After his service in the Korean War , Thomas Franklin Vaughns was so do-or-die to get home that he did n’t stick around to hoard his National Defense Service Medal . TheNorthwest Arkansas Democrat Gazettereportsthat now , at the years of 99 , Vaughns has finally receive it .
Along with the Korean War medal , Arkansas Congress members also represent Vaughns with four replacement awards for his service inWorld War II : the World War II Victory Medal , the American Campaign Medal - World War II , the Good Conduct Army Medal , and the Honorable Service Lapel Button . Vaughns had initially received these after thewar , but misplace them in the decades since .
Vaughns was a mechanic for the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II , serving the U.S. at a time when themilitarymade it difficult for African Americans to do so . Segregation in the armed military force did n’t formally finish until 1948 , two years after Vaughns was discharged the first metre .
“ You are the ultimate nationalist and the ultimate hero because you function when even by law and by practice many said you could n’t and you should n’t , ” Arkansas United States Department of State interpreter Vivian Flowers said during the ceremony . “ There was discrimination on every degree of society and you serve despite that . ”
After the Korean War , Vaughns returned to Arkansas and started setting community youths on the path to success through his work with AmeriCorps VISTA , Delta Service Corps , and 4 - atomic number 1 Clubs of America . Some of his former mentees even attended the medal ceremony . Ben McGee recall how Vaughns serve him and his two brothers through college at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff ( UAPB ) .
“ I had 20 cents in my pouch . I aim on this campus and never drive a penny from family in four old age , ” McGee told theNorthwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette . “ I got on employment survey , got in the agriculture department , and process every even on the college farm . ”
Vaughns firmly believe in the importance of Department of Education , and estimates that he ’s probably helped 80 to 90 scholarly person follow up on point at UAPB ; he refers to them as “ my fry . ”
" He ’s a champion in every sense of the Bible , " Arkansas senator John Boozman say of Vaughns . " Not because of his military table service — that ’s part of it — but he ’s a grinder because of the way he ’s lived his lifetime . "
