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Korean War Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient
General Raymond G. Davis, USMC
General Davis with his
Medal of Honor.
Photo courtesy of the
Georgia Tech Alumni Association.
"He is a true American hero."
Senator Zell Miller, Honorary Chairman of the General Ray Davis Memorial Endowment
General Davis was commended for service and self-sacrifice throughout his career and in retirement. The following are some notable citations.
Never a shouter, never profane, never a grandstander, Ray Davis expressed his thoughts with gentlemanly precision and razor-sharp logic, never closed his mind on a topic, ever remaining willing to re-open the dialogue or reconsider a decision. His soft-spoken guidance carried more authority than the strident bellowing of some other leaders.
Major General Carl Hoffman, USMC (retired), c. 1995
By his superb leadership, outstanding courage and brilliant tactical ability, Lieutenant Colonel Davis was directly instrumental in saving the beleaguered rifle company from complete annihilation and enabled the two Marine regiments to escape possible destruction. His valiant devotion to duty and unyielding fighting spirit in the face of almost insurmountable odds enhance and sustain the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
President Harry S. Truman, Citation on the Presentation of the Medal of Honor, 1952
President Harry S. Truman, in the White House Ceremony on November 24, 1952, reads the citation accompanying Marine Lieutenant Colonel Raymond G. Davis' Medal of Honor. Davis' wife, Willa Knox and children Raymond G. Davis, Jr., Gordon and Willa look on. Photo from The Story of Ray Davis.
Although wounded during the first hour of landing, Major Davis refused evacuation to remain with his Battalion's assault elements in many hazardous missions. On one occasion, when large gaps occurred in our front lines as the result of heavy casualties, and his right flank company was disorganized by point-blank enemy cannon fire following a successful nine hundred yard penetration through heavily defended lines, he rallied and personally led combined troops into these gaps to establish contact and maintain hasty defensive positions for the remainder of the night. Despite many casualties from close-range sniper fire, he remained in the vicinity of the front line, coordinating artillery and Naval gunfire support with such effect that several determined counterattacks were repulsed. His outstanding courage, devotion to duty, and leadership were in keeping with the highest tradition of the United States Naval Service.
John L. Sullivan, Secretary of the Navy, about events at Peleliu, on the Presentation of the Navy Cross, 1945
Wedding Portrait, 1942.
He's a real American hero.
Professor John Endicott, Director of the Center for International Strategy, Technology, and Policy, Georgia Tech, 2003
. . . Ray Davis is endowed with those qualities of mind and person which fit a Marine officer for command and which attract and stimulate the respect and enthusiasm of both his seniors and juniors. He is highly active, moves quickly and with confidence to the jugular of any problem, yet at the same time he is deferential, courteous, and extremely modest. He is equal to any occasion as it arises and, in my opinion, is preeminently qualified for, and should rise to, the top ranks of his profession. His duties have involved joint efforts with officers of other Services and high echelons of our own government.
Brigadier General J.M. Masters, Sr., Asst. Chief of Staff, G-2, Marine Corps Headquarters, fitness report, 1959
Photo used with the permission of the Georgia Institute of Technology Library and Information Center.
Looking back over the years, I have come to realize what a tremendous individual he was. I think you will agree that he had a superb tactical abilityprobably the finest division commander the Corps has ever had. I was fortunate enough to have seen him remotivate an entire Division so that it became a winning team.
Colonel Dick Camp (retired), former aide to General Davis, c. 1995
All of General Davis' community service accomplishments are too numerous to mention in their entirety, but suffice it to say he personifies the definition of a "public servant." His courage, devotion to duty, leadership, and lifetime of exceptionally meritorious service epitomize the true intent of the Medal of Freedom . In war and peace, as an active duty Marine and as a private citizen, General Davis' outstanding courage, unwavering devotion to duty, inspiring leadership, and sound judgment have represented the highest traditions of military service and citizenship. He is a true American hero.
Senator Zell Miller (Georgia), nomination for the Presidential Medal of Freedom, 2003
"Above all, I see myself as a man of action. . ."
General Raymond G. Davis
Vietnam, 1968.
Photo from The Ray Davis Story.
Raymond G. Davis was born to Zelma Tribby Davis and Raymond Roy Davis in Fitzgerald, Georgia, in 1915. After graduating from Atlanta Technical High School, where he participated in ROTC and varsity wrestling, Davis entered the chemical engineering program at Georgia Tech. Serving in the ROTC and working in a bakery at night to make ends meet, Davis managed to have an active social life while completing a rigorous course of study. He completed his Bachelor of Science in 1938 and was selected as Georgia Tech's candidate for a Marine Commission for that year.
As a major at Guadalcanal and Peleliu in World War II, Davis earned the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism. As lieutenant colonel in the Korean War, he received the Medal of Honor. And, as major general and commanding general in Vietnam, he won the Distinguished Service Medal. In addition to his service in battle, Davis also served in every possible staff or command assignmentincluding Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corpsduring his career in the military. He became one of the most decorated veterans in U.S. History. In his "retirement," General Davis engineered the Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C.; ran the Georgia Chamber of Commerce; and represented veterans, at home and abroad, as he gave talks about U.S. foreign policy in Northeast Asia.
An officer and a gentleman, Davis married Willa "Knox" Heafner in 1942. In General Davis' absence during times of wara total of almost six yearsMrs. Davis ran the home and the family, but the couple stayed connected with daily correspondence. In letters and conversation, the general and his colleagues consistently praised Mrs. Davis for her own strength and courage as a Marine Corps wife.
General Davis passed away September 3, 2003. He is survived by his wife, two sons, a daughter and seven grandchildren.
RETIRED GENERAL DAVIS OF U.S. MARINE CORPS ATTEND AN HONOR GUARD CEREMONY IN SEOUL - Retired General Raymond G. Davis, former Assistant Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps and recipient of the 1950 Medal of Honor in Korea, attends an honor guard ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Korean War's Northern Campaigns at Yongsan garrison in Seoul November 11, 2000. Currently, some 37,000 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea, which is still technically at war with North Korea after the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce instead of a peace agreement. Reuters/Lee Jae-won
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