In Honor of
WWII Veterans
EDWARD W. SICKING
FATHER
AND
JOE B. WALTER
GRANDFATHER
Tim Sicking - President
3288 FM 51 Gainesville
Office: 940-612-3336
Fax: 940-612-3346
[email protected]
10
M E D A L O F H O N O R 2020
that Taylor has missed the event.
It was a tough blow for Taylor as he said he always enjoys
being around his fellow recipients, their families and everyone
else affiliated with the Medal of Honor.
“It will be hard not being able to visit with my extended
family and the folks living in Gainesville and surrounding ar-
eas that attend the events,” Taylor said. “[I’ll miss] Don and
Lynnette Pettigrew, Tommy and Paula Moore and their girls
Brittanye, Morgan and Jordan Moore. [I’ll miss] Gabrielle and
Ray Fletcher and Gary Alexander as well as the kids at Robert
Lee Intermediate School and the students at North Central
Texas College.”
This past year, Taylor has been attending several fundrais-
ing events for charities in California. He has also been “hun-
kered down” until the coronavirus situation settles down.
Not being around his compatriots will be difficult this year.
“[It’s] always great to be around my fellow recipients,” Tay-
lor said. “Most of us have been members of the society for
over 50 years and have developed a close relationship. The re-
cipients from the War on Terror are a refreshing group of guys
and are realizing that the biggest challenge they are and will
be facing after receiving the medal is to live up to the medal.
“I tell them they are custodians of it. It represents some-
thing above and beyond itself. It represents country, courage,
sacrifice and patriotism which are the foundation of our free-
doms.”
One of the main takeaways for Taylor from his time in the
military is the importance of teamwork.
If Taylor had the opportunity to speak to young people this
year, he would stress the importance of working together.
Taylor, who served all over the United States including Tex-
as, Kentucky and Hawaii along with his time in Germany, said
he is proud to wear the Medal of Honor for those who paid
the ultimate sacrifice for their country, especially the ones he
served with in the Vietnam War.
“The biggest challenge I have is trying to live up to the
medal and what it stands for and represents,” Taylor said. “You
are in the ‘spotlight’ 24-7 because of the lofty ethos and stan-
dards that come with being a recipient. What it means to be
an American and a patriot is to understand that the freedoms
[people] enjoy came at a terrible price. Thousands of Ameri-
cans died to protect and preserve their freedom.”
Taylor elaborated on what it meant to be a patriot and gave
his advice on how to embody a good American.
“A patriot is not someone who simply says he or she loves
their country, but proves their love of country through their
willingness to support and defend it so future generations
might enjoy the liberties and freedoms granted in our consti-
tution that they enjoy,” Taylor said. “Live up to the ideals em-
bodied in the Medal of Honor — courage, sacrifice, selfless-
ness, patriotism, responsible citizenship and commitment.”
GARY BEIKIRCH
Even though Gary Beikirch, 72, isn’t traveling to Gaines-
ville this spring, he says he’s hopeful to be able to visit soon.