Keith Edward Taylor, Navy, Lieutenant Commander -- Rest In Peace

Keith Edward Taylor, 47

Navy, Lieutenant Commander
Based: Iraq Detachment
Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Central Command
Supporting: Operation Iraqi Freedom
Died: January 29, 2005
Baghdad (U.S. Embassy compound), Iraq
Married, 3 children
Gender: Male
Hometown: Irvine
High School: Sandalwood High School (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Burial: Arlington Park Cemetery, Duval, Fla.

Taylor told his wife, Diane, that this would be the last Thanksgiving and Christmas they had to spend apart.

Taylor was killed Jan. 29 in a rocket attack on the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad on the eve of Iraq's elections, two months shy of his scheduled departure. A Defense Department civilian also was killed, and four other Americans were wounded. Taylor was assigned to the Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Central Command, Iraq Detachment.

"We were both scared when he was going," his wife said. "It was bittersweet for him -- he was sad to go, but he was eager to go and make a difference."
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Born in Tucson, Taylor was raised in Florida. He later majored in English at Cal State Long Beach and went to the University of Redlands for a master's degree in business administration. He worked in a variety of jobs as a civilian, including overseeing contracts at McDonnell Douglas Corp. and UC Irvine.

But Taylor was most proud of being a father, his wife said. He always wore a smile and exuded a warm, outgoing personality and loved playing with his children.


"He was the absolute best husband," his wife said. "He was absolutely a gentlemen among men, and I will miss him."


In addition to his wife and daughter, Taylor is survived by his former wife, Leslie, and their two daughters, ages 13 and 10; his parents; and two siblings.

Read the entire LA Times article about Navy Lieutenant Commander Keith Edward Taylor here and find more here.