Richard L. Cevoli

Richard L. Cevoli
Richard L. Cevoli
	Richard Cevoli and his aviators walk across the flight deck of the USS Leyte in November 1950.
Nickname(s)	Dick
Born	October 24, 1919; East Greenwich, Rhode Island
Died	January 18, 1955 (aged 35); Duval County, Florida
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1941–1955
Rank	Commander
Commands held	Squadron VF-73
Battles/wars	World War II; Battle of Leyte Gulf; Korean War
Awards	Navy Cross; Distinguished Flying Cross (2); Air Medal (8)

Richard L. Cevoli (October 24, 1919 – January 18, 1955) served as a United States Naval Aviator and carrier fighter pilot during World War II and the Korean War. Decorated for valor in both conflicts, Cevoli reached the rank of Commander before he was killed in a plane crash in 1955.^[1]

Pre-military[edit]

Richard Leo Cevoli was a lifelong resident of East Greenwich. He graduated from La Salle Academy and later from Rhode Island State College, where he earned a degree in civil engineering. He worked for the engineering firm, Merritt, Chapman & Scott, and joined the Navy a month after the attack on Pearl Harbor.^[2]

Military career[edit]

World War II[edit]

While serving with Fighting Squadron 18 (VF-18) aboard the U.S.S. Intrepid, Cevoli and other members of the squadron strafed a Japanese battleship during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, silencing many of its guns. The following day, he scored a hit with a 500lb bomb, disabling a Japanese aircraft carrier. Cevoli is also credited with four confirmed air victories and three probables during his service with VF-18.^[3]

Korean War[edit]

From 1949 until 1951, Cevoli served as the Executive Officer in Fighting Squadron 32 (VF-32) on board the USS Leyte. In the winter of 1950, he and his pilots provided close in air support against 70,000 Chinese soldiers crossing the Yalu River and enabled 30,000 United Nations soldiers to escape encirclement. He was also division leader for Thomas J. Hudner Jr. and Jesse L. Brown. He radioed for help when Brown was shot down on 4 December 1950, during the mission for which Hudner would receive the Medal of Honor.^[4] The story of Brown and Hudner's friendship and service is the subject of Adam Makos' book Devotion, which was subsequently turned into a feature film. Thomas Sadoski was cast to play Richard Cevoli.^[5]

Post-war service[edit]

After the war, Cevoli graduated from the Naval War College. In 1954 he assumed command of Fighting Squadron 73 (VF-73) and attained the rank of Commander. He was killed during a training mission on January 18, 1955, when his F9F-6 Cougar jet crashed into a forest shortly after takeoff from Jacksonville, Florida.^[6]

Awards and honors[edit]

Navy Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross with one gold award star
Air Medal with 7 gold award stars
Rhode Island Aviation Hall of Fame - 2005^[7]
A post office in East Greenwich was named after him - 2006^[8]

References[edit]

^ Lisa Vernon-Sparks. "East Greenwich post office to be named for Navy flier on Sunday". Archived from the original on 2011-06-28. Retrieved 2007-10-21.
^ Senator Jack Reed. "Floor Statement on Legislation to Name East Greenwich Post Office for Commander Richard L. Cevoli". Archived from the original on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2007-10-21.
^ "Richard L. Cevoli". Hall of Valor Project. Military Times. 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
^ Lloyd Norman (31 March 1951). "Navy to Confer Top Honor on Fighter Pilot". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
^ "Devotion - IMDB". imdb.com. 11 October 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
^ "Quonset Flier Killed". The Newport Daily News. 20 January 1955. Retrieved 8 September 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Inductees". riahof.org. Rhode Island Aviation Hall of Fame. 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2017. Commander Richard L. Cevoli, USN (1919-1955)
^ "Public Law 109-310" (PDF). congress.gov. U.S. Congress. 6 October 2006. Retrieved 15 November 2017. The post office located at 5755 Post Road, East Greenwich, Rhode Island, shall be known and designated as the Richard L. Cevoli Post Office.

[1] Lisa Vernon-Sparks. "East Greenwich post office to be named for Navy flier on Sunday". Archived from the original on 2011-06-28. Retrieved 2007-10-21.

[2] Senator Jack Reed. "Floor Statement on Legislation to Name East Greenwich Post Office for Commander Richard L. Cevoli". Archived from the original on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2007-10-21.

[3] "Richard L. Cevoli". Hall of Valor Project. Military Times. 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2020.

[4] Lloyd Norman (31 March 1951). "Navy to Confer Top Honor on Fighter Pilot". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 9 September 2020.

[5] "Devotion - IMDB". imdb.com. 11 October 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2021.

[6] "Quonset Flier Killed". The Newport Daily News. 20 January 1955. Retrieved 8 September 2020 – via Newspapers.com.

[7] "Inductees". riahof.org. Rhode Island Aviation Hall of Fame. 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2017. Commander Richard L. Cevoli, USN (1919-1955)

[8] "Public Law 109-310" (PDF). congress.gov. U.S. Congress. 6 October 2006. Retrieved 15 November 2017. The post office located at 5755 Post Road, East Greenwich, Rhode Island, shall be known and designated as the Richard L. Cevoli Post Office.

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