(Washington, D.C.) – As a child during World War I, Albert Routier was an orphan on the streets of Paris. During the war he took up with a U.S. Marine Unit in France. He was befriended by Sergeant Thomas “Ted” Vaughan. He traveled with the unit through France and Belgium until the war ended. Ted placed Albert in an orphanage promising that after he returned to Nashville, Tennessee, he would send for him.
Albert stayed at the orphanage approximately two days and found his way to a harbor and a ship. He stowed away on the S.S. Jupiter, which carried coal back to Norfolk, Virginia. The crew discovered him and saw that he was fed and cared for during the trip to Norfolk. At port the crew obtained some newspapers and gave them to Albert. Albert then left the boat without being questioned by anyone for they thought he was one of the local paperboys allowed on ships to sell papers. The crew assisted Albert in contacting the Nashville Police Department who, in turn, contacted Ted Vaughan. The only English words Albert knew at that time were, “Ted Vaughan, Nashville, TN.” Ted had just arrived in Nashville. He sent funds to Norfolk for Albert’s travel to Nashville, where Ted, a single parent, raised him.
In time, both father and son became Secret Service agents. Ted served from 1935 until his untimely in the line of duty death on November 8, 1940, in an automobile accident while on official business in route to Nashville, Tennessee. An automobile illegally passed a slow moving and collided head on into Agent Vaughan’s car. Agent Vaughan was fatally injured as well as a passenger in the oncoming automobile. Agent Thomas E. Vaughan is remembered on the Secret Service Wall of Honor in addition to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Wall (1-East:7)
Agent Albert Vaughan’s career with the Secret Service spanned from 1928-1960 with assignments to the Nashville, Cleveland and New York Offices. He headed up the Nashville Office from 1936-1943. After a short stint with the U.S. Navy, he returned to Nashville from 1943-1950. During a protective assignment, Albert was a member of the protective detail and present at the Blair House during the assassination attempt on President Truman on November 1, 1950. He retired in 1960 while assigned to the Nashville Office. Mr. Vaughan passed away on December 25, 2004, at the age of 99 years old.