[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 137 (Tuesday, August 20, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1064]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING SERGEANT FIRST CLASS THOMAS F. VAUGHNS AND THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN

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                          HON. BRUCE WESTERMAN

                              of arkansas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, August 20, 2019

  Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Sergeant 
First Class Thomas F. Vaughns, a Tuskegee Airman and World War II and 
Korean War Veteran. On August 21, 2019, Sergeant First Class (SFC) 
Vaughns will be recognized for his service and commitment to the United 
States.
  SFC Vaughns, of White Hall and resident of the Fourth District of 
Arkansas, began his service during World War II at Camp Robinson, North 
Little Rock, Arkansas. After Basic Combat Training in California, he 
reported to several locations around the country where he worked as a 
mechanic on B-25 bombers. He eventually ended up at the air base in 
Tuskegee, Alabama, where he helped ensure B-25s were operational and 
safe for training.
  At the end of the war, he completed high school in St. Louis and then 
returned to Arkansas where he attended the Arkansas Agricultural, 
Mechanical and Normal College (AM&N), now the University of Arkansas at 
Pine Bluff (UAPB). He graduated in 1950, just in time to be called up 
again for service during the Korean War. In 1951, now SFC Vaughns, 
served as a supply sergeant at Fort Hood, Texas. The Army discharged 
him at his request one year later in 1952.
  After his military service, he worked several different jobs but 
ended his career as a horticulture specialist at UAPB.
  The Tuskegee Airmen were a highly trained and specialized group of 
America's first African American pilots and ground crews for the U.S. 
Army Air Corp and eventually the Army Air Forces. Their impressive 
performance during war-time earned them more than 150 Distinguished 
Flying Crosses. The unit obtained a distinguished reputation for their 
ability to safely escort American bombers into enemy territory, 
resulting in the fewest loses in the 15th Air Force during the war.
  I am honored to recognize Sergeant First Class Thomas F. Vaughns and 
the Tuskegee Airmen for their rich history of service and bravery. I 
thank each and every one of them for protecting the freedoms of this 
country and hope their legacy continues for generations to come.

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