David Everson was born on September 4, 1931, in Brainerd, Minnesota. He enlisted in the Minnesota Army National Guard on September 22, 1947, and was trained as a Radio Repair Specialist. Everson received an honorable discharge from the National Guard on September 21, 1951. He was commissioned a 2d Lt in the U.S. Air Force through the Air Force ROTC program at the University of Minnesota on August 21, 1954, and went on active duty on March 27, 1955. After completing Undergraduate Pilot Training in 1956, Everson served with the 336th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina, until February 1961. He was stationed with the 80th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Itazuke AB and then Yokota AB, Japan, from February 1961 to December 1964, and then with the 562nd and then the 561st Tactical Fighter Squadron at McConnell AFB, Kansas, from December 1964 to November 1966. Maj Everson began flying combat missions in Southeast Asia with the 354th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Takhli Royal Thai AFB, Thailand, in November 1966, and he was forced to eject over North Vietnam and was taken as a Prisoner of War on March 10, 1967. After spending 2,186 days in captivity, LtCol Everson was released during Operation Homecoming on March 4, 1973. He was hospitalized to recover from his injuries at Scott AFB, Illinois, and then attended Air War College at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, graduating in August 1974. He then completed refresher flight training at Randolph AFB, Texas, followed by F-111 Aardvark upgrade training at Nellis AFB, Nevada. Col Everson's final assignment was with the ACEVAL/AIMVAL project at Nellis AFB, where he ran an independent analysis team in the Joint Test and Evaluations that took place at Nellis between 1974 and 1978. He retired from the Air Force on July 31, 1978. David Everson and his wife Karlene were married in 1953 and had three children together before her death on October 29, 1980 - DeAnn, David, and Daniel. David Everson Flew West on January 11, 2024, and was buried at Lakeview Cemetery in Aitkin, Minnesota.

His 2nd Silver Star Citation reads:

For gallantry and intrepidity in action in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force during August 1967, while a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam. Ignoring international agreements on treatment of prisoners of war, the enemy resorted to mental and physical cruelties to obtain information, confessions, and propaganda materials. Lieutenant Colonel Everson resisted their demands by calling upon his deepest inner strengths in a manner which reflected his devotion to duty and great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.