Hometown: East Greenwich, RI
Branch: U.S. Navy
Unit: Fighter Squadron 73 (VF-73), Quonset Point, RI
Military Honors: Navy Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross (2), Air Medal (8)
Date of Sacrifice: January 18, 1955 - Jacksonville, Florida, USA
Age: 35 
Conflict: No declared conflict.

Richard Leo “Dick” Cevoli was born in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, on October 24, 1919. Staying close to home, he graduated from La Salle Academy in nearby Providence, then completed a civil engineering degree at Rhode Island State College (later the University of Rhode Island) in Kingston.

With his college graduating Class of ’41 facing an uncertain future—given world events—Cevoli worked for a short time at an engineering firm and then joined the United States Navy in October of that year.

World War II

In the Pacific theater of World War II, flying an F6F Hellcat, Navy Lieutenant Richard Cevoli served with Fighting Squadron 18 (VF-18) aboard the USS Intrepid (CVA-11). During the Battle of Leyte Gulf (Philippine Islands), he and his squadron strafed a Japanese battleship, silencing its guns. The following day, Lt. Cevoli scored a direct hit with a 500 lb. bomb, disabling a Japanese carrier.

For his actions in the Philippines, Lt. Cevoli was awarded the Navy Cross. His citation reads:

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lieutenant Richard Leo Cevoli, United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Fighter Plane in Fighting Squadron EIGHTEEN (VF-18), in action against major units of the Japanese Fleet during the Battle for Leyte Gulf from 24 to 26 October 1944. Diving with eight other fighters through intense anti-aircraft fire, Lieutenant Cevoli strafed the largest ship of an enemy battleship force in the Sibuyan Sea, silencing many anti-aircraft weapons and inflicting casualties on enemy personnel. Attacking a Japanese carrier force off Northeastern Luzon the following day, he dived through a terrific barrage of anti-aircraft fire and seriously damaged the carrier with a 500-pound bomb hit. Again participating in an attack on the enemy's battleship force in the Sibuyan Sea, Lieutenant Cevoli disregarded the terrific anti-aircraft opposition and scored a near-miss on a KONGO Class battleship with a 500-pound bomb. Then, pulling out he made a second run to strafe a destroyer, silencing its anti-aircraft weapons and thereby contributing to our successful bombing and torpedo attacks which followed. Lieutenant Cevoli's outstanding courage and determination were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

Lt. Dick Cevoli was also credited with four confirmed aerial victories and three probable victories while with Fighting Squadron 18 during World War II.

Korean War

Cevoli remained in the U.S. Navy and was called back to a combat role with the outbreak of the Korean War. From 1949 to 1951, he served as the Executive Officer for Fighting Squadron 32 (VF-32) aboard the USS Leyte (CV-32)—the aircraft carrier named after the WWII victory he helped to secure. Cevoli led his squadron in an F4U Corsair fighter-bomber.

During his time on the Leyte, Cevoli’s squadron suffered the loss of Ens. Jesse L. Brown, the first black combat aviator in U.S. history, on December 4, 1950. Cevoli flew cover and called in a support helicopter, attempting to extract Brown from his downed fighter jet.

The loss of Ens. Brown was devastating to the squadron, but they pressed on with their mission.

In the winter of 1950, Cevoli and his squadron provided close air support against 70,000 enemy Chinese soldiers crossing the Yalu River, enabling 30,000 U.N. troops to escape encirclement.

Post-War Command

After the Korean War, Cevoli returned to his home state and graduated from the U.S. Naval War College in Newport. He was promoted to the rank of Commander and assigned command of Fighting Squadron 73 (VF-73) in 1954.

On the night of January 18 in 1955, Commander Cevoli concluded gunnery training with his squadron and took off from Jacksonville, Florida, in an F9 Cougar jet bound for Oceana, Virginia. Shortly after takeoff, Cevoli’s plane crashed into a heavily wooded area, killing the 35-year-old pilot.

Richard Cevoli left behind his wife, Grace, and his three children: Carol, Elizabeth, and Richard Jr.—who was just one week old. In 2005, Commander Cevoli was inducted into the Rhode Island Aviation Hall of Fame. In 2006, the U.S. Post Office in his hometown of East Greenwich, Rhode Island, was renamed in his honor.

Sources
Artist’s rendering by Craig Du Mez
Details submitted by the EAA Aviation Museum
Rhode Island Aviation Hall of Fame: Commander Richard L. Cevoli, USN
Military Times—Hall of Valor Project: Richard Leo Cevoli
Two-a-Day Tales: Richard Cevoli
Naval History and Heritage Command, National Museum of the U.S. Navy: USS Leyte (CV-32, later AVT-10)
Newport Daily News (RI), 20 Jan 1955, p.20: Quonset Flier Killed
Congressional Record Vol. 152, No. 125: Richard L. Cevoli Post Office
Burial Site: Find a Grave