Today, we honor Master Chief Petty Officer Taylor for his service in our armed forces. We recently had the pleasure of asking retired MCPO Taylor about his service and hope you enjoy our short question and answer session.
- In what branch did you serve? “I served in the U.S. Navy from June 1971 to June 2001.”
- What was your rank and division? “Master Chief Petty Officer (E9).”
- Where were you stationed? “I was stationed in the following: Norfolk, VA; Cecil Field, FL; and Charleston, SC. I was also stationed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for three years. My shore duty stations included New Orleans, LA; Charleston, SC; and Washington, DC.”
- Did you serve in an active theatre/campaign? “Yes, while I was deployed to Mediterranean Sea in 1982, we were assigned the duty of evacuating Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) fighters from Beirut, Lebanon to Yemen. This required our ship to transit north and south through the Suez Canal.”
- What are your most fond memories from your time of service? “One of our favorite places we were stationed was Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. My family loved the three years that we lived there. Not many people can say that they lived in Communist Cuba.”
- Are there any special stories you’d like to tell about your time in the armed forces? “Prior to our ship being selected to escort the PLO fighters out of Lebanon, we spent several weeks steaming five miles off the coast of Beirut in a standby condition in case we were needed. You could see buildings being destroyed daily. The government of Egypt, who owns the Suez Canal, closed the canal to all north and south bound traffic so that the PLO, on large passenger ferries, could safely leave Lebanon. My ship, USS Aylwin, along with other Navy ships performed escort duty. During our trip south in the daylight, you could see battle damage from previous wars. There were wrecks from 1967 when Egypt and Israel fought each other. That war resulted in the Suez Canal being closed for several year. Immediately after reaching Djibouti, where the PLO fighters were welcomed as heroes, we steamed north back to the Mediterranean. This was only a small portion of my thirty year Navy career.”
We are forever thankful to MCPO Taylor and his contribution to protecting and defending our freedom and way of life. We hope you enjoy the photos below. The first photo was taken in Charleston, South Carolina in 1987 when retired MCPO Taylor was promoted to Senior Chief. The second photo, taken in 1991, is of retired MCPO Taylor with his family at the Northeast Gate in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. This gate was the only way one could go from Communist Cuba to the U.S. Naval Base. Click on each image to enlarge.
Amy Anderson joined the ILG Financial team in 2023 as the client relations coordinator. Her responsibilities include scheduling of appointments, annual check-up notifications, and annuity and required minimum distribution assistance. She is a graduate of Harding University with a degree in Computer Information Systems. Amy and her husband have two children and she enjoys reading, crocheting, music and spending time with her family.
Chase Lopez joined the ILG Financial team in 2020 as an advisor. Chase is a 2016 James Madison University graduate with a degree in management. Chase has been trained under the tutelage of Dave Lopez, who is not only the founder and managing member of ILG Financial, but also is Chase’s uncle and godfather. He also enjoys working alongside his cousin, Megan, who is Dave’s daughter. Chase, as a fiduciary, believes in putting his clients interests first, and building out plans for his clients where they can have a happy and fruitful retirement. He married his beautiful wife in February 2022 and both use most of their free time chasing around their little pup, Aurora.
Jessica Carson joined the ILG Financial team in 2018 as an agent. Jessica and her husband have four children, two dogs, 3 barn cats, 5 chickens, and three parakeets. She indeed loves her children and pets! When not at work, Jessica enjoys playing the piano and cello as well as traveling and spending time outside with her family, hiking, fishing, and boating.
Terri Center joined the ILG Financial team in 2019 as client services manager. She handles client records, application processing, and gathering information to provide a professional and friendly experience with all of our clients. Terri is a graduate of Oakland University. She is married and has two children. She enjoys hiking, family time, and puzzle challenging video games. She also likes to share her creativity in her canvas paintings and sewing projects.
Megan Jones joined the ILG Financial team in 2020 as marketing director. Megan and her husband live in Fredericksburg, VA with their German Short Haired Pointer, Gus. Megan is a graduate of Longwood University and holds a degree in communications. Megan is the oldest of Dave Lopez’s three children and not only enjoys working alongside her father, but also with her cousin, Chase, who joined the ILG Financial team in 2020 as an advisor. When not at work, Megan enjoys sitting on the back porch with family and friends enjoying food and music.