Michael Everette Taylor

Michael Everette Taylor passed away September 3, 2022 at the age of 78 in Anacortes, WA, where he and his wife of nearly 41 years, moved in 2015. After a valiant struggle with a fatal blood disorder, he succumbed after nearly 22 years of living life fully despite medical challenges. He is survived by his wife, Laura; two sisters; three children from previous marriages and three grandchildren.

Mike was born May 25, 1944 in Grenada, MS. Growing up as an “army brat”, he lived on Guam, New York, Virginia, Germany, Texas, Mississippi and Georgia. He graduated from Ole Miss (the University of Mississippi) in 1966, where he was commissioned in the US Army as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry. After commanding infantry units in Germany during the Cold War, he joined Special Forces (SF) in 1967 and was assigned to the 10th SF Group in Bad Tolz, Germany. From 1968-69, he served in the 5th SF Group in Vietnam with the II Corps Mike Force. From 1969-72, he volunteered for the highly classified unit Military Assistance Command-Vietnam Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG). He ran reconnaissance, was a desk officer in SOG HQ and an operations officer, XO then Commander of the SOG launch site at Nakhon Phanom, Thailand. From 1973-74, he commanded the HALO (High Altitude Low Opening) team of the 46th SF Company in Lop Buri, Thailand. For the remainder of his 25-year career, he served as a SF Officer and a Middle East Foreign Area Officer in various SF assignments in the US Central Command and US Pacific Command. Michael retired from the US Army in 1991 as a Lieutenant Colonel in SF.

During his career, he participated in the take down of the hijacked Egypt Air aircraft in Malta and led the rescue of a twelve-man US Marine recon team surrounded in Al Khafji, Saudi Arabia, during Desert Storm.

Michael was decorated for valor in both the Vietnam War and Desert Shield/Desert Storm. He was one of the original officers selected when SF was established as an Army branch for officers. During his career he received the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal w/“V” device (4x Oak Leaf Cluster), two Air Medals w/“V” device, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Special Forces and Ranger Tab and Purple Heart.

After retirement from the Army, he served as a Department of the Army civil servant in charge of antiterrorism and security programs in Saudi Arabia. When he left the civil service, he was awarded the Department of Defense Antiterrorism Lifetime Achievement Award.

Michael holds a BA in Political Science, an MA in Middle East Studies, an MS in Civil Government and is a graduate of the US Army War College.

Like many in the military, Mike experienced Vietnam as a crucible in which many deep and lasting friendships were forged. Much of his distinguished career in Vietnam was volunteering for MACV-SOG, a group where he developed the deepest fraternal affection for his comrades.

This kind of devotion and tenacity fueled Mike’s service as the Vice President of the Special Operations Association (SOA). When asked to chair the SOA Prisoner of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) Committee, he expanded the committee to represent both the SOA and SFA and forged extremely close relations with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency and the National League of POW/MIA Families. Under his leadership, the committee was awarded the League Award by the National League of POW/MIA Families. Seeking the fullest-possible accounting for our missing unaccounted-for-comrades-in-arms became one of his passions for the rest of his life. Under his leadership, they achieved remarkable success in providing closure to families long bereft of missing soldiers and in repatriating remains of those missing in action.

Michael was awarded the highest honor given by four national organizations:

Distinguished Member of the Special Forces Regiment (Special Forces Hall of Fame)

Special Operations Association James E. Butler Founder’s Award

Special Forces Association Order of Saint Philip Neri Gold Medallion

National League of POW/MIA Families of the Vietnam War Distinguished Service Award

Though Special Forces was the focus of Michael’s professional life, he had other interests as well. When he retired to Hawai’i from Saudi Arabia, he re-discovered a passion for the ocean and volunteered at Hokulea’s dry dock to assist with refurbishing the canoe. He was honored and humbled to be invited to sail on Hokule’a (a state treasure) and other canoes. He quickly fell in love with the wa’a (canoe), the people, Hawaiian values and embraced their message of hope and caring for the land and sea. He was especially honored to become one of the Captains and captained the escort vessel, Kamahele, when she escorted Hokule’a for her epic 6,000 mile/six month voyage from Hilo to Tokyo. Sailing on the canoe, he felt at home on the ocean and with the crew. The Polynesian Voyaging Society greatly honored Michael on April 14, 2023 by scattering some of his ashes from the Hokule’a. The remainder of Michael’s ashes were interred at The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) in Honolulu with full military honors (per his wish) on May 12, 2023.

The 2007 voyage to Japan was one of the great achievements of his life. In college, he performed as a rodeo clown. He enjoyed skydiving. He especially loved scuba diving and became a PADI Master Instructor. He loved great white sharks and studied and observed them from a cage aboard The Falie in South Australia. He so loved the ocean and learning that he earned his USCG 100 ton Masters Merchant Mariner Captain’s license. He enjoyed camping in the vast Empty Quarter of Saudi Arabia for 13 years. He spoke German, Thai and Arabic. He was wildly intelligent, deeply respected his brothers-in-arms, loved life, meeting people, experiencing other cultures and had an amazingly infectious laugh and smile.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in honor of Michael E. Taylor to:

Special Operations Association POW/MIA Fund or Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA.