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  • Amanda Shavers-Davis/The Cullman Times Alex Taylor, left, talks about the photo taken of his uncle Doug Taylor deploying from Cullman almost 10 years ago. Alex, sister Kristin Taylor, center and mom Paula Taylor-Sinyard were photographed with Doug and Frank Taylor in October 2011.

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  • The Taylor family is seen Tuesday night in Fairview. From left, Alex, 11-year-old Abby (Doug Taylor's daughter), Paula Taylor-Sinyard, Reba Taylor and Kristin Taylor. Amanda Shavers-Davis

    Taylor family 2011

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September 11, 2011

Family reflects on iconic 9/11 photo (WITH VIDEO)

By Trent Moore The Cullman Times

FAIRVIEW — It was an emotional day. So emotional, in fact, the Taylor family didn’t even notice the photographer buzzing around the local armory, snapping hundreds of photos as local National Guardsmen prepared to ship off.

The day was October 10, 2001, nearly one month after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and the U.S. military was gearing up to send troops into the Middle East, as well as to defend potential targets stateside.

Where were the soldiers going? No one knew at the time.

The only thing Reba Taylor knew was that her son, Doug, was leaving in a matter of minutes.

“They were just getting on the bus,” she said, with tears welling behind her eyes. “That was the first deployment out of Cullman and was a real big deal. It was just so sad once those buses left.”

Paula Taylor-Sinyard, Doug’s sister, can still remember every detail of that afternoon.

“It was homecoming that week, so the kids were wearing camo for camouflage day, and everyone else there was in a suit and a tie,” she said. “Dad had on his overalls and I was wearing a sweat shirt and sweat pants. I told dad I felt so out of place, while we were just standing there amongst the crowd.”

Paula, Reba, Reba’s husband Frank and Paula’s two children Kristin and Alex said a tearful good-bye and Doug was gone.

It wasn’t until the next day, when Frank visited the local Hutch restaurant in Fairview, that the family learned their private moment was captured by Times photographer Amanda Shavers-Davis. A photo taken just before Doug shipped off was the centerpiece shot in the Oct. 11, 2001 issue of The Cullman Times.

“It was just emotional for everyone, right after 9/11, and that shows,” Paula said.

That photo proved to be one of the best-sellers ever at the paper, capturing the pain and grief just weeks after 9/11. But, for the Taylors, it would soon serve as a snapshot of one of the last times the family was all together.

“It has brought us a lot of good will and people still talk about it,” Paula said. “A lot happened since that was published on 10/11.”

Exactly one month after the photo ran in print, Frank passed away at Cullman Regional Medical Center from health complications.

“That was published on 10/11, and dad was gone on 11/11,” Paula said. “It was very tough during that time.”

Reba said she would come to realize the shot captured a side of her husband he rarely showed.

* Read more in the Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011, print of e-edition of The Cullman Times.

 

 

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