World War II veteran honored with a parade for 102nd birthday

To honor the 102nd birthday of World War II veteran Dr. Tommy Taylor, the Patriot Guard Riders of VFW Post 56, Soldiers assigned to the 35th Infantry Division, Kansas Army National Guard and community members held a parade through his neighborhood, March 21, 2026. Taylor served in the U.S. Army Air Corp as a 60mm mortar gunner from February 1943 to August 1945. He volunteered for service in 1943 and was assigned to Company I, 311th Regiment, 78th Infantry Division (Lightning Division). During World War II, he fought in the Battle of the Bulge and in the Hürtgen Forest where he was wounded in action and earned the Purple Heart. Following the war, Tommy attended the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) dental school and operated a practice for 35 years. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Patrick Evenson)