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Sergeant First Class Thomas Franklin Vaughns (born July 7, 1920) is an American veteran who was a member of the famed group of World War II-era African-Americans known as the Tuskegee Airmen. He is a recipient of the National Defense Service Medal in 2019, for his service in the Korean War. He is also a member of the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame.

Military service

World War II

Vaughns was drafted his senior year of high school. In 1942 reported for duty at Camp Robinson. He was sent to basic training in Bakersfield, California. Vaughns was trained to be a mechanic for B-25 bombers. He was then transferred to Tuskegee along with 18 others.

Korean War

Vaughns signed up for the Army Reserves and when the Korean War began he was sent to Fort Hood where he served as a mechanic. In 1952 he was discharged as a Sergeant First Class.

Early life

Vaughns family owned a 50-acre farm in Felton, in rural Lee County, Arkansas. He attended Marianna High School in Arkansas. On July 12, 2020, for Vaughn's 100th birthday 5 days earlier, a drive-by parade honoring him took place. The parade was organized by the church he attends: Barraque Street Missionary Baptist Church.

Awards

• Congressional Gold Medal awarded to the Tuskegee Airmen in 2006
• World War II Victory Medal
• American Campaign Medal
• National Defense Service Medal (2019)
• Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame (2020)

Education

• Marianna High School
• Arkansas Agricultural, Mechanical & Normal College
• University of Arkansas

Personal life

After WWII Vaughns returned home to Pine Bluff, Arkansas. There he worked in education. He also worked monitoring 4-H Club members. After WWII, he attended college and He married Luvada. He signed up for the Army Reserves and when the Korean War began he was sent to Fort Hood. In the 1950s he set up a program for farmer to sell their produce in Crittenden County, Arkansas and later in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. His programs provided employment for 1400 people. He spent the rest of his career occupied with agricultural teaching farming techniques.

See also

• Executive Order 9981
• Military history of African Americans
• The Tuskegee Airmen (movie)

Further reading

• The Tuskegee Airmen: An Illustrated History, 1939–1949

References

1. ^ Ellis, Dale (August 22, 2019). "Arkansas veteran, 99, given new medal, praise for life lived". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
2. ^ Adams, Char (August 27, 2019). "'Hero' 99-Year-Old Tuskegee Airman Honored With Medals and His Own Day in Special Ceremony". Meredith Corporation. People Magazine. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
3. ^ Steed, Stephan (March 6, 2020). "Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame to welcome 6 new members". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
4. Rice, Markus. "The Men and Their Airplanes: The Fighters." Tuskegee Airmen, 1 March 2000.
5. ^ Boozman, Senator John (September 23, 2019). "Boozman Recognizes Service of Tuskegee Airman". Boozman Senate. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
6. "Thomas Vaughns to observe 100th birthday with drive-by parade". Gannett Co., Inc. Times Record. July 10, 202. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
7. Rangel, Charles B. (April 11, 2006). "Tuskegee Airmen Gold Medal Signed Into Law". Press Release. United States House of Representatives. Retrieved November 26, 2008.
8. Caver, Joseph; Ennels, Jerome A.; Haulman, Daniel Lee (2011). The Tuskegee Airmen: An Illustrated History, 1939–1949. Montgomery: New South Books. p. 394. ISBN 978-1588382443. Retrieved February 6, 2020.

Notes

1. The red markings that distinguished the Tuskegee Airmen included red bands on the noses of P-51s as well as a red rudder; their P-51B and D Mustangs flew with similar color schemes, with red propeller spinners, yellow wing bands and all-red tail surfaces.

External links

• Tuskegee Airmen at Tuskegee University
• Tuskegee Airmen Archives at the University of California, Riverside Libraries.
• Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.
• Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)
• Tuskegee Airmen National Museum
• Fly (2009 play about the 332d Fighter Group)
• Thomas Vaughns

v t e Tuskegee Airmen
Units	99th Fighter Squadron 100th Fighter Squadron 301st Fighter Squadron 302nd Fighter Squadron 332d Fighter Group 477th Bomber Group
Air fields	Chanute Field Mather Field Moton Army Air Field Oscoda Army Air Field Selfridge Air Field Tuskegee Army Air Field
Pilots and crew	Paul Adams Rutherford H. Adkins Halbert Alexander William N. Alsbrooka William Armstrong Lee Archer Robert Ashby Willie Ashley Charles P. Bailey William Bartley Howard Baugh Henry Cabot Lodge Bohler George R. Bolling Herbert V. Clark Granville C. Coggs Woodrow Crockett Harold Brown George L. Brown Roscoe Brown William A. Campbell Herbert Carter Eugene Calvin Cheatham Jr. Milton Crenchaw Lemuel R. Custis Clarence Dart Alfonza W. Davis Benjamin O. Davis Jr. (C/O) Charles DeBow Robert W. Deiz Gene Derricotte Lawrence Dickson Elwood T. Driver Charles W. Dryden Wilson V. Eagleson John Ellis Edwards Joseph Elsberry Raymond Cassagnol James Clayton Flowers Julius Freeman Robert Friend Willie H. Fuller Edward C. Gleed Joseph Gomer Alfred Gorham Oliver Goodall Charles B. Hall Vernon V. Haywood George Hardy Raymond V. Haysbert Percy Heath Mitchell Higginbotham Daniel "Chappie" James Jr. Clarence C. Jamison Alexander Jefferson Carl C. Johnson James H. Harvey William Lee Hill Lincoln Hudson William H. Holloman George J. Iles James Johnson Kelly James B. Knighten George L. Knox II Roy E. LaGrone Herman A. Lawson Walter I. Lawson Clarence D. Lester Wilmore B. Leonard John Lyle Hiram Mann Walter Manning Robert Martin Armour G. McDaniel Charles McGee Walter L. McCreary John Mosley Fitzroy Newsum James O. Plinton Jr. Wendell O. Pruitt Louis R. Purnell Sr. Price D. Rice Lawrence E. Roberts George S. Roberts Curtis C. Robinson Isaiah Edward Robinson Jr. John W. Rogers Sr. Mac Ross Robert Searcy David Showell Wilmeth Sidat-Singh Graham Smith (pilot) Eugene Smith Calvin J. Spann Vernon Sport Lowell Steward Harry Stewart, Jr. Charles "Chuck" Stone Jr. Percy Sutton Alva Temple Roger Terry Lucius Theus Edward L. Toppins Robert B. Tresville Andrew D. Turner James A. Walker Spann Watson Luke J. Weathers Sherman W. White James T. Wiley Malvin "Mal" Whitfield Oscar Lawton Wilkerson Yancey Williams Romeo M. Williams Henry Wise Jr. Coleman Young
Incidents	Freeman Field mutiny
Aircraft	Bell P-39 Airacobra Curtiss P-40 Warhawk North American B-25 Mitchell North American P-51 Mustang Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
Media	Fictional films The Tuskegee Airmen (1995) Hart's War (2002) Red Tails (2012) Documentaries Flight of the Red Tail (2009) Red Tail Reborn (2007) Wings for This Man Other Fly (play) Henry Browne, Farmer "Wingmen"
Legacy	Boeing–Saab T-7 Red Hawk Red Tail Squadron Tuskegee University Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site
Other	Leslie Edwards Jr. Wilfred DeFour Maycie Herrington Buford A. Johnson Thomas Ellis Theodore Johnson Noel F. Parrish Wallace P. Reed Willie Rogers Thomas Franklin Vaughns
Related	African American military history Buffalo Soldier Golden Thirteen 366th Infantry Regiment U.S. Army Black Panthers United States Colored Troops
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• United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II
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• 21st-century African-American people