Technical Sergeant (Sep.) David Coraz served in the U.S. Army Air Corps from June 1941 to November 1945. During his military service in World War II, he was a radio operator using Morse code on aircraft such as the B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator, B-25 Mitchell, B-26 Marauder, A-20 Havoc, Douglas DC-3, Douglas DC-4, Douglas C-54 Skymaster and Curtiss C-46 Commando.
Coraz helped deliver B-17s from Maine as they flew to Newfoundland to Iceland and then finally to Scotland. After the aircraft was dropped at its destination, crews would fly back to Maine on the same route on a C-54. Once he returned, Coraz would get ready to deliver another aircraft.
“My favorite missions during my time as a radio operator were the secret missions,” he said. “We flew a bunch of scientists around the United States testing out the Loran navigation system.” During one of his missions off the coast of Brisbin, Saskatchewan, he found out over Morse code that the war was over. He turned and told the captain, “Free at last!” After the war, Coraz separated from the service and returned to Indianapolis to help with his parent’s restaurant supply business.