James B. Vaught

DeathSeptember 202013

James B. Vaught

James B. Vaught, American general (born 1926)

In context

When
Friday, September 20 201313 years ago
Category
DeathA notable person who died on this day.
Era
21st century · 2010s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Born 1926-11-03; died 2013-09-20.

Known as: military personnel. Citizenship: United States.

Listed as: human.

Who they were

James Benjamin Vaught was a United States Army Lieutenant General who fought in the Korean War and the Vietnam War. In South Korea he served as a company commander in the 24th Infantry Division. In 1967, in South Vietnam, on his first tour he served as the commanding officer of the 5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry. He also played a major role in numerous United States Special Forces operations. He was the overall commander of Operation Eagle Claw, the failed rescue mission of U.S. hostages in Iran in 1980.

Early life

Educated at: The Citadel.

Early life and military career Vaught grew up in Conway, South Carolina . A multi-generational native of the state, he has been identified as a direct descendant of Francis "Swamp Fox" Marion . However, this is in dispute, as there are no known direct descendants of Marion. He graduated from high school in 1943 and was then enrolled at The Citadel military college in Charleston . During this time, with World War II being fought by Allied forces in two theaters,

Path and career

Later life After Vietnam, Vaught continued his career with the Army and was eventually promoted to Major General , serving at The Pentagon as Director of Operations and Mobilization for the Army. He served his final tour of duty as the Commanding General of the Combined US/South Korean forces. He resided in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina after his retirement in 1985. Operation Eagle Claw Perhaps his most notable role was during Operation Eagle Claw , the infamous failed rescue mission of hostages in Iran,

Death Authorities found his body in a pond in Horry County, South Carolina . While Vaught died of asphyxia due to drowning, the coroner stated that his body also showed signs of cardiac disease. He was 86. [ 1 ] ^ Associated, The. "Coroner: Body of retired general found in SC pond | WCNC.com Charlotte" . Wcnc.com. Archived from the original on 2013-09-27 . Retrieved 2013-09-23 .

Why this date

James B. Vaught appears on our September 20 calendar for 2013 as a death entry.

September 20 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 20002000 MI6 attack
  2. 2000Real Irish Republican Army
  3. 2001War on terror
  4. 20032003 Maldives civil unrest
  5. 2007Jena Six
  6. 2008Islamabad Marriott Hotel bombing
  7. 2011Don't ask, don't tell
  8. 2013James B. Vaught
  9. 2017Hurricane Maria
  10. 2018Sinking of MV Nyerere
  11. 2019September 2019 climate strikes

Also in 2013

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  • September 16Washington Navy Yard shootingA lone gunman fatally shot twelve people and injured three others at the headquarters of the Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, D.C.
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  • September 18Via RailA VIA Rail train crashes into a double-decker bus at a train station in Ottawa, Canada, killing six people and injuring 35 others.
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Everything we record for 2013 →

Sources

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“James B. Vaught”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/james-b-vaught-2013-september-20, accessed October 28, 2026.

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Questions about this entry

When did James B. Vaught happen?

September 20 2013 — 13 years ago, on a Friday.

Where does this text come from?

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