David Griffin (athlete)

David Francis Griffin (May 13, 1905 – February 18, 1944) was a Canadian athlete and journalist. He represented Canada in the 1,500-metre event at the 1928 Summer Olympics, had a personal best time of 4:02, and was the national 1 mile (1.6 km) champion in 1927 and 1929. He won the 1,000 yd (910 m) indoor race twice in three years at the 91st Highlanders Athletic Association meet, setting a record time of 2:19, and shared a national record in the 2 mi (3.2 km) indoor medley relay with the Hamilton Olympic Club. Beginning his running career coached by Bobby Kerr at the YMCA in Hamilton, Griffin also represented Canada in the 1930 British Empire Games, and the Tailteann Games, the British Army Games, and the Scottish Games.

Starting in journalism as a press agent for his track and field club, Griffin later worked on the editorial staffs for The Hamilton Spectator, the Windsor Star, and the Toronto Star, and wrote for The Sudbury Star. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in 1942, was promoted to the rank of flying officer, and handled RCAF public relations. Deployed to the Aleutian Islands, he provided the Canadian press with its limited information on RCAF operations in Alaska. Subsequently transferring to RCAF Eastern Air Command, he reported on events in Atlantic Canada and the Arctic, and died in a plane crash near CFB Goose Bay. His posthumously published book, First Steps to Tokyo, detailed Canadian and American joint efforts against the Empire of Japan culminating in the Battle of Kiska.