The Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center will host a grand opening of the “Captain Larry L. Taylor Exhibit” at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 29. The exhibit honors Taylor, a Chattanooga native and Vietnam War hero who received the Medal of Honor in 2023 for his heroic actions in a helicopter rescue mission during the Battle of Khe Sanh.
The new exhibit will feature displays, historic artifacts and a full-sized replica of the late captain’s AH-1G Cobra helicopter, along with life-sized sculptures of the men involved in this Medal of Honor action by artist Alex Tisch of Kodiak Studios in Brooklyn, New York.
Honoring bravery
On June 18, 1968, Taylor, a Cobra helicopter pilot and first lieutenant, executed a high-risk rescue under heavy enemy fire to save a four-man patrol team. With no evacuation helicopter available and the soldiers trapped, Taylor decided to land his AH-1G Cobra – an aircraft not designed for extractions – allowing the stranded men to cling to the helicopter’s skids as he flew them to safety.
MOHHC Executive Director David Currey says Taylor’s actions exemplify the courage, commitment and selflessness that define the Medal of Honor.
“Like other exhibits inside the Heritage Center, we designed the ‘Captain Larry L. Taylor Exhibit’ to serve as a lasting tribute to his courage and bravery, helping to ensure that future generations understand the legacy of our nation’s heroes.”
The support of the city of Chattanooga, Hamilton County government and Toni Taylor, the widow of Capt. Taylor, made the exhibit possible.
MOHHC will hold the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the exhibit inside the Heritage Center. The general public may attend but must purchase a ticket.