Monument to WWII pilot raised at USU
Eighty-two years after his historic race with the sun, Col. Russell L. Maughan is still being hailed for his record-setting aviation achievements.
On June 23, 1924, Maughan made history as he completed the first daylight cross-country flight. He flew from Mitchell Field, N.Y., to Crissy Field in San Francisco, Calif., arriving one minute before official dusk.
Maughan was not only a record-setting pilot, but a World War I hero, World War II leader, Pulitzer Flying Cup winner, Logan native, Utah State alumnus and now, the honoree of a $20,000 monument located on USU’s campus.
The black granite memorial was unveiled Saturday, Veteran’s Day, as a steady drizzle fell on the 300 people in attendance.
“He played a significant role in the Golden Age of aviation,” said attorney Jud Preston, who spoke at the ceremony. “He set a new world speed record and captured the imagination of people everywhere.
Planning for the implementation of this memorial began in the spring when three local men decided Maughan, whom they call a pioneer in aviation, deserved a memorial with more presence.
Retired Army Col. Vernon Buehler, 87, and retired Air Force veterans Col. Dode Rees, 98, and Maj. Gen. Barney Rawlings, 85, had initially planned on moving an older memorial, located behind the old Roller Rink, to campus. In the end, they decided to design and construct a new one.
“We got the idea that the monument for Maughan on Center Street was being abused, it has never been maintained, so we suggested moving the old memorial to USU, but we took the bull by the horns and decided to buy a whole monument,” Rees said.
The memorial is located in front of the Spectrum, near the corner of the Logan City Cemetery.
Thirty members of Maughan’s immediate family were present for the unveiling of the monument.
“You folks are here to honor a hero and pioneer. We are here to honor dad,” said Weston Maughan, the only living child of Maughan.
Weston Maughan spoke of his father’s humility regarding his career and accomplishments. He said he was very modest and a wonderful dad and also thanked Buehler and Rees, who financed the monument through their philanthropic donations.
Buehler and Rees agreed that they were right in purchasing a brand-new monument and holding the memorial dedication outside of the Spectrum despite the dismal weather.
“We clearly took the best plan of action,” Buehler said. “The Maughan family came from all over the United States to see this and they were obviously very impressed. As members of the USU American Legion Post 12, we’ve been working very diligently on this since April and it has gradually firmed up as we have gone along. It takes detailed planning, but I feel everything went well.
Buehler also stressed the significance of the nature of the program and events that paid tribute to all veterans from different armed forces.
The ceremony included a 13-gun cannonade fired by the Utah State Army National Guard and the Army ROTC. A round was shot for each major conflict in which graduates of USU programs have served.
The 13 conflicts were the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, the invasion of Grenada: Operation Urgent Fury, Panama: Operation Just Cause, Kosovo: Operation Allied Force, Somalia: Operation Restore Hope, the Gulf War: Operation Desert Storm, the War on Terrorism, Afghanistan: Operation Enduring Freedom, Homeland Security: Operation Noble Eagle, and Iraq: Operation Iraqi Freedom.
“The punctuated blast from the cannon was wonderful and very significant,” Buehler said.
Taps were played as a wreath was placed on the grave of Maughan, who is buried in the Logan Cemetery.
A moment of silence was then held for the veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq Campaigns.
ariek@cc.usu.edu