The Taylor Family

Kelsey Taylor and U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Houston Taylor were high school sweethearts. Following graduation Houston enlisted in the Army, and four months later the two were married. Houston’s first assignment was to Fort Lewis, Washington, and he was deployed to Iraq less than a year later in June 2006.

Three days after Houston’s deployment, Kelsey received news that she was pregnant with their first child. Due to the fact that Houston’s deployment was extended from 12 to 15 months, he was unable to meet his son until he was five months old. Following his return to the states Houston and his family were moved to Fort Carson, Colorado, and he was later deployed to Iraq for a second time in 2008.

Once Houston returned home from his second tour overseas, Kelsey discovered that she was pregnant with their second child. One month later the family moved to Hawaii, where Houston would be stationed before being deployed to Afghanistan in early 2011. During his deployment Kelsey made the decision to move back to Texas, where they had hopes of one day raising their children.

While on a trip to visit a friend, Kelsey received a brief phone call from Houston informing her that he wouldn’t be able to contact her for a few days. The following day, on October 13, 2011, Kelsey received the devastating news that Houston was killed when insurgents attacked his unit with small arms fire while they were on foot patrol. Following her husband’s death Kelsey moved to Lubbock, Texas, where she has been raising their children and attempting to live the life that she and Houston had always dreamed of.