David E. Taylor (Class of 1966) oral history and papers relating to the Vietnam War (AMS.1U.T5)

Brown University Library

Box A
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912
Telephone: Manuscripts: 401-863-3723; University Archives: 401-863-2148
Email: Manuscripts: hay@brown.edu; University Archives: archives@brown.edu

Inventory

Series 1. Oral history

Container	Description	Date
Digital File	Interview with David E. Taylor (1966) Contents Note: Conducted in the John Hay Library by Prof. Beth Taylor (no relation to David Taylor) on March 29, 2010. See also the Transcription of this interview.	2010 March 29
Box 1, Folder 1	Interview with David E. Taylor (1966) audio on 2 CD-ROM discs 2.0 compact discs	2010 March 29
Digital File	Interview with David E. Taylor (1966) - Transcription 74.0 pages	2010 March 29
Box 1, Folder 2	Interview with David E. Taylor (1966) - Transcription with handwritten annotations by David Taylor 76.0 pages Contents Note: Conducted in the John Hay Library by Prof. Beth Taylor (no relation to David Taylor) on March 29, 2010.	2010 March 29
Box 1, Folder 3	Years at Brown questions and Pilot's questionnaire 6.0 pages Contents Note: Prof. Beth Taylor's pre-interview questions. Years at Brown Questions: What years were you at Brown? Why did you choose Brown? What kind of college was it then? What was life like on campus then? What was your happiest memory? What was your funniest memory? What was your saddest memory? What was your biggest accomplishment? What actions would you change if you had a chance to re-live those years again? What should people today remember about this time at Brown? What else do you want to tell me about Brown? Pilot Questions: Are you presently employed and if so what is your title? Just prior to going into the service, what do you remember most about being a civilian? What do you remember about receiving your draft notice, or enlisting into the military? What do you remember about Basic Training? Where did you take your OCS training? What year was it? What made you want to become a Navy pilot? Tell me about your training to become a pilot? Where did you take this training? What planes were you qualified to fly? Where did you learn how to fly from carriers? What do you remember about Advanced Infantry Training? When, how, and what do you remember about getting the word that you were going to Vietnam? Were you married at the time? Did you have any children? Prior to your departure for Vietnam, what do you remember about your send off (i.e. party, visiting Friends and family, etc.)? Did you have any unfriendly encounters with civilians before your departure (spitting, bad looks, words, etc)? What do you remember most about your trip to Vietnam? Did you go by boat (carrier) or plane? What were your first impressions about flying over North Vietnam? Briefly tell me what the experience was like from the start of your mission until its conclusion. Did you feel prepared mentally for your experience? Was there anything you didn;t count on? What was your first combat experience? What can you say about the enemy? What can you tell me about your friends back on the base? Do you still remember their names and where they came from? Do you remember any funny stories about them? If you went to an Officers Club or the Officers Lounge on a carrier, did you have any memorable experiences? Tell me the highlights of your R&Rs. where did you go, what did you do, what was your most memorable experience while on R&R? How did you get assigned targets on your bombing runs and how did you find them? What did it feel like being shot at in the air? Tell me about some of your lucky near miss experiences. Tell me about the day you were shot down and how you were wounded. Did you lose any friends there? Did you ever experience fatigue while flying any missions? What did you do about it? Do you have any regrets or anything you would change if you could do it all over again? What do you remember about being a short timer? How did you get back home from Vietnam, jet or carrier? What do you remember about arriving back in the states? What do you remember about arriving at your home? In regard to the healing process, do you have any physical problems from your Vietnam experience? Do you have any anxiety or experience any nightmares about your Vietnam experience? Do you give it any thought? Is there anything else you would like to tell me about your experience that you think others may enjoy hearing about?	2010 March
Box 1, Folder 3	Years at Brown questions and Pilot's Questionnaire - typed transcription of David Taylor's answers 2.0 pages Subjects: Nineteen sixties Vietnam War, 1961-1975 Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Aerial operations, American Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American	2010 March 26
Box 1, Folder 4	Brown University Oral History Project Release Form 1.0 page with envelope Contents Note: Brown university Oral History Project Release Form	2009 Dec 9
Box 1, Folder 5	Military biography of David Taylor, based on his oral history, written by Ellora Velkin, Brown Class of 2014 4.0 pages	2014 December 18

Series 2. Correspondence via Email

Container	Description	Date
Box 1, Folder 6	David Taylor to Beth Taylor - Memory Email	2009 January 11
Box 1, Folder 6	David Taylor to Beth Taylor - after reading Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes 1.0 page	2010 April
Box 1, Folder 6	David Taylor to Beth Taylor - "The internet is amazing..." 1.0 page relates to "The Battle for LZ Neville" .PDF bdr:404552 Contents Note: relates to "The Battle for LZ Neville" .PDF bdr:404552	2010 May 4
Box 1, Folder 6	David Taylor to Beth Taylor - Captured: a look back at the Vietnam War on the 35th Anniversary of the Fall of Saigon Contents Note: David Taylor included a link to the Denver Post photo blog which published 141 images from the Vietnam War and the Fall of Saigon. Photo 138 is an image of a helicopter in David Taylor's squadron evacuating people from Saigon on April 29, 1975. Photo 109 is an image of John Kerry, former navy lieutenant who headed the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW), testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington, D.C., April 22, 1971. Professor Beth Taylor was in the room when the photo was taken. Includes the introduction to the photo blog and photos 109 and 138.	2010 May 5
Box 1, Folder 6	Beth Taylor and Marjorie O'Toole - Re: Question about David Taylor flight jacket 2.0 pages	2012 September 17
Box 1, Folder 6	Marjory O'Toole to Beth Taylor - "Mr. Taylor was kind enough to answer my questions..." 5.0 pages	2012 September 17-19
Box 1, Folder 6	David Taylor to Beth Taylor - Presidential Service Badge 1.0 page	2013 January 27
Box 1, Folder 7	David Taylor to Beth Taylor - "Owl and Ring" organization description 2.0 pages	2014 February 28
Box 1, Folder 7	David Taylor to David Oyer (Class of 2016) - regarding 1963 panty raid that turned into a riot at Brown University 2.0 pages	2014 May 8, 8 a.m.
Box 1, Folder 7	David Taylor to David Oyer (Class of 2016) - follow up to regarding 1963 panty raid that turned into a riot at Brown University 1.0 page	2014 May 8, 9 a.m.
Box 1, Folder 7	Sikorsky HH-53 Super Jolly Green Giant Rescue Mission - YouTube link Contents Note: "Live footage of a 53 in action on recovery of pilot downed. Taken several years after I was in VietNam. This was of an Air Force aircraft. They decided that the 53 was such an effective helicopter the bought them and specialized the aircraft for pilot recovery, calling it an HH-53 rather than CH-53. They renamed it "Super Jolly" (Green Giant). The plane was designed for and by the Marine Corps originally. You can see why I loved it so much and why you could never go back. Or maybe you could go back? I did not. Enough adrenalin for a lifetime in 20 minutes." David	circa 2014

Series 3. Photographs

Container	Description	Date
Box 1, Folder 8	David Taylor with CH-53 A, DaNang at Marble Mountain Marine Corps helicopter base. Contents Note: "Photo taken in DaNang in the spring of 1969 at Marble Mountain Marine Corps helicopter base. I am standing of front of my trusty steed a (CH-53A.) I was a l a 1st Lt. at the time soon to be promoted to Captain. I had taken the aircraft to DaNang to pick up some parts. I was a test pilot in addition to my regular duties and occassionaly had to go to DaNang to get parts from group or wing supply to keep the aircraft flying. You have my flight suit and flight boots I am wearing in your inventory. I would have been 24 years of age at the time of the photo. Photo taken by my co-pilot Bob Ryan, a Notre Dame graduate who was later killed flying a 53. I was probably a veteran of about 450 combat missions at this point in my tour, which culminated in 700 missions. " -- David Taylor.	1969 Spring
Box 1, Folder 8	David Taylor getting wings pinned by Kathryn Fuller. 1.0 item Contents Note: David Taylor's description of this photograph: " 'Very Young' of David Taylor having his Wings pinned on by Kathryn Fuller. [This] was the date that my wings were pinned on. The party doing the pinning is my wife, Kathryn Fuller 1968 Pembroke. The date would have been about end of Jan or so, 1968. She finished school 6 months early (we were married in Dec of 1967). As I mentioned this was after my motorcycle fiasco that result in a broken wrist, and gouged chin. We went to California after this, via Mazatlan, Mexico (driving) and ended up living in Laguna Beach prior to my departure for Vietnam in August of 1968. Kathryn is the mother of our daughter, Sarah, and currently affiliated with Brown as a Fellow of the University I believe. Katheryn's career was later as President of World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and I believe Chair of the Board of Ford Foundation."	circa 1968 January
Box 1, Folder 8	David Taylor with helmet and helicopter.	circa 1967

Series 4. Museum objects

Container	Description	Date
Box 1, Folder 9	Description of USMC items received from David E. Taylor (1966) 2.0 pages Contents Note: David Taylor's hand written descriptions of the items he sent to Prof. Taylor.	2012 January 12
Box 2	Navy G-1 Flight Jacket Contents Note: G-1 leather flight jacket complete with squadron patches and some from the Presidential squadron that were added later. Name and rank sewn on the breast. Worn mostly in cold monsoon weather, but also in aircraft. Teperatures would drop 1-3 degrees per 1,000 feet so it's cold at 10,000 feet and frigid at 30,000 feet.	1968
Box 3	Nomex flight suit 1.0 item Contents Note: "Nomex fire resistant suit introduced around 1968 to replace international orange and tan suits. Colors and materials were an advantage in Vietnam: --On left sleeve there was an area for pencils, pens and a small pocket for miscellaneous stuff like morphine or small escape equipment;--On the left hip was a pocket for a K-Bar (United States Marine Corps issued knife);-- On the lower legs were pockets for maps and checklists."/ David Taylor [Photograph in this collection shows David Taylor with his CH53 wearing this suit and boots.]	1968
Box 3	Camoflauge Utilities 1.0 item Contents Note: "Upland green camoflauge utilities: issued in 1968 to replace same item in green. First issue to field troop. Pattern designed for maximum camoflauge in Vietnam. Worn mostly [as] a daytime garb when not flying or when traviling in country (RVN)." / David Taylor	1968
Box 4	Flight Boots Contents Note: These were made by the H. Brown shoe company (bought by Berkshire Hathaway). They have the steel toes for protection from ejection seats and loss of toes on exit from the aircraft. Flying helicopters, pilots did not have the benefit of an ejection seat or a parachute. Restraining harness pulled legs back into position and steel toes prevented amputation of toes if impact on exit from aircraft. (No worry for this in helicopter, since there was no ejection seat or parachute) David Taylor had two pairs of these boots, these were his ceremonial pair.	1968

Series 5. Supporting materials

Container	Description	Date
Box 1, Folder 10	"The Battle for LZ Neville" by Janie Blankemship from the VFW Magazine 6.0 pages Contents Note: David Taylor found this write up online. Ground perspective of what his squadron experienced in late February 1969. This was the day Taylor's friend from Stanford decided to ride with him and got the "shock of his life."
Box 1, Folder 11	"The Arnheiter Affair" by Neil Sheehan (book) 1.0 volume Contents Note: Book that David Taylor sent to Prof. Beth Taylor. "The Arnheiter Affair" tells the story of 99 days aboard the USS Vance under Captain Marcus Aurelius Arnheiter, before the 100th day, Arnheiter was dismissed. This book is "a searching account of the personalities caught in an extraordinary drama of the sea." Sent in because one of the men Arnheiter claims was responsible for the mutiny was Brown University graduate William T. Generous. David Taylor notes that the following pages in the book contain pertinent information about William T. Generous: Page 4, 16, 18, 27, 35. Subjects: Vietnam War, 1961-1975 Names: Generous, William Thomas United States. Department of the Navy. Names: Sheehan, Neil	1971

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David E. Taylor (Class of 1966) oral history and papers relating to the Vietnam War (AMS.1U.T5)

Brown University Library

Inventory