[3] He saw action in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for fighting in the Battle of the Bulge.
[7][8] Interested in a career in sculpting granite, Gaylord apprenticed under noted Vermont sculptor Bruno Sarzanini.
In 1990, Gaylord was selected to sculpt a field of 38 soldiers (later reduced to 19) for the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Some of the faces of the sculptures he created for the work (known as "The Column") are drawn from men he served with during World War II, including William A. Callaway[5] and John Erdman.
[10] In 2002, the United States Postal Service used a photograph of Gaylord's soldier sculptures for a stamp commemorating the Korean War.
[11] On September 20, 2013, The United States Court of Federal Claims awarded Gaylord damages of $684,845 (equivalent to $895,777 in 2023).
[4] Gaylord died at the Northfield, Vermont home of his daughter and son in law on March 21, 2018.