Taylor Crew 1951–1953
USS Taylor was placed in commission by the United States Navy twice. First as (DD 468) on 28 August 1942 at The Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston, and again as (DDE 468) on 3 December 1951 at The San Francisco Naval Shipyard. Each time, the Officers and Men assigned to the ship became “Plank Owners”, that is, members of the first crew of a ship placed in commission. Being a Plank Owner is a long standing Navy tradition, and a great and enduring honor that is not soon forgotten.
The Domain of the Golden Dragon is an unofficial U.S. Navy award given to crew members of ships which cross the 180th meridian, or International Dateline. The legend is that sailing west across the Date Line one enters The Domain of the Golden Dragon, where Asian nations celebrate the power of the dragon. Navy operations in the Far East are so frequent that few initiation ceremonies are actually held. But the certificate, decorated with a Chinese-style dragon, is still awarded.
