Tennessee war hero’s memory kept alive by fellow veterans, others

Larry Taylor (above), from Signal Mountain, assisted in the above video describing the daring rescue in Vietnam in 1968.

A NOTE FROM THE GRAND ON CENTRAL: “There is so much good going on in our community, and I want to share all this good with you every Monday here on WLAF in hopes that you will start your week in a grand way making each week a Grand Week,” said Olivia Lobertini, owner of The Grand on Central.

CAMPBELL COUNTY, TN (SPECIAL TO WLAF)- Ranger Dave Hill is a Vietnam Veteran originally from near Fresno, California, and in the winter of 2024, he was honored at the La Follette Methodist Church by fellow members and friends of Chapter 1148 of the Vietnam Veterans of America. Last week, Hill returned to Campbell County and made a couple of stops, a reception at the Jacksboro home of Gail Brown on Wednesday evening (very top photo) and a Thursday brunch in an airport hangar at Deerfield hosted by Jennifer Selm and the ladies of the Deerfield community.

Hill delivered a presentation to Vietnam Veterans at Deerfield where the Deerfield community has hosted the veterans for breakfast for three straight years.

HERE is a related story from March 2024. WLAF’s Charlie Hutson shares his photo gallery HERE from Hill’s March 2024 visit.

Guest of honor Dave Hill

Hill joined the military and served as a member of a Long-Range-Reconnaissance-Patrol during Vietnam.  In 1968, on a dark night with no moonlight, he and his four-soldier team were on patrol as the team crossed a rice paddy and found themselves surrounded by the enemy. A call for a rescue went out.  There were no nearby available helicopters other than a “Cobra Helicopter” piloted by a young man from Chattanooga (Signal Mountain), Larry Taylor.  A Cobra helicopter is a gun ship with a pilot and co-pilot and tons of armaments with no cargo area for passengers.  Although ordered not to try a rescue, Taylor knew the four men would surely die that night if he did not rescue them.  He positioned his helicopter to swoop in at an angle as he fired his weapons at the enemy and coordinated with Hill to meet them at a small clearing about a hundred feet away.  The soldiers ran to the clearing and, while initially shocked this was a Cobra Helicopter gunship with no space for passengers, Taylor told them to grab hold and hang on. Two soldiers wrapped their arms and legs around the skids while two soldiers held on to gun pods as the helicopter lifted as the enemy fired at them.  After lifting sufficiently above the range of enemy rifle fire, the helicopter flew slowly to a safe location where they could sit down and get the soldiers out of harm’s way.  Taylor saved the lives of four Rangers that night.

  “I gave him a homemade quilt. I wanted that to relate to community care and love of country,” said Gail Brown.

Years go by until Dave Hill found Larry Taylor in Chattanooga and began a quest to have him properly honored for saving the lives of Dave and his team.  Six and a half years later, (Sep. 5, 2023) President Joe Biden honored Taylor with the Medal of Honor.  Unfortunately, Taylor was undergoing chemotherapy for cancer but, although frail, was able to attend.  Taylor passed four months later on Jan. 28, 2024. Now Hill is working on having J. O. Ratliff, the co-pilot on that fateful night in 1968, also honored for his role in performing a rescue with a Cobra Helicopter. It was the type of rescue that had never been done before.

Hill was here last week to share an update on his work to make sure the story of Taylor is told as well as seeking support for the proper recognition of the co-pilot. Of that group, only Hill and Co-Pilot J. O. Ratliff are still living.

Hill came home from Vietnam, finished his college degree, and later received his masters in economics.  He worked for the U-S Department of Commerce for several years before joining the private sector in international business. 

A couple years ago, Dave relocated to southern Ohio, just outside Cincinnati, to be closer to his grandchildren.  Hill greed to tell his story to members of Chapter 1148 of the Vietnam Veterans of America here in La Follette in 2024 and continues to be an Honorary Member of the La Follette chapter. 

A NOTE FROM THE GRAND ON CENTRAL: “There is so much good going on in our community, and I want to share all this good with you every Monday here on WLAF in hopes that you will start your week in a grand way making each week a Grand Week,” said Olivia Lobertini, owner of The Grand on Central.

For bookings, email Olivia Lobertini at ohlobertini03@gmail.com. Check on avails HERE.

(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-08/11/2025-6AM)

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