Staff Sergeant Devlin was a passenger on a B-29 Superfortress Bomber assigned to the 375th Bomber Squadron, 308th Bomber Wing based at Hunter Air Force Base. On 29 March 1953, the aircraft departed from Lajes Field, Azores enroute to Hunter AFB. Shortly after takeoff it crashed near Praia, Terceira Island, Azores killing six airmen.

Devlin was awarded the National Defense Service Medal.