Riverside in Montgomery County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Giovanni Pirelli
February 4, 1919
Photographed by Craig Doda, June 28, 2025
1. Giovanni Pirelli Marker
In memory of
Lieutenant Giovanni
Pirelli
Italian Aviator
McCook Field, Dayton, Ohio
February 4, 1919
"His example while amongst us here and his passing at a time when he was so actively engaged in service to two great nations cannot be soon forgotten."
Erected by Order Sons Of Italy In America John Pirelli Lodge 1633.
Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Military.
Location. 39° 46.763′ N, 84° 6.708′ W. Memorial is in Riverside, Ohio, in Montgomery County. It is at the intersection of Spaatz Circle and Bong Street, on the right when traveling south on Spaatz Circle. Touch for map. Memorial is at or near this postal address: 1100 Spaatz Cir, Dayton OH 45431, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this memorial is in Ohio’s Dayton Metro and in the Miami Valley. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: 310th Bombardment Wing (M) (SAC) (here, next to this marker); 460th Bombardment Group (H) (here, next to this marker); 73rd Bombardment Wing (a few steps from this marker); 18th Air Depot Group (a few steps from this marker); The Pyramidiers (a few steps from this marker); 62nd Troop Carrier Group
this page online
Also see . . .
1. Lieutenant Giovanni (John) Pirelli. It is this man, that our Order Sons of Italy in America, Lodge #1633, in Dayton, Ohio is named after.
Giovanni Pirelli was born in Milan, Italy in 1884. He was born into a prominent Italian family whose business and wealth derived from rubber and manufacturing named Pirelli Tires.
Although not much has been printed on how or when Giovanni (John) Pirelli got involved with aviation, he did become a pilot and was commissioned in the Italian Air Force during World War I.
It is interesting to note that the Italians were using aircraft in conflicts dating back to the Italian-Turkish War, in November 1911. This occurred about 8 years after the Wright Brothers recorded their first flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in 1903. (Submitted on August 13, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio.)
2. Memorial Dedication-Italian Aviator Lt. Giovanni Pirelli. DAYTON, Ohio -- Memorial dedication for Italian aviator Lt. Giovanni Pirelli at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force on Oct.
Photographed by Craig Doda, June 28, 2025
2. Giovanni Pirelli Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on August 13, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 13, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 75 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 13, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
