WEBVTT 00:00.189 --> 00:02.300 Of the United States , accompanied by 00:02.300 --> 00:04.356 Captain Larry Taylor . United States 00:04.356 --> 00:04.820 Army . 00:52.959 --> 00:55.126 Ladies and gentlemen , please bow with 00:55.126 --> 00:57.590 me as we ask God's blessing on this 00:57.599 --> 01:01.299 very special occasion , God of the ages . 01:01.659 --> 01:03.826 We are grateful for your presence with 01:03.826 --> 01:06.870 us today as we honor Captain Larry 01:06.879 --> 01:10.720 Taylor for his heroic actions on June 01:10.730 --> 01:14.370 18th , 1968 for nearly 01:14.379 --> 01:17.540 2.5 centuries . Lord , you have blessed 01:17.550 --> 01:20.510 our nation with dedicated and selfless 01:20.519 --> 01:23.620 soldiers who have stood ready to defend 01:23.629 --> 01:27.300 our freedoms and our way of life . 01:27.309 --> 01:29.940 Captain Taylor represents the best of 01:29.949 --> 01:33.129 the best among those legions as we 01:33.139 --> 01:35.089 recognize him for his courageous 01:35.099 --> 01:37.860 actions in Vietnam in June of 01:37.870 --> 01:41.339 1968 . We honor the sacred 01:41.349 --> 01:44.690 calling and sense of higher purpose 01:44.699 --> 01:48.410 that he and his crew embodied that day . 01:49.000 --> 01:51.739 For the sake of those they rescued from 01:51.750 --> 01:55.269 distress . Thank you for the shining 01:55.279 --> 01:58.639 example of valor and selfless service . 01:58.650 --> 02:01.599 Captain Taylor displayed as the medal 02:01.610 --> 02:03.800 of honor is placed around his neck . 02:04.029 --> 02:07.290 May your grace and peace rest upon him 02:07.300 --> 02:10.369 in a new way and on his family , his 02:10.378 --> 02:14.139 friends , all who also assembled 02:14.149 --> 02:16.979 here today to acknowledge an 02:16.988 --> 02:19.848 extraordinary act of service to the 02:19.858 --> 02:22.559 nation and his comrades in arm . 02:23.589 --> 02:26.339 May Captain Taylor's bravery rekindle 02:26.350 --> 02:29.320 in all of us , a spirit of sacrifice 02:29.330 --> 02:32.380 and steadfastness of purpose . And may 02:32.389 --> 02:34.600 this occasion renew our shared 02:34.610 --> 02:37.169 commitment to serve and support one 02:37.179 --> 02:40.199 another no matter how challenging the 02:40.210 --> 02:43.149 circumstances , we pray all these 02:43.160 --> 02:46.210 blessings in your holy name . Amen . 02:52.679 --> 02:54.290 Please be seated . Thank you 03:00.009 --> 03:02.120 or a distinguished group of Americans 03:03.070 --> 03:06.289 former medal of honor winners . Thank 03:06.300 --> 03:09.710 you for being here . Folks in a few 03:09.720 --> 03:13.429 days , young women and men from across 03:13.440 --> 03:16.580 the country are going to arrive at Fort 03:16.589 --> 03:19.399 Moore , Georgia to 10 ranger school on 03:19.410 --> 03:21.466 the toughest military courses in the 03:21.466 --> 03:25.309 world for nearly 20 hours every 03:25.320 --> 03:28.460 day . They'll run March , swim and 03:28.470 --> 03:30.479 climb some of the most challenging 03:30.490 --> 03:32.546 obstacles under the most grueling of 03:32.550 --> 03:35.529 conditions . But most importantly , 03:35.880 --> 03:38.350 they learn how to lead , study the 03:38.360 --> 03:40.138 stories of our greatest nations 03:40.138 --> 03:43.389 warriors . They include the story of a 03:43.399 --> 03:46.820 pilot who 55 years ago 03:47.210 --> 03:49.949 risked his own life to save a group of 03:49.960 --> 03:53.929 young soldiers like them . The pilot we 03:53.940 --> 03:57.440 honor today , Captain Larry Taylor . 03:58.830 --> 04:01.520 The medal of honor is our nation's 04:01.529 --> 04:04.080 oldest and highest recognition of valor . 04:04.869 --> 04:06.925 Now , when I called Larry to let him 04:06.925 --> 04:08.869 know he finally was receiving this 04:08.869 --> 04:11.039 recognition . His response was I 04:11.050 --> 04:12.994 thought you had to do something to 04:12.994 --> 04:15.217 receive the medal of honor . Let me say 04:15.217 --> 04:17.272 that again . He said , I thought you 04:17.272 --> 04:17.010 had to do something to receive the 04:17.019 --> 04:19.241 medal of honor . Well , are you sure in 04:19.241 --> 04:21.779 hell did something , man , if you ask 04:21.790 --> 04:24.429 anyone here , I'm pretty sure they'd 04:24.440 --> 04:26.329 say something . You did something 04:26.329 --> 04:28.420 extraordinary . That includes our 04:28.429 --> 04:31.399 Secretary of the , of the Defense 04:31.410 --> 04:33.630 Austin , uh Secretary Austin , 04:33.720 --> 04:36.279 Secretary MC , the Army , the Secretary 04:36.290 --> 04:38.346 of the Army Warmth , Chairman Milley 04:38.630 --> 04:41.380 and uh Senator . But we're Senator , 04:43.279 --> 04:46.769 uh Senator Blackburn and also Senator 04:46.779 --> 04:49.510 Haggerty who all have joined us today . 04:49.890 --> 04:52.057 I also want to thank previous medal of 04:52.057 --> 04:53.946 honor recipients who have come to 04:53.946 --> 04:56.220 recognize their brother in arms priors 04:56.230 --> 05:00.070 Davis , Walter Mam and James 05:00.079 --> 05:03.660 mcclean and Leroy Pete Pete 05:04.040 --> 05:07.329 Petri . Excuse me , gentlemen , you're 05:07.339 --> 05:09.600 the very best the nation has to offer . 05:09.799 --> 05:13.079 We owe you the same goes for Sergeant 05:13.089 --> 05:16.190 David Hill , Vietnam , veteran , former 05:16.200 --> 05:18.750 firefighter and as the last surviving 05:18.760 --> 05:21.029 member of Larry's mission , the driving 05:21.040 --> 05:22.818 force behind his medal of honor 05:22.818 --> 05:25.529 nomination on behalf of our nation . 05:25.750 --> 05:28.149 Thank you all for being here . And 05:28.160 --> 05:31.989 finally , Tony Larry learned many ranks 05:32.000 --> 05:34.619 and call signs throughout his military 05:34.630 --> 05:37.950 service . He earned them captain dark 05:37.959 --> 05:40.959 horse mustang and probably a few we 05:40.970 --> 05:44.959 can't say out loud . Best left 05:44.970 --> 05:46.914 out of the presidential record , I 05:46.914 --> 05:49.760 guess . But I 05:49.769 --> 05:52.420 believe , I believe that Larry is most 05:52.429 --> 05:54.660 proud of being called your husband . 05:55.339 --> 05:58.200 And uh it's an honor . It's an honor to 05:58.209 --> 06:00.709 have you both here as we give this 06:00.720 --> 06:02.942 heroism . It's full recognition that it 06:02.942 --> 06:06.470 deserves . Born in the volunteer state 06:06.920 --> 06:10.480 raised by a world war Two veteran duty 06:10.489 --> 06:12.769 defined Larry Taylor's life from his 06:12.779 --> 06:15.940 earliest days as a young man . He 06:15.950 --> 06:18.140 volunteered to join the College ROTC 06:18.149 --> 06:20.290 unit at the University of Tennessee 06:20.299 --> 06:22.910 Knoxville . Then after graduating in 06:22.920 --> 06:26.369 1966 he commissioned as an armor 06:26.380 --> 06:29.730 officer , Larry had dreamed of leading 06:29.739 --> 06:32.000 leading men in a battle on what he 06:32.010 --> 06:35.040 called chariots of steel . But it 06:35.049 --> 06:37.271 didn't take many days on the ground for 06:37.271 --> 06:39.605 Larry to realize he belonged in the sky . 06:39.739 --> 06:42.279 He wanted to be a pilot , not just any 06:42.290 --> 06:46.160 pilot , a cobra pilot flying the newest 06:46.170 --> 06:48.320 fastest deadliest army helicopter at 06:48.329 --> 06:51.660 the time , a gunship built for only two 06:51.670 --> 06:55.230 people and their mo so when Larry has 06:55.239 --> 06:59.019 ordered , uh and when it was , Larry's 06:59.029 --> 07:01.850 order was offered a spot to fly in the 07:01.859 --> 07:04.290 fighting first in Vietnam , he jumped 07:04.299 --> 07:07.309 at the chance it was there that then 07:07.320 --> 07:09.880 Lieutenant Taylor would go above and 07:09.890 --> 07:12.290 beyond the call of duty . Quite 07:12.299 --> 07:14.730 literally , June 18th , 07:15.359 --> 07:18.630 1968 . It was pitch black , 07:19.130 --> 07:22.940 no moon , no stars , no light 07:22.950 --> 07:25.117 beyond the glow of Lieutenant Taylor's 07:25.117 --> 07:27.061 cockpit controls . When he heard a 07:27.061 --> 07:29.709 whisper come through his radio were 07:29.720 --> 07:32.290 surrounded , were surrounded . That's 07:32.299 --> 07:36.149 what he heard . The call had come from 07:36.160 --> 07:37.993 a four man army patrol unit just 07:37.993 --> 07:40.320 northeast of Saigon , a unit that 07:40.329 --> 07:43.299 included Sergeant David Hill . Earlier 07:43.309 --> 07:45.540 that day , the met had set out to recon 07:45.549 --> 07:48.239 the area . But in the dark , the men 07:48.250 --> 07:50.361 found themselves in the middle of the 07:50.361 --> 07:53.100 Vietnam . Viet Cong stronghold . Nearly 07:53.130 --> 07:56.019 100 enemy soldiers now encircle their 07:56.029 --> 07:58.600 unit . The men picked up the radio and 07:58.609 --> 08:01.549 made a call . It was no longer a recon 08:01.559 --> 08:04.549 mission . They needed a rescue mission 08:05.269 --> 08:07.436 without hesitation . Lieutenant Taylor 08:07.436 --> 08:09.436 and his copilot began racing toward 08:09.436 --> 08:11.549 them over the radio . He laid out the 08:11.559 --> 08:14.070 game plan . He would use his cober to 08:14.079 --> 08:16.660 give the unit covered until a rescue 08:16.670 --> 08:19.359 helicopter could extract them . That 08:19.369 --> 08:21.369 was one , there was just one simple 08:21.369 --> 08:23.459 problem . It was pitch black . 08:23.470 --> 08:25.526 Lieutenant Taylor couldn't determine 08:25.526 --> 08:27.637 exactly where they were . So we asked 08:27.637 --> 08:29.940 his men to launch a flare , a move that 08:29.950 --> 08:32.229 reveal their location to him but also 08:32.239 --> 08:34.869 to the enemy . Lieutenant Taylor knew 08:34.879 --> 08:38.018 the risk but he was ready over the 08:38.028 --> 08:40.708 radio . He said , let's get to work . 08:41.198 --> 08:43.669 The flare went up and the flight flight 08:43.679 --> 08:46.549 was on the enemy fire lit up the night . 08:46.559 --> 08:48.726 Lieutenant Taylor and his copilot dove 08:48.726 --> 08:50.948 down , positioning their co were nearly 08:50.958 --> 08:53.125 parallel with the Viet Cong fighters . 08:53.388 --> 08:56.109 They flew dangerously low levels for 08:56.119 --> 08:57.897 more than a half an hour firing 08:57.897 --> 09:00.119 thousands of rounds of rockets to cover 09:00.119 --> 09:02.749 the ground , cover the ground on which 09:02.758 --> 09:05.330 the men were . Then . Lieutenant Taylor 09:05.340 --> 09:07.849 heard a sound not only meant one thing , 09:07.859 --> 09:10.090 his helo was hit and then it was hit 09:10.099 --> 09:13.869 again and again and again at that 09:13.880 --> 09:15.991 point , according to army standards , 09:15.991 --> 09:18.359 he could have left the fight . Well , 09:18.369 --> 09:20.530 Lieutenant Taylor had his own sacred 09:20.539 --> 09:23.679 standard . Quote , you never leave a 09:23.690 --> 09:26.859 man on the ground . End of quote , he 09:26.869 --> 09:28.980 tried to find an escape route for the 09:28.980 --> 09:31.549 unit . Is Cobert taking more rounds as 09:31.559 --> 09:34.440 he did . He kept trying to radio for 09:34.450 --> 09:36.619 rescue knowing that he and his men 09:36.630 --> 09:38.530 below were almost out of time and 09:38.539 --> 09:41.960 ammunition . On his last try . 09:42.280 --> 09:44.570 He learned that any attempt to save the 09:44.580 --> 09:48.000 men had been called off . The rescue 09:48.010 --> 09:51.409 helicopter was not coming . Instead , 09:51.419 --> 09:53.419 Lieutenant Taylor received a direct 09:53.419 --> 09:56.729 order returned to base . His 09:56.739 --> 09:59.630 response was just as direct . I'm 09:59.640 --> 10:03.229 getting my men out . I'm getting my men 10:03.239 --> 10:05.599 out . Lieutenant Taylor would perform 10:05.609 --> 10:08.159 the extraction himself . A maneuver 10:08.179 --> 10:10.457 never before accomplished in the cobra . 10:10.820 --> 10:13.179 Remember the cobra was only a gunship 10:13.190 --> 10:16.020 only . It had no cabin for passengers , 10:16.609 --> 10:18.887 but that was the least of his problems . 10:18.887 --> 10:20.887 First , Lieutenant Taylor needed to 10:20.887 --> 10:22.831 give his men a way out of the rice 10:22.831 --> 10:24.998 paddy where they've been pinned down . 10:24.998 --> 10:27.359 He needed diversion . So despite the 10:27.369 --> 10:29.480 fact that he had no rockets or rounds 10:29.480 --> 10:31.702 left , Lieutenant Taylor drew the enemy 10:31.702 --> 10:35.059 fire himself using his landing light to 10:35.070 --> 10:37.126 trick the enemy into thinking he was 10:37.126 --> 10:39.460 still at AMMO . He started making runs 10:39.469 --> 10:42.280 on the Viet Cong fighters . The Roose 10:42.289 --> 10:44.919 worked a few times but it was enough 10:44.929 --> 10:46.789 for the men to make it to the 10:46.799 --> 10:50.049 extraction point there . Still under 10:50.059 --> 10:51.948 heavy gunfire . Lieutenant Taylor 10:51.948 --> 10:54.820 landed , the men mounted the exterior 10:54.830 --> 10:57.469 of his of his helo clinging to the 10:57.479 --> 11:00.880 skids climbing on the rocket pods and 11:00.890 --> 11:02.946 then seconds , Lieutenant Taylor was 11:02.946 --> 11:05.200 back in the air but the mission wasn't 11:05.210 --> 11:08.919 over . Lieutenant Taylor saw his fuel 11:08.929 --> 11:11.109 light flickering . He had started off 11:11.119 --> 11:15.020 with 16 £1600 of gas . And now he 11:15.030 --> 11:17.460 had about six , not enough to make it 11:17.469 --> 11:20.799 back to base worse . The soldiers he 11:20.809 --> 11:22.920 was carrying were covering in wet mud 11:22.920 --> 11:25.780 and cleaning in a against 50 knot wind 11:26.080 --> 11:28.849 knots of wind . Even if he could make 11:28.859 --> 11:31.450 it back to base , his men would freeze 11:31.559 --> 11:34.260 or fall first . So he wants more to 11:34.270 --> 11:36.640 risk his own safety for his fellow 11:36.650 --> 11:40.000 teammates . He located a friendly 11:40.010 --> 11:43.429 area to set his bird down . The four 11:43.440 --> 11:46.169 men dismounted the helo and disappeared 11:46.179 --> 11:48.909 back into the pitch black night . No 11:48.919 --> 11:52.530 moon , no stars , no light beyond the 11:52.539 --> 11:54.761 glow of their faces . When they briefly 11:54.761 --> 11:56.817 turned and saluted Lieutenant Taylor 11:56.817 --> 11:58.872 for saving all four of their lives . 11:59.840 --> 12:01.784 You wouldn't see some of these men 12:01.784 --> 12:03.880 again until 30 years later at army 12:03.890 --> 12:06.500 reunions . By that time , Lieutenant 12:06.510 --> 12:08.732 Taylor had long become Captain Taylor . 12:09.309 --> 12:11.729 He had flown more than 2000 combat 12:11.739 --> 12:14.640 missions and he received a silver star , 12:14.650 --> 12:16.809 a bronze star , two distinguished 12:16.820 --> 12:19.700 flying crosses and 43 air metals . 12:20.450 --> 12:22.561 Thank God . He's not putting them all 12:22.561 --> 12:24.394 on his chest . He'd have trouble 12:24.394 --> 12:26.780 standing incredible now , really think 12:26.789 --> 12:28.760 about . It's incredible . But the 12:28.770 --> 12:31.880 greatest honor of all families showed 12:31.890 --> 12:34.820 up at these reunions too . They'd look 12:34.830 --> 12:37.650 for Larry , they'd hug him . They'd say 12:37.830 --> 12:40.239 you don't know me but you save my 12:40.250 --> 12:44.150 daddy's life in a few days . 12:44.409 --> 12:46.576 Young soldier is about the same age as 12:46.576 --> 12:49.090 Larry was during the dark night in 12:49.099 --> 12:51.340 Vietnam . They'll arrive at Ranger 12:51.349 --> 12:55.179 school like all of us today . They're 12:55.190 --> 12:57.357 inspired by his story and they will be 12:58.179 --> 13:01.880 but how by how he refused to give up , 13:02.119 --> 13:04.770 refused to leave a fellow American 13:04.780 --> 13:08.049 behind , refused to put his own life 13:08.059 --> 13:10.070 above the lives of others in need . 13:10.880 --> 13:14.570 When duty called Larry did everything , 13:14.700 --> 13:17.520 did everything to answer . And because 13:17.530 --> 13:20.900 of that , he rewrote the fate of four 13:20.909 --> 13:23.289 families for generations to come . 13:24.460 --> 13:28.409 That's valor , that's our , that's our 13:28.419 --> 13:31.210 nation at its very best . And that's 13:31.219 --> 13:33.163 why it's now my great honor to ask 13:33.163 --> 13:35.770 Lieutenant Colonel Anne Hughes to read 13:35.780 --> 13:38.830 your medal of honor citation . May God 13:38.840 --> 13:41.030 bless you all and may God protect our 13:41.039 --> 13:41.710 troops 13:51.989 --> 13:54.210 attention to orders . The president of 13:54.219 --> 13:56.441 the United States of America authorized 13:56.441 --> 13:59.429 by Act of Congress March 3rd , 18 63 13:59.440 --> 14:01.551 has awarded in the name of Congress . 14:01.551 --> 14:03.718 The medal of honor to First Lieutenant 14:03.718 --> 14:06.369 Larry L Taylor . United States Army for 14:06.380 --> 14:08.602 conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity . 14:08.602 --> 14:11.010 He at the risk of his life above and 14:11.020 --> 14:13.039 beyond the call of duty . First 14:13.049 --> 14:15.429 Lieutenant Larry L Taylor distinguished 14:15.440 --> 14:17.500 himself by acts of gallantry and 14:17.510 --> 14:20.020 intrepidity above and beyond the call 14:20.030 --> 14:22.308 of duty while serving with troop Delta , 14:22.308 --> 14:25.020 first squadron , fourth cavalry , first 14:25.030 --> 14:28.530 infantry Division on June 18th , 1968 14:28.539 --> 14:31.380 near the village of Kong Republic of 14:31.390 --> 14:33.880 Vietnam . On this date . First 14:33.890 --> 14:35.890 Lieutenant Taylor commanded a light 14:35.890 --> 14:37.779 fire team of two cobra helicopter 14:37.779 --> 14:39.668 gunships scrambled on a nighttime 14:39.668 --> 14:41.779 mission in response to an urgent call 14:43.890 --> 14:46.780 long range patrol team upon arrival . 14:46.789 --> 14:48.678 First Lieutenant Taylor found the 14:48.678 --> 14:50.622 patrol team surrounded and heavily 14:50.622 --> 14:52.733 engaged by a larger Viet Cong force . 14:52.733 --> 14:54.845 He immediately requested illumination 14:54.845 --> 14:56.789 rounds and supporting artillery to 14:56.789 --> 14:58.678 assist with identifying the enemy 14:58.678 --> 15:00.567 positions . Despite intense enemy 15:00.567 --> 15:02.719 ground fire , he flew at a perilously 15:02.729 --> 15:05.039 low altitude , placing a devastating 15:05.049 --> 15:07.271 volume of aerial rocket and machine gun 15:07.271 --> 15:09.590 fire on the enemy forces and circling 15:09.599 --> 15:12.039 the friendly patrol for over 15:12.049 --> 15:14.210 approximately 45 minutes . First , 15:14.219 --> 15:16.108 Lieutenant Taylor and his wingman 15:16.108 --> 15:18.163 continued to make low level danger , 15:18.163 --> 15:20.219 close attack runs on the surrounding 15:20.219 --> 15:22.108 enemy positions . When enemy fire 15:22.108 --> 15:24.330 increased from the village at Go Kong . 15:24.330 --> 15:26.275 He requested artillery rounds with 15:26.275 --> 15:28.386 lower illumination altitudes be fired 15:28.386 --> 15:30.552 on that portion of the village so that 15:30.552 --> 15:32.608 the burning rounds ignited the enemy 15:32.608 --> 15:34.552 positions with both cobra gunships 15:34.552 --> 15:36.719 nearly out of ammunition and the enemy 15:36.719 --> 15:38.830 still closing in on the patrol team . 15:38.830 --> 15:40.830 First Lieutenant Taylor Floop , the 15:40.830 --> 15:42.552 patrol team's potential ground 15:42.552 --> 15:44.386 evacuation route , founding it , 15:44.386 --> 15:46.552 finding it unviable based on the heavy 15:46.552 --> 15:48.775 enemy ground fire encountered returning 15:48.775 --> 15:50.719 to the patrol team's location . He 15:50.719 --> 15:52.830 continued to circle it at a low level 15:52.830 --> 15:54.886 under intense enemy fire , employing 15:54.886 --> 15:57.052 his search light to make fake gun runs 15:57.052 --> 15:59.275 on the enemy positions to distract them 15:59.275 --> 16:01.275 from the patrol team running low on 16:01.275 --> 16:03.330 fuel and with the patrol team nearly 16:03.330 --> 16:05.386 out of ammunition . First Lieutenant 16:05.386 --> 16:07.608 Taylor decided to extract the team with 16:07.608 --> 16:09.775 his two man cobra helicopter gunship a 16:09.775 --> 16:11.775 feat never before accomplished . He 16:11.775 --> 16:13.719 directed his wingman to fire their 16:13.719 --> 16:15.608 remaining mini Gunn rounds on the 16:15.608 --> 16:17.441 patrol team's east flank . First 16:17.441 --> 16:19.497 Lieutenant Taylor then fired his own 16:19.497 --> 16:21.386 last mini gun rounds on the enemy 16:21.386 --> 16:23.608 positions opening an avenue of movement 16:23.608 --> 16:25.663 to the east for the patrol team . He 16:25.663 --> 16:27.719 directed the patrol team to move 100 16:27.719 --> 16:29.663 yards towards the extraction point 16:29.663 --> 16:31.663 where first Lieutenant Taylor still 16:31.663 --> 16:33.830 under enemy fire landed his helicopter 16:33.830 --> 16:36.052 and instructed the patrol team to climb 16:36.052 --> 16:38.163 aboard anywhere they could . With the 16:38.163 --> 16:40.330 four man long range patrol team seated 16:40.330 --> 16:42.552 on rocket pods and skids , he evacuated 16:42.552 --> 16:44.775 them to the nearest friendly location , 16:44.775 --> 16:46.941 undoubtedly saving their lives . First 16:46.941 --> 16:48.719 Lieutenant Taylor's conspicuous 16:48.719 --> 16:50.775 gallantry , his profound concern for 16:50.775 --> 16:52.886 his fellow soldiers and his in at the 16:52.886 --> 16:54.997 risk of his life above and beyond the 16:54.997 --> 16:57.052 call of duty are in keeping with the 16:57.052 --> 16:59.219 highest traditions of military service 16:59.219 --> 17:01.549 and reflect great credit upon himself , 17:01.559 --> 17:03.760 his unit and the United States Army . 18:29.050 --> 18:31.520 And gentlemen , please join me for the 18:31.530 --> 18:32.280 benediction 18:35.569 --> 18:39.560 most holy God . We thank you again for 18:39.569 --> 18:42.359 the shining example of valor and 18:42.369 --> 18:44.591 selfless service you have given us in . 18:44.591 --> 18:47.890 Captain Larry Taylor bless him richly 18:47.900 --> 18:50.630 as he takes his place in the pantheon 18:50.640 --> 18:52.584 of our nation's most distinguished 18:52.584 --> 18:55.500 heroes . As we leave this ceremony , 18:55.719 --> 18:58.489 inspired by Captain Taylor's legacy of 18:58.500 --> 19:02.189 courageous action under fire , empower 19:02.199 --> 19:05.329 us to commit ourselves to greater acts 19:05.339 --> 19:09.160 of service to one another and to our 19:09.170 --> 19:12.719 nation . We rely upon you o Lord to 19:12.729 --> 19:15.890 keep us all strong in spirit and to 19:15.900 --> 19:18.430 give each of us the wisdom we need to 19:18.439 --> 19:21.750 fulfill our responsibilities , one to 19:21.760 --> 19:25.640 another . And now Lord God , we 19:25.650 --> 19:28.719 ask that you will bless and protect all 19:28.729 --> 19:31.800 of those serving our army and our armed 19:31.810 --> 19:35.069 forces today as they preserve our 19:35.079 --> 19:37.530 precious freedoms , just as Captain 19:37.540 --> 19:40.880 Taylor did and made the lamp of liberty 19:40.890 --> 19:43.689 continue to shine brightly upon the 19:43.699 --> 19:46.579 United States of America and upon our 19:46.589 --> 19:50.199 allies and our friends around the world . 19:50.939 --> 19:54.060 We pray these blessings in your holy 19:54.069 --> 19:55.670 name . Amen .