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COL. NORMAN VAUGHAN
-- Our 2006 Honorary Musher
Born in 1905, when Teddy Roosevelt was president and polar exploration
was in its heyday, Norman was weaned on tales of Robert Peary, Roald
Amundsen, and Sir Robert Falcon Scott. In 1925 he left Harvard to
join one of his heroes, Sir Wilfred Grenfell in Newfoundland, bringing
medical supplies by dog sled to isolated villages. He left school
again three years later to go to Antarctica with Admiral Byrd - a
bold move that changed his life.
Norman was
part of history as the chief dog driver on the first Byrd Antarctic
Expedition in 1928-30. He raced with the best in sprint mushing
demonstration races in the 1932 Lake Placid Winter Olympic Games.
In 1967, drove a snowmobile 5000 miles from Alaska to Boston. Brazenly
declared himself dog driving champion of the Pentagon to compete as
the first non-Alaskan dog driver in the North American Sled Dog Championships
in Alaska. At age 68, moved to Alaska for dogs and adventure with
empty pockets after a business collapse and a shattered marriage.
Shoveled sidewalks for food, found a job as a janitor, and built a
dog team. Participated in 13 Iditarods, running his first one at age
72. Norman completed 6 with his last finish being in 1990 at the age
of 84. Crashed President Carter's inaugural parade and was in the
next two. Taught John Paul II how to mush. In 1997 organized the annual
868-mile Serum Run from Nenana to Nome, Alaska. This commemorates
the 1925 dash to Nome by the fastest village dog teams to deliver
diphtheria serum to save Nome. Norman "Dreamed big & dared
to fail".
Col Norman Vaughan passed away on the 23rd of December 2005 , peacefully
in Anchorage, Alaska at the age of 100.
Amazing Accomplishments,
Just to name a few:
- 1928-1930: Byrd Antarctic Expedition
- 1932 Winter Olympics
- 1942-1952 W.W.II Air Force Search
& Rescue with 425 dogs
- Instigated rescue of 24 Aircrew,
Greenland
- Single-handedly recovered Norden
bombsight off B-17
- Took 209 sled dogs to Battle of
the Bulge
- 1952 First Lower 48 team to compete
in North American Championship
- 1959 Trainer and coach of a polo
team that represented the U.S. in an international competition
in Iran.
- 1967 Rode a snowmachine from the
Arctic Circle in Alaska to Boston
- 1973, 1977, 1981 Presidential parades
- 1981 Gave Pope John Paul II dog
sled ride
- 1990 Having entered 13 Iditarod
Dog Sled races beginning in his 70s, he finishes last in 1990
at age 84
- 1994 Summits Mt. Vaughan in Antarctica
on December 16 at age 88
- 1997 Heads the first commemorative
Serum Run expedition from Nenana to Nome at 91
Dog Mushing Awards:
- 1987 - Most inspirational musher
- 1989 - Timberland Spirit of the
Iditarod Award
- 1990 - Musher of the Year
- 1990 - Musher Hall of Fame
Books, Videos, & Cassettes:
- "With Byrd at the Bottom of
the World" by N. Vaughan
- "My Life of Adventure"
by N. Vaughan
- National Geographic's "Height
of Courage" video
- Cassette: "An Afternoon with
Norman Vaughan at Cyrano's"
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