b.3/30/33 d.12/8/52 ‘Mark’ came to Thornburg in 1937, at age 4 into a new home built by his parents at 515 Hamilton Road. He had the privilege of attending the two-room Thornburg School in grades one through eight, from 1938 through 1946. While most Thornburg School graduates went on to attend Crafton High School, Mark chose to enroll at Staunton Military Academy in Staunton, Virginia. Prior to graduation from Staunton, the Korean War commenced and Mark enlisted in the United States Air Force. After normal Air Force training, Mark was sent to Korea. He was assigned to the 13th Bomb Squadron, a/k/a The Grim Reapers. He was an aerial gunner on a B-26 night intruder. His twin-engine bomber participated in night attack missions over North Korea, specifically low-level attacks against enemy vehicles, trains and front-line enemy troops. The connotation Grim Reaper meant there were no witnesses – you just didn’t come back. Mark Vernon’s B-26 was shot down, at night, over North Korea on his 50th mission. He was originally listed as MIA. Then a year later, he was officially declared Killed in Action. His remains were never recovered, however his place of internment is the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific Courts of the Missing (a/k/a the Punchbowl). A worn, faded marker is all that remains. Mark was awarded posthumously the following citations:
* The Distinguished Flying Cross
* The Purple Heart
* The Air Corp Medal (with one Oak leaf cluster)
* The Good Conduct Medal
* The Korean Service Medal (with 2 stars)
* The United Nations Service Medal