Oral history of David Shaffer, November 20, 2025
Title
Oral history of David Shaffer, November 20, 2025
Description
Captain David Shaffer served in Europe as an air traffic controller during the 1960s. Shaffer was raised in San Diego County where his father was an engineer for Convair. From a young age, Shaffer aspired to become a military pilot, a goal which his tall height prevented. As an air traffic controller, Shaffer spent most of his deployment in Portugal and West Germany during the Cold War. He designed forward airfields during the 1967 Arab–Israeli war, although the conflict was over before they could be used. After leaving military service, Shaffer taught high school industrial arts in North San Diego County. He used the G.I. Bill to gain his master’s degree from San Diego State College and his private pilot license. In this oral history interview, Shaffer tells stories from his military service and reflects on the importance of patriotism.
Creator
Contributor
Date
2025-11-20
Subject
Coverage
Publisher
California State University San Marcos University Library
Language
Rights
Rights Holder
David Shaffer
Type
Moving image
Is Part Of
San Diego Veterans History Initiative
Files
Citation
David Shaffer, “Oral history of David Shaffer, November 20, 2025,” Voices of North County, accessed April 21, 2026, https://archivesoralhistories.csusm.edu/items/show/598.