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How a Vietnam Hero’s Song Led to the Medal of Honor
It took 55 years and a musical version of his story for Capt. Larry Taylor’s heroism to be recognized at the White House
Army Capt. Larry L. Taylor shakes hands with Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, after receiving the Medal of Honor at the White House in September.
Henry Villarama/U.S. Army
It is not often that a song is performed at a Medal of Honor ceremony, especially when it tells the story of a hero’s actions in Vietnam 55 years earlier. And it is surely unprecedented for a song to have been partly responsible for the awarding of our nation’s highest decoration for valor.
Former U.S. Army officer and helicopter pilot Capt. Larry Taylor, now 81, received the Medal of Honor at a White House ceremony in September this year that recognized his bravery while flying his AH-1G Cobra helicopter gunship out of Phu Loi base camp, north of Saigon, on the night of June 18, 1968.
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The words of “No Man Left Behind” were written by Taylor himself two years ago along with professional songwriters Steve Dean and Don Goodman, co-founders of the organization Freedom Sings USA, a charity that pairs veterans with songwriters to help treat combat-related trauma through music and writing.
It was Dean who sang Taylor’s words at the White House: “Four men were surrounded, Outnumbered and outgunned … Looking back on that day, we were in the hands of God…Looking back on that war, They wouldn’t let us win, If I could do it over, I’d do it all again.”
Dave Hill, 75, was one of the four men who Taylor rescued that night and the only one still alive today. Now living in Nevada, the former sergeant, who attended the White House ceremony, recounted to AARP Veteran Report the incredible tale of Taylor’s courage.
Sgt. Dave Hill was one of the men Larry Taylor rescued on June 18, 1968.
Courtesy Thomas W. McMahon
Under intense fire from Vietcong forces, the pilot, who was serving with Troop D (Air), 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 1st Infantry Division, disobeyed orders to return to base, choosing instead to risk his life for a long-range reconnaissance patrol (LRRP) surrounded by the enemy and out of ammunition.
As the song puts in, from Taylor’s perspective as his Cobra swept in: “Eight seconds, we were out of there, and everybody lived, Two straddling the rocket pads, two clinging to the skids.”
Hill joined Freedom Sings in large part to help with the campaign to get Taylor’s Silver Star upgraded to a Medal of Honor.
“I think he perfectly captured the experience in the song,” Hill said. “In just three minutes he tells the story not just of what was done, but why it was done. Larry’s actions were dictated by his own motto, ‘Leave No Man Behind,’ which is the name of the song.
"Had he gone back to base and refueled and re-armed like he was supposed to do, there would have been no repercussions. Everyone would have just said he was doing his duty. But Larry chose to do otherwise. And if he hadn’t, I wouldn’t be sitting here today.”
Encapsulating what Taylor did in a song led to over 100,000 views on YouTube. Many also watched moving interviews with Taylor conducted by Freedom Sings executive director Bobbie Allison-Standefer.
“It was highly effective in our quest for getting him the Medal of Honor,” Hill said. “Getting an upgrade to a Medal of Honor doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It takes support from politicians, retired military and by educating people.”
Started in 2012, Freedom Sings now has chapters across the country, including Arkansas, Colorado and Tennessee, with hundreds of veterans attending both weekly online Zoom classes and in-person meetings, as well as special retreats with traveling groups of songwriters touring VA hospitals and treatment centers.
Goodman and Dean are both highly accomplished songwriters. Goodman is responsible for songs including Alabama’s “Angels Among Us” and “Ol’ Red” by George Jones. Dean has co-written six number-one Billboard country hits, including “Watching You” by Rodney Atkins. To date, Freedom Sings has recorded and released over 700 songs.
“It’s not just about writing a song and then never coming back,” said Allison-Standefer. “That’s not enough. Once their song is written, they stay on with the classes. It’s vet-to-vet therapy. It doesn’t matter if it’s an Iraq War veteran together in the room with a Korean War veteran, they all have the same feelings.”
A frail Taylor, who is battling the last stages of cancer, seemed almost overcome by emotion at the White House ceremony. The song’s lyrics had to be changed that day. Previously they had referred to him being awarded the Silver Star.
Replacing the third-highest award with the highest award, Dean sang: “They awarded me the Medal of Honor, But I was just doin’ my job, The things that I did that day, Are always on my mind, They awarded me the Medal of Honor, ‘Cause no man was left behind.”
Freedom Sings USA will host live retreats in January 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Memphis, Tennessee. To find out more information and locate a chapter near you can visit their website. The song “No Man Left Behind,” performed by Ron Wallace, can be viewed on YouTube, which also features interviews with Larry Taylor.
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