Memorial Day was always one of Steven Taylor’s favorite holidays.
He appreciates the patriotic fervor in which the nation pays tribute to those who have given their lives in defense of the country.
Taylor, wife Becky and their daughters Brandi and Kylea, know a little about sacrifice, too.
Taylor, 29, was in Afghanistan in April 2010 when Kylea, his youngest daughter, was born.
“I didn’t get to hold her until she was seven weeks old,” Taylor recalled.
Then, following, his all-too-brief 15-day leave to the United States, Taylor returned to Afghanistan to complete the final seven months of his yearlong deployment.
So while he’s proud of his service, Taylor contends his family deserves just as much recognition.
“They went through just as much as I did,” he said.
A 2001 IOLA High School graduate, Taylor gave little thought to enlisting out of high school.
It wasn’t until watching the emotional sendoff of the National Guard’s 891st Engineer Battalion — which is headquartered in Iola — that the call to duty struck a chord for Taylor.
“I watched the buses as they headed out,” he said. “It wasn’t too long after that when I signed up.”
Taylor became a part of the 891st’s Forward Support Company, serving primarily as a mechanic.
He was there when the 891st returned in December 2005, and again as members of the National Guard’s 226th Engineer Company — which works under the 891st command — was summoned for deployment in 2009.
“A lot of my buddies were getting picked up to go along, so I talked it over with my wife,” Taylor said.
Realizing it may be one of his few opportunities to serve overseas, Taylor volunteered.
