 In 1961, he received a high school equivalency diploma from the Armed Forces Institute in Madison, Wisconsin.He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps along with his brother, Walter William Taylor, at Recruiting Station Baltimore on January 15, 1959.Upon completion of recruit training with the 3rd Recruit Training Battalion at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, he went on to infantry combat training with the 1st Infantry Training Regiment, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.