(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 Alberts 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 Vaughans 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 Vaughans 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 Nov. 1, 1950. He retired in 1960 while assigned to the
Nashville Office. Mr. Vaughan passed away on Dec. 25, 2004, at the age of 99
years old.
Source: U.S. Secret Service