Rank and Name, Private Chester Taylor.
Unit/Placed in, 1279th Engineer Combat Battalion.
Chester is born approx. on 1918 in Florida.
Chester enlisted the service in Florida with service number # 34035029.
Chester was KIA during the landings at Lingayen Gulf when his LCM was hit by shore Fire from the Japanese on 10 Jan. 1940, he is honored with a Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, Army Presidential Unit Citation, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, WW II Victory Medal.
Chester is buried/mentioned at Manila American Cemetery and Memorial Manila, Metro Manila, National Capital Region, Philippines.
Thanks to,
Jean Louis Vijgen, ww2-Pacific.com ww2-europe.com
Air Force Info, Rolland Swank.
ABMC Website, https://abmc.gov
Marines Info, https://missingmarines.com/ Geoffrey Roecker
Seabees History Bob Smith https://seabeehf.org/
Navy Info, http://navylog.navymemorial.org
POW Info, http://www.mansell.com Dwight Rider and Wes injerd.
Philippine Info, http://www.philippine-scouts.org/ Robert Capistrano
National Historian
Navy Seal Memorial, http://www.navysealmemorials.com
Family Info, https://www.familysearch.org
Info, https://www.pacificwrecks.com/
Medals Info, https://www.honorstates.org
Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com
Tank Destroyers, http://www.bensavelkoul.nl/
1279th Combat Engineers
First organized in 1937, the unit that became the 1279th Combat Engineer Battalion was the Michigan National Guard’s only all-African-American organization. The 1279th saw service in the South Pacific during World War II, including the Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Luzon. The 1279th Combat Engineer Battalion was one of the state’s African-American units to serve with distinction during that war. Unlike other Michigan African-American units, though, the 1279th was led by African-American officers. And, despite the 1948 Executive Order issued by President Harry S. Truman, the battalion remained segregated. Following World War II, the unit was redesignated as the 1279th Combat Engineer Battalion
