| Norman D. Vaughan |
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| CATEGORIES ABOUT NORMAN D. VAUGHAN | |
| 1905 births | |
| 2005 deaths | |
| alaska dog mushers | |
| alaska writers | |
| american centenarians | |
| explorers of antarctica | |
| people from massachusetts | |
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ANTARCTICA AND WORLD WAR II Vaughan was born on December 19, 1905 in Salem, Massachusetts , as the son of a wealthy leather Tanner and Shoe manufacturer. In his youth, he became fascinated by tales of early-century polar explorers. He dropped out of Harvard in 1928 when he heard that Admiral Richard E. Byrd was organizing an expedition to Antarctica . Admiral Byrd accepted him on the 1928–1932 expedition, eventually naming a mountain on the continent in his honor. In 1994, at the age of 88, Vaughan participated in an expedition to climb the 10,302 Ft (3,150 M ) Mount Vaughan . His plans to return in December 2005, to celebrate his 100th Birthday , were scrapped in August due to lack of funds. He made plans to return in 2006 but these were halted by his death just six months before the scheduled date. In 1932, he competed in the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York in the sprint Mushing demonstration sport. During World War II , Vaughan was employed by U.S. Air Force Search and Rescue as a dogsled driver, attaining the rank of Colonel and engaging in many rescue missions in Greenland . He was also veteran of the Korean War . ALASKA ENTHUSIAST Vaughan moved to Alaska at the age of 68. Bankrupt and divorced, he rebuilt his life, competing in 13 Iditarod races and "crashing" the Presidential Inauguration parade in 1976, bringing sled dogs to represent his adopted state. In 1980 and 1984, he and his Alaskan contingent formally participated in the parade. In 1997, he organized the annual Norman Vaughan Serum Run to commemorate the 1925 Serum Run To Nome , which saved the town from a Diphtheria Epidemic . He is survived by his fourth wife, the former , 2005 , surrounded by over 100 friends and hospital workers. REFERENCES
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