Kansas National Guard Hall of Fame - ,COL Clarence E. Laughon

Colonel Clarence E. Laughon was born 18 November 1917. A native of Kansas, he began his military career by enlisting as a Private in the Kansas Army National Guard on 1 August 1939 and was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment as a Finance Clerk. On 10 October 1940, he was ordered to active duty with the State Headquarters and assigned as Fiscal Accounting Clerk in the office of the United States Property & Fiscal Office. On 5 September 1943, he was assigned as a Cadreman in the 611th Grave Registration Company, Francis E. Warren Army Base, Cheyenne, Wyoming and in May 1944, was transferred to the Eurpoean Theater of Operations for duty in England, France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. He returned to the United States and was released from active duty 19 October 1945 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. After his release from active duty, he was instrumental in the reorganization of and finding a suitable location for the United States Property and Fiscal Office, the Maintenance Shops and warehouse.

On 9 September 1947, he received a direct commission to Second Lieutenant, serving as Assistant Finance Officer. Promoted to First Lieutenant on 1 November 1949, he was the Finance Officer and Officer in Charge of the Finance Corps. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel 18 November 1962, and assigned as the Budget and Fiscal Office for Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment. LTC Laughon was reassigned as the Comptroller, Finance Corps, 15 December 1967 and promoted to Colonel on 10 February 1970. He became the Assistant Chief of Staff, G-4, Logistics, Headquarters, Kansas Army National Guard on 1 March 1971. COL Laughon had advanced through the ranks from Private to Master Sergeant, then Second Lieutenant to Colonel. He retired from the Guard on 10 February 1977 with over 37 years of service.





			CLARENCE E. LAUGHON
	Colonel Clarence E. Laughon was born 18 November 1917. A native of Kansas, he began his military career by enlisting as a Private in the Kansas Army National Guard on 1 August 1939 and was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment as a Finance Clerk. On 10 October 1940, he was ordered to active duty with the State Headquarters and assigned as Fiscal Accounting Clerk in the office of the United States Property & Fiscal Office. On 5 September 1943, he was assigned as a Cadreman in the 611th Grave Registration Company, Francis E. Warren Army Base, Cheyenne, Wyoming and in May 1944, was transferred to the Eurpoean Theater of Operations for duty in England, France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. He returned to the United States and was released from active duty 19 October 1945 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. After his release from active duty, he was instrumental in the reorganization of and finding a suitable location for the United States Property and Fiscal Office, the Maintenance Shops and warehouse. On 9 September 1947, he received a direct commission to Second Lieutenant, serving as Assistant Finance Officer. Promoted to First Lieutenant on 1 November 1949, he was the Finance Officer and Officer in Charge of the Finance Corps. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel 18 November 1962, and assigned as the Budget and Fiscal Office for Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment. LTC Laughon was reassigned as the Comptroller, Finance Corps, 15 December 1967 and promoted to Colonel on 10 February 1970. He became the Assistant Chief of Staff, G-4, Logistics, Headquarters, Kansas Army National Guard on 1 March 1971. COL Laughon had advanced through the ranks from Private to Master Sergeant, then Second Lieutenant to Colonel. He retired from the Guard on 10 February 1977 with over 37 years of service. Colonel Laughon's awards and decorations are many. He earned the Meritorious Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, American Defense Medal, American Campaign, American-African-Middle East Campaign with three battle stars, World War II Victory Medal, Army of Occupation with German Bar, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with two Hour Glass Devices, Army National Guard Achievement Medal, Medal of Liberated France and the National Guard Association of Kansas Distinguished Service Medal. Other achievements include assisting in the formation of the National Guard Association of Kansas and becoming a Charter Member, providing training for all the Guard Finance Section Personnel in Kansas, and assisted the Michigan National Guard USP&FO in mechanizing their civilian payroll. One of his most signifcant contributions to the Kansas was as an additional duty. Colonel Laughon, as a young officer, maintained the plans, specifications and supporting documents to control state and city funds for the Adjutant General to build 59 armories throughout Kansas in the 1950s and 1960s. He maintained bank accounts, received and disbursed funds for construction and processed final payments. This job was absolutely essential to the growth of the Kansas National Guard. . Colonel Laughon has been a leader and instrumental in the building program that made the Kansas Army National Guard what it is today. He is a great Kansas National Guardsman, Kansan and American. He was inducted into the Kansas National Guard Hall of Fame on 6 November 1994.