Ken Taylor, Reluctant Hero

The following photos are of Lt. Ken Taylor during World War II, of Ben Affleck portraying Taylor in the movie PEARL HARBOR. And, the photo below is of retired General K. Taylor.

Ken Taylor was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross and was designated as one of the first War Heroes of World War II. He and Lt. George Welch, got up in the air with odds of 300 Japanese planes to 1 American plane. Each time Taylor told the story, he underplayed it, saying "It was like shooting fish in a barrel. . . the Japanese planes were flying in facing the sun and all I had to do was aim and start firing."

Taylor flew two flights above Oahu that day. During the second, a Japanese bullet hit within an inch of his head, exploded in the cockpit with one piece going into his left arm. When Taylor was asked about being hit, he more often than not, focused on the bullet fragments that ruined his tux pants that he pulled on when the Japanese attacked Wheeler Field where he and George Welch were asleep in the officer's quarters.

Ken Taylor had another role during the war with his connection with the Women's Air Raid Defense. When I tell their (the WARD) story, (including that of Ruth Cope and Kathy Cooper) he will become central. Taylor was young, bright, enthusiastic and a supporter of radar. He was a good officer but made his points clear, and one point was that Oahu needed an adequate radar system and it needed it immediately. Taylor also was one of the supporters of using civilian women to staff as "Shuffleboard Pilots" in the radar room.

A. Kam Napier and Candace Chenoweth wrote SHUFFLEBOARD PILOTS. It's the most complete history of the WARD. There's a photo of Ruth Cope on page 58, but it's mislabeled. She's the woman dead center. Kathy Cooper has a few photos in there, too.

The photos are of Kenneth M. Taylor, and of Taylor being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

For most of his life, Taylor avoided media attention, although he did serve as a consultant for TORA! TORA! TORA! In this movie, Taylor is portrayed by actor Carl Reindel(It's one of the three movies I suggest watching.) Interestingly, although Ben Affleck played Taylor in the movie PEARL HARBOR, Taylor was not consulted or called. (That's one of the movies I suggest not watching.)

Brigadier General Kenneth M. Taylor died of natural causes in November 2006 in Tuscon, Arizona.