John was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on the 22nd of January 1877, and he later joined the US Navy from Massachusetts. When he deployed to Cuba in support of the Spanish-American War, he was a Landsman, which was the lowest rate in the Navy at the time, and his actions during the severing of an underwater communications cable later earned him the Medal of Honor. The citation reads:

On board the U.S.S. Nashville during the operation of cutting the cable leading from Cienfuegos, Cuba, 11 May 1898. Facing the heavy fire of the enemy, Rilley displayed extraordinary bravery and coolness throughout this action.

John received the Medal of Honor in July of 1899, and I am unsure if he remained in the Navy or for how long. I did find that John was married to Theresa McDonald and the couple had one son. John Phillip Riley died on the 16th of November 1950, at the age of 73, and he is buried with his wife in the Greenlawn Cemetery in Salem, Massachusetts: Eulalia Path, Lot S2751, Grave 2751.