Vaughn Hull Will Be Remembered For His Service To Our Country And Community 

 

The Plymouth-Canton Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 528 are mourning one of their own today with the passing of Vaughn Hull. He was a proud and beloved member of this tight knit group of Vietnam Veterans.

Air Force Sgt. Vaughn Hull was a Vietnam Veteran, who served in the Air Force. Mr. Hull was in the 35th Security Police Squadron, at Phan Rang Air Base, in the K-9 Section. He served from November 1970 - November 1971.

Among the awards Mr. Hull received from his time in the Air Force were:

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award W/Combat V Device

National Defense Service Medal

Vietnam Service Medal W/One Bronze Battle Star

Air Force Small Arms Marksmanship Ribbon

Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross W/Palm

Level 5 Security Police Badge

I came to know Vaughn through my time spent with the men and women at the Plymouth-Canton Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 528, and he was an outstanding member of the group, and our community. He shared some of the stories about his service with me, and it was remarkable to hear about the things that he did.

In Vaughn’s case, he worked with a German Shepherd named Beau. They walked the perimeter of an air base in a remote area of Vietnam, to thwart attacks on the base in the middle of the night. Vaughn and Beau did perimeter security from 8:30 PM until 4:30 AM, six nights a week for the whole year that he served. Vaughn shared one story with me that stuck out from the rest. It shed light on the very special relationship between a K9 Handler, and their dog.

At 3:30 am, on Valentine’s Day, in 1971, Phan Rang Air Base was attacked. The attack was fought off, but Beau was injured in the attack. Vaughn was able to get Beau to the base veterinarian. There was no veterinarian’s assistant available at the time, so the veterinarian, with Vaughn assisting him, were able to treat Beau’s wounds, and help him to recover. Beau make a quick recovery, and soon, Vaughn and Beau were together again, at work guarding the base. They worked together for the whole duration of Vaughn’s tour in Vietnam.

As one Vietnam Veteran aptly stated: “Very few people know the kind of courage it takes to walk that fence in the middle of the night, in the rain, in the middle of Vietnam.”

Vaughn was also very active in our community, and in particular, the Boy Scouts. Vaughn had been involved with scouting as a boy growing up, and after Vaughn’s enlistment in the Air Force was up, he returned to Michigan, and eventually became an Assistant Scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 729. He had a positive influence on countless Boy Scouts, serving as Charter Organization Representative with VFW Post 6695, and Liaison for Boy Scout Troop 1539 right up until the time of his passing.

Back in October, I had the honor of attending a Plymouth Whalers game with Mr. Hull. The Plymouth Whalers honored him for his service to our country. I could tell that this night was special for Vaughn as I watched him get a well-deserved standing ovation from the crowd. For me, the magical part of the night, was watching kids walk up to Vaughn throughout the game to thank him for his service. They each got a smile, some kind words, and a handshake in return. He spent a little time with each and every kid that walked up, and they just loved it.

As a new member of the civilian AVVA, Mr. Hull was one of the guys that made me feel welcome to the group right off the bat. I am sure he had that effect on everybody. He would seek you out, introduce himself, and by the second or third time you met him, you felt like you had been lifelong friends.