"I'd still rather be on a flight deck with spinning props than on a battlefield with bullets buzzing over my head." (Video Interview, 27:59)
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David P. Riley
David Riley [2007]
War: Korean War, 1950-1953 Branch: Navy Unit: USS Philippine (CG 58) Service Location: Korea; Japan; Hawaii; China; Philippines Rank: Airman Place of Birth: PA
David Riley graduated from high school one year into the Korean War and enlisted so he could select the branch of service he wanted. He wound up in the midst of a different kind of action from that of the battlefield. On the flight deck of an aircraft carrier, Riley was a mechanic responsible for checking out planes before they left on a mission and checking them in when they returned. The flight deck was a dangerous place to be; his ship lost more planes to accidents there than to enemy fire--though Riley never lost any plane he serviced.