Loran Taylor

Loran grew up in Del City, Oklahoma, but despite being from there, he didn’t have many friends. Loran’s focus was always on sports and how he could escape Oklahoma.


That was until he turned 9. Then, all of a sudden, a new boy appeared in town, unlike any of the ones he had known his entire life. This one was different. From day one, Shane Alexander and Loran were inseparable. They both had ambition and goals. They both wanted to see the world. Loran wasn’t sure how he was going to drop it, but Shane had his plan; he was going to join the Army.


For many years, Loran didn’t take Shane’s desire to join the Army seriously, but as they grew older, he realized Shane was serious. He was going to be a soldier.


As their senior year began, Shane’s focus shifted from enjoying the fun things he and Loran used to do to preparing for the Army. There was no more fishing at the lake. There were no more late-night bonfires. Shane lived to get ready for the Army, and Loran didn’t want to get left behind.


Before they knew it, their time at Del City High School was coming to an end. It was time for Loran to decide: did he join the Army with Shane, or did he fall behind and get stuck in Del City the rest of his life? The decision wasn’t hard. Army here we come.


Although boot camp was harder than Loran imagined, he wasn’t about to quit. He knew that if he didn’t make it, and Shane did, he would never hear the end of it. Shane was a driving force without saying a word.


After Basic Training at Fort Benning, Georgia, Shane and Loran got stationed together at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The first couple of years were easy. They did a lot of training that amounted to nothing, and a lot of hanging out at the Enlisted Club, playing pool. Then it happened.


Deployment orders!!!


We’re going to Bosnia!