Vernon was born April 21, 1917.  He graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a B.S in Education and was a high school teacher.  He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in June 5, 1941 and served aboard the USS Makassar Strait (CVE-91) in the attached Squadron VC-97.  He is fondly remembered by his shipmates as being "quiet, religious, courteous and considerate of others."  He was said to have been best known as a "great solo tenor" with appearances every Sunday in the hanger deck of the USS Makassar Strait.  Highly regarded, his best known exploit was the sugar cane landing, as recalled by Vilas Dack a TBM pilot and the LSO that day.

Lt. Vernon L. Tebo was the pilot of his Grumman TBM Avenger and was killed in action while flying a bombing mission over Ishigaki.  The Bilingual Memorial Monument on Ishigaki Island is dedicated to Robert Tuggle Jr., AOM 1/c; LT.Vernon Tebo and Warren Loyd ARM 1/c.  These three airmen of Squadron VC-97 were shot down over Ishigaki on April 15, 1945.

Left to right:  ARM 1/c  Warren Loyd;  LT. Vernon Tebo;  AOM 1/c Robert Tuggle, Jr.