Explorer. As a young man, he left Harvard University to work as a dog handler and driver during Admiral Richard Byrd's 1928 expedition to the South Pole. He later raced sled dogs in the 1932 Winter Olympics and used dog teams to recover downed Allied aircraft and crew members in Greenland during World War II. Vaughan later moved to Alaska, where he competed in the famous Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race 13 times, the first one at age 72. He finished the 1,100-mile race six times, the last at age 84. Vaughan also organized an annual tour along part of the Iditarod Trail that commemorates the delivery of diphtheria serum in 1925 to the stricken city of Nome. At age 88, he scaled a 10,302-foot peak on Antarctica that was named for him by Byrd. Vaughan became an Alaska icon and was often referred to as "Colonel Vaughan" in reference to his U.S. Air Force years. Vaughan "lived a lifetime of achievements that most people only dream about," said a statement released by Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich. "Col. Vaughan is truly one of the most inspirational people we'll ever know."
Explorer. As a young man, he left Harvard University to work as a dog handler and driver during Admiral Richard Byrd's 1928 expedition to the South Pole. He later raced sled dogs in the 1932 Winter Olympics and used dog teams to recover downed Allied aircraft and crew members in Greenland during World War II. Vaughan later moved to Alaska, where he competed in the famous Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race 13 times, the first one at age 72. He finished the 1,100-mile race six times, the last at age 84. Vaughan also organized an annual tour along part of the Iditarod Trail that commemorates the delivery of diphtheria serum in 1925 to the stricken city of Nome. At age 88, he scaled a 10,302-foot peak on Antarctica that was named for him by Byrd. Vaughan became an Alaska icon and was often referred to as "Colonel Vaughan" in reference to his U.S. Air Force years. Vaughan "lived a lifetime of achievements that most people only dream about," said a statement released by Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich. "Col. Vaughan is truly one of the most inspirational people we'll ever know."
Bio by: Mike Beard
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