Lt KERMIT LANE DeVAUGHN

Fire Direction Officer, "A" Battery, 1966 - 1967

Lt Gary Dean Springer regrets to report that Lt DeVaughn's widow said that he died on 7Aug98 of a heart attack.  Lt DeVaughn is credited with the idea of using two CONEX containers welded together to make a highly portable, weather-proof FDC.  The interior was painted white and windows cutout for ventilation.  Tables were welded against the interior walls for a firing chart and a check chart.  A shelf was welded to hold the radios.

When moving to a new LZ, the empty interior space could be used to transport many varied pieces of battery equipment.

This idea was adopted almost universally for every FDC in a firing battery.