More of Olive Branch history has been unveiled at the City Museum, a part of City Hall, 9200 Pigeon Roost Road., an exhibit now available until later this fall.
A new exhibit honoring the life of Jame Henry Taylor and the Army soldiers of Flying Line Flight 739 is now being shown in the museum.
Taylor, a resident of Olive Branch, was among 93 soldiers, 11 civilian crew members and three Vietnamese nationals on the flight in 1962 that was on a secret mission. The flight disappeared from radar between Guam, the Philippines or Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) and initiated the largest search of the Pacific Ocean ever conducted. The search was conducted for eight days but no wreckage was ever found.
Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 was a part of a secret mission, so secret that all men were told they could bring nothing with them that identified them in any way. All wedding rings, pictures, dog tags, and other personal effects were all to be left at home. Little is known about the plane, its passengers, or its mission.
Recently, many families, loved ones, and descendants of these heroes gathered in Columbia Falls, Maine, where national nonprofit Wreaths Across America (WAA) is based. A monument was dedicated to the men who were lost during this mission in Maine. A smaller replica of this monument is on display in the City Museum. The inscription on the stone reads:
Missing in action; Presumed dead. Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 went missing on March 16, 1962, with 93 U.S. Army soldiers on board. These men and their flight crew perished in what would become one of the biggest aviation mysteries out of the Vietnam War era. The names of those who gave their lives and who remain missing are inscribed here so that they will be said aloud and their memory will live on.
During the 2025 Mississippi Legislative Session, House of Representatives adopted House Concurrent Resolution No. 32 recognizing and honoring the courageous life and extraordinary legacy of James Henry Taylor for his service during the Vietnam War.
The items on the museum exhibit are on loan from the Taylor family and will be on display until Veterans Day in November. The museum is open during City Hall business hours.
