Arnett Bernard Taylor (1921 - 2002)

Born 7 Dec 1921 in Tampa, Hillsborough, Florida, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Ann (Batt) Taylor — married 27 Jul 1946 in Montclair, Essex, New Jersey, United States

Died 2 Oct 2002 at age 80 in Fairfield, Solano, California, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Fred Prisley [send private message]

Biography

By his mother, Sarah McIntosh Taylor ^[1]

Arnett Bernard Taylor was born on 07 Dec 1921 at Tampa, Florida. He attended Porter Military Academy (now Porter-Gaud School) at Charleston, South Carolina for three years and then the College of Charleston for one year on the first scholarship ever awarded a freshman. He entered the U.S. Naval Academy in June 1941, graduated in June 1944, and served on the submarine USS Chub (SS-329) ^[2] based in Perth, Australia until the end of World War II in 1945. Continuing in the submarine service, he eventually commanded the USS Grampus (SS-523) and was then appointed to nuclear submarine school. He became executive officer of the nuclear submarine Thomas Edison (SSBN-610) from keel laying through launching. During a tour to Scotland he was notified of his appointment as skipper of the nuclear USS Tecumseh (SSBN-628). He commanded her "Blue Crew" from keel laying through launching and for three years was based at Pearl Harbor. Before retirement he was director of the mathematics and science department at the Naval Academy.

Arnett married on 27 Jul 1946 at Montclair, New Jersey to Mary Ann ("Mibby") Batt. She was born on 05 Jun 1925 at Montclair. Arnett and Mibby had children:

1. Mary Robinson, "Robin," b. 1951
2. James Arnett, "Jimmy," b. 17 Dec 1952, d. 20 Apr 1972
3. Kenneth Batt, "Ken," b. 1955

Arnett passed away in 2002 ^[3] and his ashes were inurned on 25 Oct 2002 at the U.S. Naval Academy Columbarium in Annapolis, Maryland. ^[4]

His obituary, written by his family, as submitted to The Capital Gazette, Annapolis, Maryland, ^[5] reads:

FAIRFIELD, CA. - Services for Arnett B. Taylor, 80, will be at 1 p.m. Sunday at Grace Episcopal Church with the Rev. Jim Hargis presiding.

Capt. Taylor died Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2010, at Laurel Creek Health Center at Paradise Valley Estates from complications due to Alzheimer's disease.

Arnett Taylor was born in Tampa, Florida on Dec.7, 1921. He and his parents spent the first two years of his life on quiet Merritt Island, Florida, living in a simple wooden house built by his father on land given to World War I veterans to homestead.

Years later, in 1964, that little boy, now Captain Taylor, skipper of the nuclear submarine Tecumseh, submerged the ship in the waters of Merritt Island, now named Cape Kennedy, and launched a Polaris A-3 missile to a target area more than 2,000 miles away.

Captain Taylor graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy in 1944 after attending high school in Sebring, Florida, Porter Military Academy and College of Charleston, S.C. Fifteen of his thirty years of Naval service were on board submarines.

Upon completion of submarine school, Captain Taylor reported to USS Chub (SS-329) and in 1945 made two successful war patrols in the Southwest Pacific. He then served in USS Sarda (SS-488), USS Quillback (SS-424), USS Sea Poacher (SS-406) and USS Grampus (SS-523) which he commanded in 1958 and 1959. He was an instructor in Submarine School in 1951 and 1952 and Torpedo Project Officer for two years at Naval Ordnance, Key West, during the development and evaluation of the MK-37 torpedo.

He attended the Armed Forces Staff College, and received nuclear power training at the Naval Reactors Branch of the Atomic Energy Commission in Washington D.C. In 1961 he reported to the USS Thomas Edison (SSBN-610) under construction at Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics and served as Executive Officer through her first patrol. He then reported as prospective commanding officer of USS Tecumseh (SSBN-628), also under construction at Electric Boat, and served as commanding officer of Blue Crew for four patrols our of Guam.

Subsequent to these sea duty tours, Captain Taylor served as NATO and Mideast Operations Officer in the Strategic Plans Division (OP 60) in OPNAV followed by two years on CINCPAC’s staff as head of the Nuclear Operations Branch in the Nuclear Operations Division. His final tour returned him to the U.S. Naval Academy as Director of the Division of Mathematics and Science from 1971 to 1974.

Captain Taylor’s decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Navy Commendation Medal. He wore the Submarine Combat Insignia with one star and the Polaris Patrol Insignia with three stars.

Following retirement from the Navy, Captain Taylor worked for seven years with Nuclear Associates International in Rockville, MD where he developed a computerized management system for use in commercial nuclear power plants.

He and his wife of 56 years, the former Mary Batt of Montclair, NJ, live in Paradise Valley Estates, a military retirement community in Fairfield, Calif. Captain Taylor is preceded in death by his son, James Arnett Taylor (1952-1972). In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughter, Robin Taylor, of San Francisco; son Kenneth Taylor of Oakland; sister Jouett Taylor Prisley of Sterling, VA, and three grandchildren.

Burial will be in the U.S. Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md. Contributions in his memory may be made to Grace Episcopal Church Building Fund by calling 425-4181. Arrangements are under the direction of Fairfield Funeral Home.

Sources

1. ↑ * Memoirs of Sarah McIntosh Taylor, Bradenton, Florida, Feb 1979, transcribed 1995 by Jouett Taylor Prisley with footnotes and illustrations in 2019 by Frederic Arnett Prisley
2. ↑ History of USS Chub (SS-329), by Office of Naval Records and History, Navy Department, undated
3. ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JPC8-9PX : 25 November 2020), Arnett Taylor, 02 Oct 2002; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
4. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #76071390 for Capt Arnett Bernard Taylor (7 Dec 1921–2 Oct 2002), citing United States Naval Academy Cemetery, Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, USA; Maintained by Saratoga (contributor 46965279).
5. ↑ "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK58-X2PR : accessed 11 April 2019), Capt Arnett Bernard Taylor, Annapolis, Maryland, United States, 18 Oct 2002; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing Capital, The, born-digital text.

See also:

• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SRBT-WW2 : accessed 2 December 2020), Arnett Taylor in household of Clark A Taylor, Sebring, Highlands, Florida, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 6, sheet 3B, line 67, family 78, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 318; FHL microfilm 2,340,053.
• "Florida State Census, 1935," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNV5-QT5 : 2 February 2018), Bernard Taylor in household of Arnett C Taylor, Sebring, Highlands, Florida; citing line 6, State Archives, Tallahassee; FHL microfilm 2,425,704.
• "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VTHG-39N : 31 May 2020), Arnet B Taylor in household of C Arnett Taylor, Election Precinct 3, Highlands, Florida, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 28-11, sheet 1A, line 24, family 7, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 589.
• "Florida State Census, 1945," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNNV-2KK : 14 November 2014), Arnett Bernard Taylor, Winter Haven, Polk, Florida; citing line 50, State Archives, Tallahassee; FHL microfilm 2,425,206.
• "United States 1950 Census", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6FMD-L225 : Fri Oct 06 04:48:23 UTC 2023), Entry for Harold J Williams and Emil N Sanoka, 10 April 1950.
• "United States 1950 Census", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6FMX-NRWM : Thu Oct 05 21:04:50 UTC 2023), Entry for Roger M McKenney and Edith W McKenney, 4 May 1950.
• USS Chub (SS-329) - First War Patrol Report, 13 Feb - 18 Apr 1945
• USS Chub (SS-329) - Report of War Patrol Number Two, 19 May - 18 Jun 1945
• USS Chub (SS-329) - Report of War Patrol Number Three, 18 Jul - 13 Aug 1945
• Memorial service for Arnett Taylor, St. Margaret's Church, Westminster Parish, Annapolis, Maryland, 25 Oct 2002