"The most memorable moment for me is probably just being a part of 5500 guys keeping that ship afloat and securing our missions every day.”
- Petty Officer Second Class Donald W. Richardson
“My dad was in the Navy and although he didn't push me to do that, I made an 18 year old decision on my own, went and
had a physical unbeknownst to mom and dad...came home… and broke the news to them that I was going to join the Navy,” Petty Officer Second Class Donald W. Richardson recalled to the United States Navy Memorial film crew at the USS America Reunion in June of 2008. Richardson would attend boot camp at Great Lakes in 1966 and upon graduation his first assignment was to Lakehurst Naval Air Station where he would be attached to crash and rescue. After two years at Lakehurst Naval Air Station, Richardson would receive orders to report aboard the USS America.
Richardson’s first sight of the ship would be a lasting one, “For a country boy from Kentucky, she was at Norfolk, Virginia... actually, when I walked up on the ship you just have no idea that something that huge is a ship that is going to float on the water." When he 
arrived at Pier 12 at Norfolk where the USS America was docked, Richardson fondly remembered, “You just start raising your head up and up and up...she was just a magnificent lady...I was really taken back by just how pretty the ship was.”
Aboard the USS America, Richardson would be assigned to the V-3 Division on the hanger deck which would serve to support the air operations of the aircraft carrier. Richardson remarked, “The finest memory was my contribution personally to the activities of the ship on a day to day basis...just knowing that I was a small piece of the pie. It didn’t matter what you do on board ship, how you do it reflects on the entire operation of the ship. One can't operate without the other. We can’t launch planes without the guys 12-13 decks below manning all of the machinery and the things relative to launching aircraft…. The most memorable moment for me is probably just being a part of 5500 guys keeping that ship afloat and securing our missions every day.” Richardson’s inspirational words on the value of teamwork and everyone serving together to reach a common goal resonated throughout his interview.
To hear the story of Petty Officer Second Class Donald W. Richardson come alive; view his detailed experience that has been digitally archived by the Navy Memorial.
The United States Navy Memorial honors Petty Officer Second Class Donald W. Richardson, featured within the series titled, Tales from the Navy Log, Story of the Month. Each month, this series honors a Veteran’s story recorded by the Stories of Service Program at the Navy Memorial. To learn more about this story and to explore the Navy Memorial Tales from the Navy Log Archive, visit the Navy Memorial Stories of Service site.