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Surviving family of Raleigh veteran reunited with WWII dog tags after nearly 80 years

Raleigh locals are working to solve a mystery and return missing World War II dog tags found in Tuscany, Italy to their rightful owner in Raleigh - or any surviving family.

Posted Updated

By
Heather Leah
, WRAL multiplatform producer
RALEIGH, N.C. — World War II dog tags from the 1940s found near a historic battle site in Tuscany, Italy will soon be returned to a veteran's family in North Carolina.

It began when Luca Gattel, a metal detector from Italy, found military dog tags with the name Thomas L. Vaughn, Jr. The address on the tags links to an Evelyn Vaughn in the Cameron Court Apartments, which still stand in Raleigh today.

Gattel, who is passionate about history, says he found the dog tags near the site of a WWII battle between American and German soldiers.

"They were just a few centimeters beneath the dirt, beneath an olive tree where WWII soldiers used to sit and rest," said Gattel.

Might Vaughn have once camped on this very site?

Gattel posted a photo of the dog tags in a Raleigh-based Facebook group, asking for help finding the veteran's surviving family – and uncover the man's history.

Immediately, local history and genealogy lovers rushed to Ancestry.com to dig for military records and personal information, working to solve the mystery of who owned these dog tags, uncover the story of how they were lost and perhaps even reunite them with his family.

Thomas Livingston Vaughn military registration

Piecing together a WWII mystery

Gattel found an obituary for Vaughn's wife early in his research: Colleen Cotten Vaughn, who died in 2004 according to an obituary printed in the News & Observer. She was 84 when she died. In 1949, she married a man named Thomas L. Vaughn, Jr., who was a WWII veteran and recipient of both the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He died in 1953, just four years after they were married.

Colleen Vaughn was also an active member of Forest Hills Baptist Church in Raleigh.

An article from 1942 mentions Vaughn as being stationed at Camp White in Oregon, with his parents living in Cameron Court Apartments at the time.

Vaughn's 1953 obituary says he died in Rex Hospital, but it doesn't say how. He was buried in Montlawn Memorial Park. He was only 34 years old when he died.

Gattel has found other historic WWII treasures, including a dog tag from an Italian veteran.

Already his story has been picked up nationally, and hundreds of people have commented and shared, working to find Vaughn's family and uncover more of the story behind these WWII dog tags – and maybe finally have them return home to Raleigh.

According to Colleen's obituary, the couple had no children, but she had many beloved nieces and nephews. The obituary lists her surviving brothers, nieces and nephews by name – meaning surviving kin could perhaps be found.

Several family members are listed, but the local ones are: Frankie McGee of Knightdale, Danny Cotten of Fuquay-Varina and Johnny and Marty Cotten, both of Raleigh.

Man tries to reuinte missing WWII dog tags found on Italian beach to Raleigh veteran's family.

Finding the family – and visiting America

"We've gotten so many messages from people in North Carolina trying to help find this man's family and history," said Gattel.

Nephew Frankie Cotten McGee reached out to Gattel and WRAL News.

"The dog tags that were found belonged to my Uncle Tommy," he said.

McGee explains that 'Uncle Tommy' died as a young man – of kidney disease. His Aunt Colleen never remarried.

"Uncle Tommy was the love of her life. I have his Purple Heart and Bronze Star and his wedding band," said McGee.

Gattel has found other historic WWII treasures. This is the lid of an American first aid kit.

According to Gattel, he and McGee plan to talk over video soon.

"He said he plans to gather his cousins together, and we'll get to talk to everyone," said Gattel.

Gattel will send the dog tags to the surviving family – but he and his wife hope to travel to Raleigh themselves sometime in the future, to meet the family they've connected with and see the historic sites they've learned about in Vaughn's personal history.

"I'd like to visit his grave," said Gattel.

McGee says his family will be appreciative and touched that Gattel went to such lengths to return the treasured heirloom to those who loved Uncle Tommy and Aunt Colleen.

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