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| USMC MAW-1 MAG-14 VMF-222 "Flying Deuces"  USMC c1944  USMC c1944 |
Pilot 1st Lt. Alfred Baxter Vaughn, O-026505 (MIA / KIA) Carollton, MO MIA October 19, 1944 Aircraft History Built by Goodyear Aircraft Corporation in Akron, Ohio as model V-166B with fixed wings. Delivered to the United States Navy (USN) as FG-1A Corsair bureau number 14039. Disassembled and shipped overseas to the Pacific and reassembled. Wartime History Assigned to the U. S. Marine Corps (USMC), 1st Marine Air Wing (MAW-1), Marine Air Group 14 (MAG-14) to Marine Fighting Squadron 222 (VMF-222) "Flying Deuces". This aircraft had no known nickname, nose art or squadron number. Mission History On October 19, 1944 at 9:55am took off from Green Island Airfield (Nissan) piloted by 1st Lt. Alfred Baxter Vaughn on a patrol mission over Rabaul. The formation was led by Griffith with wingman 1st Lt. Moszek Zanger. Element leader was Lt. Vaughn with wingman Lt. Rummel. Over the target, Vaughn reported sighting a truck headed north on the Kurakaksul Road, approximately two miles north of the Four Ways (Four Corners) intersection and requested permission to strafe. Vaughn and Rummel dove down from 8,000' turning to the right on the truck but Vaughn did not open fire and crashed into the ground and burst into flames, unable to pull out of a steep strafing run. When this aircraft failed to return, it was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Search The rest of the formation circled the scene of the crash, but did not observe any signs of life or activity before departing. Memorials Officially Vaughn was declared dead the day of the mission. He is memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. Relatives Lynn Whitbeck Hepner (niece of Vaughn) "My uncle, Alfred B. Vaughn crashed on Rabaul. He was born in Carollton, MO but considered Marshall, MO his home and moved to Fort Worth, Texas for a job when he enlisted." References Navy Serial Number Search Results - Goodyear FG-1,FG-1A Corsair 14039 American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Alfred Baxter Vaughn FindAGrave - 1Lt Alfred Baxter Vaughn (tablets of the missing) VMF-222 War Diary - October 19 - 21, 1944 VMF-222 Aircraft Action Report October 15-21, 1944 Thanks to Lynn Whitbeck Hepner and Nick Zeigler for additional information Contribute
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