POW Survivor, WWII Veteran, honored with 48 star flag presentation

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Dec. 19, 2014 - PRLog -- J.G. “Tracy” Taylor, Jr. is a 93 year old Army Veteran of WWII, Purple Heart recipient, and POW survivor. Following the attacks on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Taylor was captured by the Japanese while stationed on a small island in the western Pacific. Mr. Taylor was behind enemy lines, as a POW, for the duration of World War II, surviving the inhumane treatment of prisoners during that time.

When Taylor returned home he immediately began giving back, serving his fellow veterans as the Hillsborough County Veterans Service Officer, a position he held until his retirement. Mr. Taylor has also been a member of the Florida American Legion since 1944 and is the oldest living member of Seminole Post 111 in Tampa. Also, at this time no one individual has held a Chairmanship in the Florida American Legion longer than Mr. Taylor who has served as Chairman of the Department of Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Commission for over 35 years.

Seminole Post 111 partnered with Veterans Funeral Care to help organize a surprise presentation ceremony for this local hero. Ret. Major Norman D. Belson volunteered as master of ceremonies for the flag presentation. It is only fitting that this humble and caring individual be recognized for all the sacrifices he has made to help his fellow veterans through the work he has done, miles traveled, and hundreds of days away from his family serving the American Legion and all veterans. After the presentation by Major Belson, Mr. Taylor responded saying, “I don’t know what to say about all of this. It means so much to me to receive the 48 star flag because that is the flag that I served under.”