BuiltWithNOF
Cory Aylor

Obituary
Cortez Aylor

Col. Cortez “Cory” C. Aylor III (U.S. Army, Ret.), 59, Leavenworth, passed away Saturday, Aug. 26, 2006, at his home.

He was born the son of Cortez C. and Ruth A. (Engle) Aylor II on Jan. 9, 1947, in Pasadena, Calif.

He married Vickie L. Piatt on April 26, 1969, in Upland Calif. She survives of the home.

Col. Aylor was currently working as a military analyst with Cubic Defense Applications, serving in the Analysis and Integrations Division supporting the Center for Army Lessons Learned (CALL) at Fort Leavenworth.

Col. Aylor enlisted in the U.S. Army in June 1969. He attended Basic Combat Training and then Infantry Advanced Individual Training at Fort Ord, Calif. In December, 1969, he reported to

Cory Aylor
1964

Cory Aylor
2004 Class Reunion

Fort Belvoir, Va., for Engineer Officer Candidate Training and graduated as a second lieutenant of engineers on July 2, 1970.

After graduating from OCS, Col. Aylor served at the Engineer School as a tactical officer in the Officer Candidate Regiment, company training officer and as Aide-de-camp to Brig. Gen. Ira A. Hunt Jr. From Fort Belvoir, he went to Vietnam (1971-72) where he served in the 31st Engineer Battalion (Combat) and in Engineer Command. Upon his return to the United States, he was allowed to finish his master’s degree at UCLA and then was assigned to Fort Leonard Wood and the 5th Engineer Battalion (Combat) where he served 37 months as a company commander (twice in Company A and once in Company C).

From Fort Leonard Wood, he was reassigned to the U.S. Military Academy (USMA), West Point, after attendance at the Engineer Officer Advanced Course. At USMA, Col. Aylor served as an associate professor in the department of Earth, Space and Graphic Sciences, where he taught advanced descriptive geometry and computer science and an architecture elective.

After leaving USMA, Col. Aylor was assigned to the Europe Division Corps of Engineers where he served as the area engineer for the Wuerzburg Community.

After three years in Europe, he returned to the United States to attend the Command and General Staff College (CGSC) at Fort Leavenworth.

After completing CGSC, Col. Aylor returned to Fort Leanard Wood and served as the S3 (Operations Officer) for the 4th Training Brigade, and then as the installation G3 (Operations) for Training in the Division of Plans, Training and Mobilization.

Completing his tour at Fort Leonard Wood in 1987, Col. Aylor was selected for Battalion Command of the 299th Engineer Battalion (Combat) located at Fort Sill, Okla.

After two years of successful command, Col. Aylor returned to Fort Leavenworth, Kan., to serve as a Small Group Staff Leader for the Combined Arms and Services Staff School (CAS3).

After promotion to colonel in 1992, Col. Aylor became the committee chief of the Preparation for Combat committee and then assumed command of CAS3 before retiring in October, 1993.

Col. Aylor has been awarded the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the NATO Medal for Service on Operations in support of NATO and the Former Yugoslavia, three awards of the Meritorious Service Medal, three awards of the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, two awards of the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with three Service Stars, two awards of the Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.

Col. Aylor’s formal education includes: bachelor of art in Environmental Design (Architecture), UCLA, 1968; master of art in Environmental Design (Architecture), UCLA, 1973; master of business administration, Statistics, Long Island University, 1978; doctorate of engineering, Columbia Pacific University, 1983.

He was a member of the Trinity Lutheran Church of Leavenworth and he enjoyed drawing, golfing, swimming and spending time with his family.

He is survived by his wife of more than 37 years, Vickie; two daughters, Tamara A. Aylor, Portland, Ore., and Samantha A. Aylor, Clarksville, Tenn.; mother, Ruth A. Aylor, Leavenworth; and sisters, Melanie S. Hensley, Glendale, Calif, and Candice M. Moore, Eugene, Ore. His father preceded him in death.

A visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2006, at the Barnett-Larkin-Brown Funeral Home, Leavenworth, 707 S. Sixth St., 913-682-2820.

A service officiated by the Rev. Damian Snyder will be at 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 30, at the Trinity Lutheran church 2101 10th Ave.

Burial with full military honors will follow in the Leavenworth National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to the American Heart Association in care of the funeral home.

Published: Monday, August 28, 2006, Leavenworth Times