North English war hero dies at 103

A Iowa County native who may have been the oldest surviving veteran of the Battle of the Bulge died this month at his home in Orange Park, Florida.

He was 103.

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Vaughn Humphrey was born in Iowa County March 18, 1921 to Clarence and Alba (Popham) Humphrey. He died Aug. 12, 2024.

One of six children, Humphrey was always known as Sam. No one knows why, according to his brother, Dave. “He doesn’t even know why.”

Sam was Dave’s biological uncle, but Dave was raised as his brother. “My mother passed when I was young,” Dave said. “My grandparents adopted me.”

Dave and his wife, Carolyn, lived next door to Sam at Palagio Senior Living, an assisted living facility in Orange Park, Florida at the time of Sam’s death.

Sam grew up on the family farms at Hinkeltown and Green Valley, according to his obituary.

A 2023 story in the Florida Times-Union says the family raised animals and grew corn, soybeans and wheat. The family lost its farm during the Depression and had to rent property until they could buy another farm a few years later.

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Sam attended North English High School, riding his horse 13 miles each way. After he graduated, he drove a truck until he was drafted in November 1942.

“I remember him just being there whenever you needed him,” Dave said.

Sam married later in life. He and his wife Burnadean lived in Cedar Rapids where Sam worked for Collins Radio Company.

After Sam retired, he and his wife lived in Cedar Rapids for a while before moving back to North English to the former home of his brother, Lloyd, said Dave.

Sam and Burnadean began spending winters in Florida and eventually moved there.

The war years

In November of 1942, Sam joined the Army with the 41st Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, 11th Armored Division, and drove a jeep for Lt. Col. Herbert M. Foy Jr., according to his obituary.

Asked by the Florida Times-Union if he felt in danger in that Jeep, he chuckled and said, “Oh, you’re right out in the open. They had a canvas top you could put up, but … ”

Sam was involved in the Battle of the Bulge, and his division liberated two concentration camps. He received the Bronze Star, though he didn’t know why.

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“All they told me was bravery beyond the call of duty,” Sam told the Florida newspaper in 2023, “so I don’t know. I don’t know what it was.”

Born in 1938, Dave was a child when Sam was serving in the military during World War II.

“Sam would never talk about World War II,” said Dave, a Vietnam veteran.

Dave once invited Sam to watch the movie “Band of Brothers” with him. “His unit was kind of close when that was going on,” said Dave.

They watched the first disc, but Sam didn’t want to watch any more.

Dave suggested that Sam take one of the free tours of areas in Europe where he fought. Sam looked over the options. “I won’t go to these two,” Sam told Dave. They had concentration camps there.

“I don’t remember any detail,” Sam told Dave, “but I just remember how horrible they were.”

The later years

After Burnadean died in a car accident in 2010, Sam continued to live at their home in Bonita Springs, Florida, taking care of his house and yard and eating at Mel’s Diner, his obituary says.

Sam turned 100 when COVID restrictions were still in place. His church family serenaded him from across the street, and Sam had a small celebration with few friends and family at Mel’s Diner.

A parade of police cars and fire trucks drove by to honor him.

When Hurricane Ian hit in 2022, Sam was confidant his home could withstand the storm, so he didn’t evacuate. Eventually flooding required that he be carried from his home to safety.

With his home damaged, Sam moved to Jacksonville, Florida to be near David.

In December of 2023, shortly before his 103rd birthday, Sam was honored at the Jacksonville Jaguars Monday Night Football Game as their Veteran of the Game.

Using only a cane, he walked onto the field to a standing ovation from 65,000 people.

“He loved to fish, and he loved to play cards,” Dave said.

What Sam didn’t love was publicity.

When Sam turned 102, Matt Soergel interviewed the war veteran for the Florida Times-Union during a party organized by local chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution and Sons of the American Revolution.

“I would rather they didn’t do it,” Sam told the reporter. “It was all David’s idea. I don’t like publicity.”

As to the secret of living a long life, Sam told the Times-Union, “It wasn’t good clean living when I was younger. I was 46 years old before I ever got married, and you can imagine the running around we done.”

Sam was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, brothers Robert and Lloyd, sisters Trela, Edith and Mary Margaret and his stepchildren.

He is survived by David and David’s wife Carolyn, several grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.