He Stands Ever

Vaughn D. Stanford was born June 2nd, 1925 in Parmer County, Friona, Texas to John Farmer and Erma Lee Stanford. He was the second child out of four siblings, and the second oldest son. Vaughn had a typical childhood much like any child of farming parents in the era of the great depression of 29. His young adult life was spent helping out with the family farm.

 

Vaughn's father had served in WWI as a foot soldier in the 82nd MG Battalion in France and had spoken to his sons on several occasions to encourage them to join other branches of the military and not become foot soldiers, so two years after the United States was brought into WWII by the bombing of Pearl Harbor and when Vaughn was of the enlisting age. Respecting the wishes of his father and following in the footsteps of his ancestors who fought for freedom, from his great-g-g-grandfather who fought in the Revolutionary War, Vaughn enlisted on July 26, 1943 into the United States Naval Branch of the Armed Services. prior to Vaughn's enlistment his older brother William Thomas Stanford also joined the USN.

 

Upon enlistment Vaughn was sent to San Diego California to

 

 

begin basic training and to complete a twelve week gunner's mate course. After basic training he was placed aboard the USS Boyd (DD 544). Vaughn saw action in the Asiatic Pacific, American Area, Philippines and received the these citations: Asiatic Pacific, 8 stars, American Area, Philippine Liberation, 1 star, and the Victory Medal World War II. Vaughn states," I went aboard when the Boyd first came to Mare Island for battle repairs. I was fresh from gunner's mate school at San Diego. There was twelve of us from the same class came aboard at the same time. I stayed aboard until she was decommissioned at San Diego first of '46. I was sent to the USS Metivier DE 582 until discharge March of '46."

 

During the time Vaughn was aboard the Boyd he participated in these military actions: Hollandia landings (21-24 April); Truk-Satawan-Ponape raid (29 April-1 May); Saipan landings (11-24 June); 1st Bonins raid (15-16 June); Battle of the Philippine sea (19-20 June); 2nd Bonins raid (24 June); 3rd Bonins raid (3-4 July); invasion of Guam (12 July-15 August); Palau-Yap-Ulithi raid (25-27 July); 4th Bonins raid (4-5 August); occupation of the southern Palaus (9-24 September); and Morotai landings (15 Sept). The strikes against Okinawa (10 October), north Luzon and Formosa (11-14 October), and Luzon (15 October). He also took part in the Battle for the Leyte Gulf (24-25 October) and took part in the screening of the carriers launching strikes against Luzon (5-6, 13-14, and 19-25 November).

 

Between 31 December 1944 and 22 January 1945 Vaughn was with the Boyd as it served as an escort vessel. Then took part in the 24 January 1945 bombardment of Iwo Jima and the occupation of the Island (19 February-1 March). He arrived aboard the Boyd off Okinawa 25 March and remained there on screening duty until 30 June. The Boyd and it's crew rejoined the 3rd Fleet for strikes against the Japanese home islands (10 July-7 August). Vaughn left the Boyd after she arrived in San Diego the 14th of January 1946 and was placed aboard the USS Metivier (DE 582) until his separation from active duty on March 4, 1946.

 

Vaughn was also aboard the USS Boyd and helped with the

 

 

rescue of 385 crew members from the USS Houston after it was struck by a Japanese torpedo.

 

After Vaughn's separation from the USN, he returned to his home and help his father with the farm and carpentry work. He also met and married Doris N. Lambert on the 9th of November 1946. In 1949, Vaughn moved to Amarillo, Texas to attend Amarillo Junior College and find housing for his wife and two young children. In 1951 he had obtained a job with Pantex Corporation in Amarillo as a firefighter. In 1958 he worked partime to form his own company. In 1964, he quit Pantex to work full time on his new business, named, "Stanco Tower Company". He provided service, manufacturing and erection of communication towers.

 

From 1948 to 1961, Vaughn's family continued to grow with two daughters and three sons, all of which are living with careers and families of their own. Today he has 11 grandchildren, 8 great grandchildren, and two more great grandchildren on the way. In the late 1960's he relocated to Fort Worth and continued to work on the growth of his company until 1984 when a heart attack forced him into retirement from his company. In the late 1980's to 1990's he contracted for a short time with MCI as a Communication's Engineer.

 

Today Vaughn lives a quiet life with his second wife, Rose in the resort community of Horseshoe Bend off the Brazos River outside of Weatherford, Texas. His days are spent working partime for the Lot Owners Corporation and perfecting his passion, "golf", and thanks to the miracle of cyber space he has been able to search out and locate information on the Boyd and her crew that he served with so long ago.

 

I am his daughter and author of this biography and I asked my father what his memories today are of the time he spent on the Boyd. His reply to me was, " I wouldn't have wanted to pass up the memories and experiences I had then, but I wouldn't want to repeat them, but I would do it again to defend my country." This man, my father, is my hero and the stories that these gallant men have to tell should be well documented, because they are a quickly vanishing honor guard of men.

 

 

Written by: Betty J. Sandifer in conjunction with Vaughn D. Stanford.

 

SOURCE: Betty J. Sandifer, He Stands Ever - Informal Autobiography 

Written for family by Vaughn Stanford's daughter Betty Sandifer who has graciously granted permission to add He Stands Ever - Informal Autobiography to the USS Boyd website 23 JULY 2002.