Evening star., 1945-11-25

"IhrOtOtng HIS weight AROUND"
Vaughan went to France with the
130th Regiment, while Truman re-
manned with the 129th Field Artillery.
Both fought in the most historic bat
ties of that war, and Vaughan came
back a captain, Truman as major
Both retained their Reserve officers
status, and renewed their friendship
each summer from about 1920 to 1880
at Fort Riley, west of Kansas City.
From 1880 to 1889 Vaughan was in
command Of the 380th Field Artillery,
reserve regiment from st. Louis.
Truman commanded the 379th Field
Artillery from Kansas City, and John
w. Snyder of St. Louis, now war mobili-
zation and reconversion director, COM
manded the 38lst reserve regiment from
Arkansas. All three regiments were
part of the 1o2d Division. When World
War II broke out Vaughan was lieu
tenant colonel, Truman full colonel.
After graduation from college, where
he majored in chemistry, Vaughan had
gone to work for a creosoting firm in st.
Louis. After his discharge from the First
World War he went back to this type
Of work, joining the T. j. Moss Tie Co.
Southern plants, then a manufacturers
agent and salesman, travelling a good
deal throughout the Midwest. At the
end Of Trumans first term, however,
Vaughan became Truman's secretary
in the Capital.
1t was in the 1910 senatorial campaign
that Truman and his rampaging side
kick found themselves extremely low in
funds. Vaughan had $3.50 cash in his
pocket. With this he bought $3.50 worth
Of cent-and-a-haf stamps and sent out
letters appealing for contributions OF 81.
This appeal yielded $500, and with this
money Vaughan purchased $500 worth
Of cent-and-a-half stamps, sent out
batch Of new letters. The procedure was
repeated again and again. The use of
unsealed letters with the low-priced
stamps caused lot Of caustic comment
on the state of Truman's finances, but
before long Vaughan had netted $4,000
cash, and with this the campaign was
nnanced-successfully.
Aided Truman Committee.
On January /, 1912, Vaughan was
called back to active duty, and spent
20 months in the South Pacific before
returning to Washington as liaison OFF,
Ger between the War Department and
the Truman Investigating Committee.
1t was Vaughan's habit of indiscretion
that hastened his return to the Capital
and to Truman's side, fortunate de-
velopment for Vaughan's career. When
he was in Australia it was announced
that the Truman Committee would
make an inspection trip there. The
editor of the Brisbane Courier Mail
came to see Vaughan, who was provost
marshal Of that city, and asked for an
appraisal of Senator Truman and his
famed committee. He got it without
resort to force, and the next day the
newspaper published the interview to-
gether with picture of Vaughan.
Vaughan was injured in an airplane
accident not long after this and was
brought to Walter Reed Hospital in
Washington for treatment. Upon his
recovery he assumed the new post as
liaison officer. AS such he maintained
little office adjoining Truman's, and the
two were constantly together, close
workers and intimate friends. Vaughan,
at frequent evening get-togethers with
Truman and other colleagues, taught
the future President some of the in
tricacies Of draw poker, and Truman
paid for it.
while I was working with the Tru-
man Committee" Vaughan relates, "the
chairman decided too much money was
being spent on some mysterious War
Department project in the State of
Washington. We couldn't find out what
was being made there, and the commit
tee got suspicious. Truman decided to