

He is buried in Alabama.

Memorial Hall Error

William is not listed with his classmates. This mistake was discovered by researcher Kathy Franz.

Class of 1950

William is one of 37 members of the Class of 1950 on Virtual Memorial Hall.

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