Robert Preston Taylor essays

Robert Preston Taylor essays Robert Preston Taylor played an important role in the Korean War. He was one of few survivors, and also a hero. Taylor had such great faith in God that he was able to survive the torture he endured. He held onto his faith and taught those around him how to trust God. The Korean War was a conflict between communists and non-communists. By the end of World War II, Korea was divided into North and South Korea. The Korean War had been in the making for several years. There did not seem to be any way that North Korea and South Korea could even unite with one government. In May 1941, the troop ship USAT Washington sailed into Manila Bay, Philippines. Preston Taylor, a chaplain lieutenant in the Army Air Corps, was aboard that ship. Taylor started having church services for the troops. He quickly became their friend. At 4:30 one morning after services, Taylor was told that Pearl Harbor has been bombed and General MacArthur had ordered all Philippines Army Units into active duty. Taylor's unit was sent to Bataan. They fought a bloody battle but could not hold off the Japanese and had to surrender. The Americans were treated badly, beaten, killed and held without food and water. Then began the Death March. Taylor endured three and one-half years of being a Prisoner of war. He survived the Bataan Death March, the Cabanatuan prison camp and the ships that transported him to Japan. Chaplain Taylor worked extensively in the camp hospitals attempting to comfort the sick and dying (Arlington News). Through all his torture, hunger, and pain, his faith in God kept him going. He was one in only 497 survivors of the original 1619 prisoners to reach Japan. Taylor was surrounded by activity, plagued by the sight of his fellow man's degradation and assaulted In all his senses by an agonized refinement of savagery such as he had never believed possible (Keith back flap). On June 25, 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea. The United Nations ...