Vernon was in one battle on the U.S.S. Pecos. The U.S.S. Pecos was ordered to go to Australia carrying about 700 survivors from Langley and Stewart (ships sunk by Japanese). Japanese aircrafts spotted and attacked the U.S.S. Pecos around noon and once more an hour later. The ship was not sinking yet, however, SOS calls were ignored to avoid revealing more ships and the assumption that the ship was already lost. Finally, around midafternoon, the U.S.S. Pecos sank after one more attack on March 1, 1942, from the Japanese Navy, specifically by dive bombers. Many survivors were rescued with a total of 232 saved, but many were also left behind due to the detection of enemy submarines closing in. Vernon was assumed among those who died during the attack or left behind, though his exact fate was never confirmed.