Douglas Newton Taylor was born in New Haven, CT on 19 February 1915. His mother passed away when Doug and his brother Howard were young. Their father, Albert, was an engineer working in the Central Americas, so Doug and Howard lived with their aunt in Columbus, OH. They attended Ohio State University and served with Ohio National Guard, Doug reaching the rank of Master Sergeant. Doug had obtained his private pilot’s license and began Aviation Cadet training 9 December 1941, then was assigned the B-26 Operational Training Unit, McDill Field, Tampa, FL. In early 1943 he met Quinnelle Bass [nickname Quinney] in nearby Lakeland; she was in the U.S, Army working on recruiting campaigns and considered a radio pioneer, the first women in broadcasting in the Southern US. They married on 2 February prior to Doug’s deployment to the 320th Bomb Group in North Africa. On March 12 he departed Mobile, Alabama crossed the Gulf of Mexico, flew over Tarpon Springs, Florida and dropped a note tied to a rock [See photo: Object number UPL 45125]. He eventually flew the South Atlantic Air Route to join the 320th Bomb Group in Tafaraoui, Algeria. Doug he served with the 444th Bomb Squadron, and then pilot of the Group’s courier service aircraft until end of the War. He flew 20 Combat missions, 4 as Group lead, with the 444th Bomb Squadron until he suffered a back injury in the crash landing of 41-17792 “NANA” [See Photo: Object number UPL 45122] on 8 July 1943. He remained with the Group as pilot of their courier aircraft [See photo: Object number UPL 45132 “Li'L Woman”, tail number: 43-49203] until War’s end. At the end of the war, Doug landed near Barth, West Pomerania, Germany to transport freed POWs from Stalag Luft I. One of the former prisoners was Francis Stanley "Gabby" Gabreski of the 56th Fighter Group. Doug remained in the Air Force serving tours in the 36th Fighter-Bomber Wing, commanded by BG Robert L. Scott, in Furstenfeldbruk, Germany, later Ashiya Air Field, Japan, and finally in 1963 to Langley Air Force Base where retired.