Col. Norman Vaughan dies at age 100

Anchorage, Alaska - Adventurer, explorer and Alaska icon Col. Norman Vaughan passed away this morning.

According to friends and family, the colonel, who celebrated his 100th birthday Monday, died peacefully at Providence Alaska Medical Center shortly after 10 a.m. Friday.

Vaughan is famous for accompanying Admiral Byrd on his trip to the South Pole in 1928. He ran dogs in the 1932 Olympics and used his mushing knowledge to lead a daring World War II mission across Greenland to recover a top secret bomb site from a downed Allied bomber.

Always looking for the next challenge, Vaughan began running the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in his 70s. His last Great Race came when he was 85. Three years later, he climbed an Antarctic mountain, which now bears his name.

I was fortunate to have meet Norman Vaughan twice at the Great Alaskan Sportsman Show. The Bird TLC venue was set up right next to him. I never saw him without a smile and a twickle in his eye's. He would talk to anyone interested in talking to him. He had lived a life that most prople could only dream of. I know Alaska will miss him. I'll be reading stories about him for the rest of my life. A most amazing man.

Here's a link to Anchorage Daily News story.

Here's a link to KTUU Channel 2 in Anchorage.

Here's a link to the Washington Post.

Here's a link to the Boston Globe.

Here's a link to CNN for a nice story on Normie.

And there's many more out there.