After the sinking of the Maine and declaration of war with Spain, Vaughan was asked by the University of Michigan's acting president, Harry Burns Hutchins, to speak at a student rally in the hopes of cooling the enthusiasm of students for leaving school and enlisting.
Vaughan planned to oblige, but after listening to the speaker before him suggest that the students wait to see if enough unemployed men enlisted so that students wouldn't be needed, he became indignant and deviated from his planned remarks, saying, "God pity the country whose tramps must fight its battles ... I would rather see these walls crumble into dust than to see you hesitate when your country calls.
You have duties to your parents, but your first duty is to serve your country."
Governor Hazen S. Pingree called Vaughan the next day to say he had read the speech and signed Vaughan's commission.
His unit, the 33rd Michigan Volunteer Infantry, left May 28, 1898, for Camp Alger, and shortly thereafter for Cuba.

Major Vaughan's unit sailed on the USS Yale, previously a luxury liner, to Siboney, Cuba; he chose its second-class dining room as his hospital and operating room.
Within a week he briefly came under fire in the Battle of Santiago and was one of a dozen surgeons who treated over 1600 men in the aftermath; he received a citation for gallantry on the field of battle.
Yellow fever broke out shortly afterwards, and Vaughan contracted it; he survived under the care of Major William Gorgas, but lost 60 pounds over the course of his illness and was sent to New York by way of Florida, despite an initial desire to stay in Cuba and continue working now that he had immunity to the disease.
After the sinking of the Maine and declaration of war with Spain, Vaughan was asked by the University of Michigan's acting president, Harry Burns Hutchins, to speak at a student rally in the hopes of cooling the enthusiasm of students for leaving school and enlisting. Vaughan planned to oblige, but after listening to the speaker before him suggest that the students wait to see if enough unemployed men enlisted so that students wouldn't be needed, he became indignant and deviated from his planned remarks, saying, "God pity the country whose tramps must fight its battles ... I would rather see these walls crumble into dust than to see you hesitate when your country calls. You have duties to your parents, but your first duty is to serve your country." Governor Hazen S. Pingree called Vaughan the next day to say he had read the speech and signed Vaughan's commission. His unit, the 33rd Michigan Volunteer Infantry, left May 28, 1898, for Camp Alger, and shortly thereafter for Cuba.
Major Vaughan's unit sailed on the USS Yale, previously a luxury liner, to Siboney, Cuba; he chose its second-class dining room as his hospital and operating room. Within a week he briefly came under fire in the Battle of Santiago and was one of a dozen surgeons who treated over 1600 men in the aftermath; he received a citation for gallantry on the field of battle. Yellow fever broke out shortly afterwards, and Vaughan contracted it; he survived under the care of Major William Gorgas, but lost 60 pounds over the course of his illness and was sent to New York by way of Florida, despite an initial desire to stay in Cuba and continue working now that he had immunity to the disease.
Victor C. Vaughan