The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pride in presenting the Soldier’s Medal (Posthumously) to Private First Class Donald Taylor (ASN: US-24614916), United States Army, for heroism at the risk of life not involving conflict with an armed enemy on 26 November 1967, in Dora, Alabama. On that date, Private Taylor, his sister and her two small children were in an automobile which Private Taylor was driving when he came to a railroad crossing with multiple tracks. Private Taylor stopped the automobile and looked up and down the checks to see if a train was approaching. Not seeing or hearing a train, Private Taylor proceeded across a multiple tracks and the car stalled on the last set of tracks. Attempts to start the automobile were unsuccessful, and shortly after it stalled, the headlight of an approaching train was seen. Private Taylor shouted for his sister to get out of the automobile and get the children who were in the backseat. The sister got out of the automobile and succeeded in getting her daughter off the backseat and both she and the child got clear of the tracks. Private Taylor meanwhile was attempting to rescue the second child. Realizing that he could not get the child out of the automobile in time, Private Taylor threw his body across that of the small child to protect him when the train hit the automobile. When the train came to a stop after shoving the automotive down the tracks before it, Private Taylor’s body was lying atop that of the child. Private Taylor was dead on arrival at a hospital. The child escaped with only minor injuries. His complete disregard for his own life to save that of another reflects great credit upon himself and is in keeping with the highest tradition of the military service.