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Airman Basic Phillip Ottawao Taylor

An African American man wearing a Buffalo Bills hat, smiling.
  • Unit: 3650th Military Training Wing
  • Date of Birth: January 30, 1934
  • Entered the Military: April 23, 1954
  • Date of Death: July 20, 2010
  • Hometown: Cumberland, Maryland
  • Place of Death: Buffalo, New York
  • Cemetery: Section H-3, Row 4, Site 11 . Rocky Gap Veterans Cemetery, Flintstone, Maryland
Contributed by Mazzy Morel, Lilah, Violet, and Mary Thrush
Mentored by Mrs. Ali Schilpp
Northern Middle School
2024/2025

Early Life

Phillip Ottawao Taylor was born in Cumberland, Allegany County, Maryland, on January 30, 1934. His parents were Jacob and Edith Taylor. Philip had ten sisters and brothers: Dorothy, Isabell, Mary Jane, Ray, Howard, Jacob, Bertha, Virginia, Earl, and Henry.

He attended Carver High School in Cumberland, where he was a member of the basketball team. As a young scholar, Philip Taylor was the recipient of a special school honor for Excellence in English and Music. The school he attended was named in honor of inventor and educator George Washington Carver. Due to the inadequate quality of educational facilities for Black children in nearby areas, many families from surrounding regions in Maryland and West Virginia chose to send their children to Carver. In 1955, public schools were integrated. 

The Taylor family lived in Allegheny County, Maryland, 1940. National Archives and Records Administration.
Taylor played for the Carver High School basketball team. He is in the front row, left (#5). Rocky Gap Veterans Cemetery.
Philip O. Taylor won awards in English and music when he graduated from Carver High School. The Cumberland News, June 5, 1953.

Homefront

Cumberland, Maryland, was a thriving city during this period in time. It was connected by highways, railroads, and the C&O Canal, which made the city a significant transportation hub. The city had paved roads and concrete sidewalks. 

Cumberland was known for its industrial activity, including railroads, mining, manufacturing glass, breweries, and textiles.

Cumberland itself was not a major agricultural hub in the 1950s, but the surrounding areas of Western Maryland sold grains, fruits, and livestock. However, by the mid-twentieth century, this focus shifted towards dairy production and other products, such as fertilizer and canned fruits and vegetables.

Downtown Cumberland modernized and became more accessible by a network of highways that extended in many directions. In the 1950s, Cumberland was a place where people dressed up to go shopping in large department stores and specialty shops. Buses made stops in Cumberland for people who could not or did not want to drive. Roads were built because more and more people were buying cars. Then, they built strip malls and other shopping areas in the suburbs of Cumberland.

Newspaper photograph showing an early snowstorm in downtown Cumberland, Maryland. Cumberland Sunday Times, November 26, 1950.

Military Experience

Phillip Taylor entered the military and joined the 3650th Military Training Wing at Sampson Air Force Base in Geneva, New York, on April 23, 1954. Unfortunately the other details of his service were lost in the 1973 fire at the National Archives in St. Louis. A reconstructed service profile showed that he continued to serve until July 15, 1957, when he received an Honorable Discharge.

The newly created U.S. Air Force was the first branch of the military to fully integrate following President Harry S. Truman’s Executive Order 9981, signed on July 26, 1948. This order aimed to eliminate racial discrimination and promote equality within the armed forces. The Air Force actively implemented this integration policy and successfully integrated its units by 1952.

Before Air Force One, President Harry S. Truman flew in a U.S. Air Force plane nicknamed the Sacred Cow. Harry S. Truman Little White House, c.1947-1948.
The headline of the Chicago Defender, announcing the end of segregation in the U.S. armed forces, July 31, 1948. National Coast Guard Museum.

Veteran Experience

After serving honorably and dedicating approximately three years of his life to the military, Philip Taylor relocated to Buffalo, New York. He married Annie Pearl Taylor, and they had three children: Phillip, Rodney, and Renee. Taylor also built a successful career as the first African American X-ray technician at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo.

Taylor was an active member of the Roman Catholic Church. He loved recreational activities such as fishing, horseback riding, and people in general. 

His son, Rodney created an art display entitled Song for My Father in Clay. His work was displayed in the Alright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo. It was dedicated to his father, the first African American Radiology Technician at Roswell Park. It was here at the hospital that his dad let him draw on scrap paper from the department. 

Song for My Father by Rodney Taylor. Courtesy of the Roswell Art Collection Guidebook.

Commemoration

Philip O. Taylor died on July 16, 2010. He is buried at Rocky Gap Veterans Cemetery in Flintstone, Maryland.

Philip Taylor is buried at Rocky Gap Veterans Cemetery in Flintstone, Maryland.
Philip Taylor is buried at Rocky Gap Veterans Cemetery in Flintstone, Maryland.

Bibliography

Primary Sources

“Aerial Photos Show Two Sections of Cumberland.” Cumberland Sunday Times [Cumberland, MD], October 12, 1952. Newspapers.com (33491533).

“Carver Awards Diplomas to 14 Graduates.” Cumberland News  June 5, 1953. Newspapers.com (74309063). 

Maryland. Cumberland County. 1940 U.S. Census. Digital Images. https://ancestry.com.

Maryland. Cumberland County. 1950 U.S. Census. Digital Images. https://ancestry.com.

Phillip O. Taylor, Official Military Personnel File (partial, reconstructed), Department of the Army. National Archives and Records Administration – St. Louis.

“Phillip O. Taylor.” Buffalo News [Buffalo, NY], July 18, 2010. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/buffalonews/name/phillip-taylor-obituary?id=4745675. 

Phillip O. Taylor. NPRC Service Verification Materials, Department of the Air Force. National Archives and Records Administration – St. Louis.

“Phillip Taylor Obituary.” Cumberland Times [Cumberland, MD]. Accessed October 18, 2024.  https://obituaries.times-news.com/obituary/phillip-taylor-760149121.

“President Truman Wipes Out Segregation in Armed Forces.” Chicago Defender [Chicago, IL], July 31, 1948. National Coast Guard Museum. https://nationalcoastguardmuseum.org/news-events/when-i-say-americans-i-mean-all-americans/. 

Preview of Winter in Midtown Cumberland. Photograph. Cumberland Sunday Times [Cumberland, MD], November 26, 1950. Newspapers.com (1522451).

Secondary Sources

“History of Maryland Facts for Kids.” Kiddle Encyclopedia. Last modified August 9, 2024. Accessed November 14, 2024. https://kids.kiddle.co/History_of_Maryland.

“July 26.” Harry S. Truman Little White House. Accessed March 17, 2025. https://www.trumanlittlewhitehouse.org/guide/july-26. 

“Phillip O. Taylor.” Find a Grave. Updated August 24, 2010. Accessed October 18, 2024. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/57644545/phillip-o-taylor. 

“Phillip O. Taylor.” Veterans Legacy Memorial, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/PHILLIPOTAYLOR/7e4824. 

“Preservation District Design Guidelines for Cumberland, Maryland.” Cumberland Historic Preservation Commission. Accessed November 14, 2024. https://www.ci.cumberland.md.us/DocumentCenter/View/1276/Cumberland-MD-Design-Guidelines. 

“Reimagine Cumberland, Maryland.” Downtown Development Commission. Accessed November 14, 2024. https://reimaginecumberland.com/about/.

This profile was funded by a grant from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The opinions, findings, and conclusions stated herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.