Ken Taylor served in the U.S. Navy from 1944 to 1945. He was discharged as a Signalman Third Class. He spent most of his time (if not all of it) in the Pacific Theater on the U.S.S. Stewart and the U.S.S. Ranier. He was involved in the Battle of Okinawa and said that he arrived three weeks after the initial invasion. (The battle is considered to have been seven weeks in duration.) Born and raised in Detroit, he raised his family in Traverse City, Mich.