LaSalle R. Vaughn was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Nov. 5, 1923, as one of five children to Roger and Lizzette Vaughn. He went to school in Baton Rouge and, after Franklin Roosevelt established a Presidential Directive permitting Black Americans the opportunity to serve in the Marine Corps, enlisted in 1943.
Instead of being sent to Parris Island, LaSalle and his fellow Black Marines were sent to Montford Point at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina. Only after basic training was he sent to Parris Island. The harsh conditions he would endure during his time there were felt immediately upon arrival, when, he recalled, an MP boarded his bus and demanded, “Boy, what are you doing with my uniform on?” In an interview, Vaughn went on to describe everyday life at Parris Island: “We could not go in the PX… We could not parade on the parade ground. Everything was segregated.”
Vaughn was assigned to the Stewards Branch, where he became an accomplished baker and chef, and while Parris Island brought him his share of trials and tribulations, it also resulted in him meeting his future wife, Catherine Gray. Vaughn had the opportunity to cook for many of the highest-ranking generals in the Marine Corps and retired from the service in 1965.
One year later, Vaughn and his wife opened the “Little People’s College and Nursery” and worked there as educators for 30 years. During that time, the couple had seven children together. Vaughn also worked closely with the Montford Point Marine Association and was eventually inducted into the Montford Point Association Hall of Fame.
In his later years, Vaughn needed medical treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. During that time, he was told that he and his fellow Montford Point Marines had been awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.
LaSalle died on Sept. 16, 2012, at the age of 88 and is interred in Section C, Site 184 of Beaufort National Cemetery in South Carolina. Honor his service at his virtual Veterans Legacy Memorial page.
This #VeteranOfTheDay is from the Veterans Legacy Program. To learn more about the VLP, our partnerships and how we share the stories of Veterans in our national cemeteries, please visit the VLP webpage.
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