Printman at War: Leon Taylor’s Story
By Carson Comick
Leon Lawrence Taylor
12/17/1914 – 7/28/1982
Leon Lawrence Taylor was born on the 17th of December 1914, in Atchison, Missouri, to Frederick E Taylor and Margret A Connon Taylor.[1] Sometime before his sister, Virginia Mae, was born in 1918, the family moved to Iowa. By 1920, they moved to Nebraska, and sadly, his brother Wilbur passed away. The death of Wilbur was followed by the death of his half-sister Emma Jane in 1922 and the death of his father in 1928. By 1935, Leon Taylor moved to Denver, Colorado.
As World War II raged on, Leon Taylor registered for military service in 1942. At the time he enlisted, he worked as a printer at the Rocky Mountain Bank Note Company located in Denver. At his job, Leon helped print checks and other important items for the banking industry. He joined the United States Army, where he gained the rank of Private First Class. In the military, he was part of the 951st Field Artillery Battalion. As part of this Battalion, he would have taken part in many important European campaigns, including Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes, and Central Europe. The 951st played a pivotal role in the Battle of the Bulge. The Battle of the Bulge involved near round-the-clock artillery fire as the Allies fended off the German advance. During this battle, soldiers had to endure unrelenting attacks by the Germans while alsodealing with the soul-crushing cold that surrounded them. Ultimately, the 951st Field Artillery Battalion aided the Allies in a victory during the Battle of the Bulge.
Following the war, Leon Taylor resided in Denver, Colorado, for the remainder of his life. He would continue to work as a printman after returning to Denver. In 1964, his mother, Margret passed away while residing in Denver, Colorado. Leon Taylor passed away in July of1982 in Commerce City, Colorado, at the age of 67. He was laid to rest at Fort Logan National Cemetery. He died childless and unmarried.
Footnotes ↓
– [1] Materials for this biography can be found at:
https://premierrelics.com/us-field-gear/951st-field-artillery-battalion-air-mail-envelope-e-morgan-37339101-battle-of-the-bulge-veteran www.findagrave.com/memorial/177676596/leon-lawrence-taylor https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/G48M-Z2C/leon-lawrence-taylor-1914-198
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