WW2 Fallen - B-29 radio operator Martin Taylor

Tech Sergeant Martin Taylor was a B-29 radio operator for the 500th Bomb Group based in Saipan.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/69180063/martin-verdon-taylor/photo
 https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/usa/aircrafts-2-3/b-29/b-29-bomber-of-500th-bomb-group-on-saipain-pto/

Martin Verdon Taylor never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.

If you have enjoyed reading the stories of the WW2 fallen, Can you help write some stories? It's a big project. The more help, the better.  Announcing "The Stories Behind the Stars", see https://www.storiesbehindthestars.org. This crowd-sourced national project has the goal of compiling stories of all 400,000+ of the US World War 2 fallen in one free-to-access central database.  Anyone visiting a war memorial or gravesite will be able to scan the name of the fallen with a smartphone and his story will appear on the phone.

Martin was born on April 19, 1920 in Lapoint, Utah. His parents Roy and Roxa were also both born in Utah. His father worked as a rancher. Martin had five older sisters and five older brothers. By 1940 Martin had completed four years of high school (he was student body president) and was working as a farmer. He was living with his retired parents. His father died in 1941 from a heart attack.

He enlisted in the the army in May 1941. Martin was trained as a radio operator / gunner and reached the rank of tech sergeant in the 883rd Bombardment Squadron, 500th Bomb Group, XXI Bomber Command. After it was created in late 1943, the 500th BG started off with B-17s but converted to B-29s in April 1944. In September 1944 it was sent to Saipan where it began flying missions on November 11. Japan was the main target.

Sgt. Taylor was a crew member on B-29 #42-65218 for a night takeoff on November 29, 1944. The target that night was Tokyo. Bombs would be radar directed. Seven bombers from the 500th BG took off but only six return. Sgt. Taylor's plane was neither seen or heard from after it left Saipan. All eleven crewmen, including Sgt. Taylor are still considered missing in action as of November 30, 1944.

His cenotaph grave is at the Lapoint Cemetery in Lapoint, Utah.

Thank you Sgt. Taylor for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Martin.

Last year on this date I profiled Millard Sanders, 65th Armored Field Artillery. You can read about Millard here.

On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!

I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.

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WW2 Fallen 100 is supported by

The Greatest GENERATIONS Foundation

“Where Every Day is Memorial Day”

http://www.tggf.org