Oral History Interview with Ridgley Radney

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ridgley Radney. Radney joined the Navy in December 1941 and had received civilian flight training in college before enlisting. He received aircraft carrier flight training in Texas. Upon completion, he was assigned to the USS Yorktown (CV-10) and then the USS Franklin (CV-13), flying missions all over the Pacific in SBD and SB2C planes. He encountered heavy antiaircraft fire during his mission over Wake Island but returned unscathed. He was one of the last to launch before the Franklin was struck off of Okinawa. During that mission, due to a malfunction he was unable to release his bomb. He landed on the USS Essex (CV-9) with an empty tank. Radney returned to the States after the war and was discharged in 1947