David Muhlenberg
Age: 95
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Residence: Palm Desert
Military branch: U.S. Army Air Corps; U.S. Navy
Years served: Muhlenberg said he entered the Army Air Corps in 1940. He was unsure of his date of separation.
Rank: Lieutenant colonel
Family: Patricia, two children, three grandchildren
About this series
Staff writer Denise Goolsby will profile desert veterans from World War II Wednesday through Sunday through the end of 2010 — the 65th anniversary of the end of the war. Contact her at (760) 778-4587 or via e-mail at denise.goolsby@thedesertsun.com
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David Muhlenberg is a man of few words when it comes to sharing stories about his military experiences, but said he's proud of his service during World War II, when he trained bombardiers in North Africa.
Muhlenberg said he couldn't quite pin down the city he considered his hometown — but said Columbus, Ohio, was central to most of this activities while he was growing up.
“I was an Army brat,” he said. “I lived in a lot of different places.”
Muhlenberg, who said he also served in the U.S. Navy, “started in '40 with the Army Air Corps,” he said.
He was stationed in Casablanca during his time as a bombardier instructor.
“I thought it was a great spot,” he said. “I enjoyed it.”
Preparing men to become pilots meant he had to qualify himself in a number of different aircraft, including trainers, bombers and cargo planes.
“It was very rewarding to watch the guys and know that I had something to do with their getting trained and qualified,” he said. “I thought that my students were very good.”
The North African campaign lasted from June 10, 1940, through May 16, 1943. The U.S forces joined Allied forces in the struggle in early May 1942.
Muhlenberg's career extended beyond World War II, and by the end of his years of service, Muhlenberg had attained the rank of lieutenant colonel.
Muhlenberg lives at Atria Hacienda, a senior living community in Palm Desert, where a number of World War II Veterans reside.
