SPC Mathew Taylor was born on July 7, 1986 in Carmichael, California. When Mathew was five we moved to Cameron Park, California.

Mathew attended Green Valley Elementary, Marina Village Middle School and graduated from Ponderosa High School in 2004.

Mathew made friends very easy and kept them for life. He touched every person’s life that he entered. There was never a lack of entertainment when Mathew was around.

As a teen, Mathew was involved in Martial Arts. He trained in the Kodan Kai and Choi Lai Fut Kung Fu systems. Mathew earned his Brown Belt in just over six months. This takes most people seven to ten years to accomplish. Mathew was a very dedicated student and even helped teach the younger students who were trying to accomplish what he had.

Mathew was self taught on the guitar and impressed everyone who heard him play. Mathew was also an avid video gamer. Mathew received the nickname "Vash" by his friends for his uncanny resemblance to the character from the anime series, "Trigun".

Mathew began his military career in April 2006. He attended boot camp, jump school and AIT training at Fort Benning, Georgia. Mathew was later stationed in Vicenza, Italy as an Airborne Infantry Soldier assigned to the 1^st Airborne Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. Mathew was deployed to Afghanistan in May 2007.

On July 23, 2007 the nightmare that we hoped would never come had arrived. The man on the other end of the phone had told us that Mathew had been injured in an IED earlier that day and was the only survivor of the humvee. Mathew was the 50-cal gunner of this humvee.    

Also killed in the attack were: 1st SGT. Michael Curry, SGT Travon T. Johnson, PFC Adam J. Davis and PFC Jessy S. Rogers.

Mathew was flown to Germany after a frightening trip back to the main base in Afghanistan. Mathew stayed in Germany for three days before he was stable enough to make the trip to Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, TX.

Mathew endured approximately 15 surgeries during his two months at BAMC. He had many skin grafts and multiple amputations. Mathew fought through several infections and many hard days. Some days were good, but there were many days that we did not know if Mathew would make it.

On September 26, 2007, with his mother Patty, sister Heather and best friend AZ2 Daniel Clark by his side, Mathew was taken home to be with GOD.

We believe that God needed another Angel by his side, and who better Angel than Mathew. We believe in our hearts that Mathew is now in Heaven with his fallen comrades and his father, Richard Taylor, and we are certain that Mathew is finally at peace.

Mathew is now our Guardian Angel. Mathew made the ultimate sacrifice for his Country. Please never forget what Mathew and the other soldiers have given for our Freedom.