thedrifter
09-11-03, 09:16 AM
09-10-2003
MoH Recipient: Hero of the ‘Frozen Chosin’ – Gen. Raymond G. Davis
By Robert A. Lynn
Retired Marine Gen. Raymond G. Davis, one of the most decorated fighting men in U.S. military history, died on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2003 of a heart attack. Over the past week, tributes to Davis have poured in from around the nation as veterans, friends and admirers recalled his dedicated service in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam War – and his steadfast efforts in retirement to battle for veterans’ issues.
The son of an Atlanta confectioner, Davis was born in 1915. After graduating with a degree in chemical engineering from Georgia Tech in 1937 during the Great Depression, Davis joined the military, which had some of the only jobs available.
He received his commission as a Marine Corps second lieutenant and subsequently took part in some of the worst fighting in the Pacific.
Davis commanded an antiaircraft machine-gun battery on Guadalcanal in 1942, then served as a battalion commander in the 1st Marine Division during the invasion of Peleliu in September 1944. Although wounded in the knee in that battle, Davis refused to be evacuated. He later led his battalion in an attack on Japanese forces for which he received the Navy Cross, the second-highest award for bravery.
General Davis became renowned in the Marines for his heroics in December 1950 at the Chosin Reservoir in what is now North Korea, nicknamed the “Frozen Chosin” for the severe cold weather in which the battle was fought. Davis played a major part in the success of the Marines’ fighting withdrawal out from an encircling Red Army that vastly outnumbered the American force.
Davis’s unit, the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, was ordered to rescue a smaller force of Marines who were trapped in deep snows astride a vital mountain pass. He led his on an eight-mile march past surrounding enemy forces, climbing primitive, icy trails in temperatures as much as 30 degrees below zero. At one point, Davis was knocked to the ground when a shell fragment struck his helmet, and his clothing was pierced by enemy fire. But he continued to lead his battalion.
The rescuers finally reached an isolated Marine company that had only 80 or so men remaining. Davis then led them to secured a vital opening called the Toktong Pass, enabling two other Marine regiments to escape.
On the morning of Dec. 4, the rescue mission completed, Davis led his battalion back to their base camp in Hagaru-ri. Shortly thereafter, Davis was named executive officer of the 7th Marine Regiment, remaining in Korea until June 1951.
Davis went to war for the third time in 1968, taking command of the 3rd Marine Division in Vietnam. In 1971, he attained four-star rank and was named Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps. He retired from military service the following year.
He performed one more service in 1995 as a member of the Korean War Memorial advisory board.
Last year, Davis was among a small group of Korean War veterans permitted by North Korea to visit the mountainous area at the western side of the Chosin Reservoir where he had led the rescue more than half a century earlier. It was the first time that North Korea had allowed Americans to visit that site.
During his 34 years of military service, Davis received – in addition to the Medal of Honor –the Navy Cross, two Distinguished Service Medals, two Silver Stars, two Legion of Merits, one Bronze Star, and one Purple Heart.
Receiving word of Davis’s death, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue called him a “leader during my campaign and an advisor in my administration” and ordered flags to fly at half-staff on Monday, Sept. 8, the day of his funeral.
U.S. Sen. Zell Miller, D-GA, took to the U.S. Senate floor last Thursday to call Davis a “true American hero” who “represented the highest traditions of military service and citizenship.”
His friends shared memories, some joking that they always expressed surprise that the diminutive five-foot-six Davis didn’t fall down from the weight of all his medals.
“If you looked at him, this man so small in stature, you’d never know that he earned every military award in the book,” said Thaddeus Sobieski, 76, former president of the Atlanta chapter of Korean War Veterans, which is known as the Davis Chapter. “But he was a real pepper pod. You don’t earn those honors without being the bravest of the brave.”
One vignette that all who knew him recalled with affection occurred On Nov. 24, 1952, when he received the Medal of Honor from President Harry S. Truman.
Upon presenting Davis the Medal of Honor for his heroics at the Chosin Reservoir, Truman he remarked, “I’d rather have this medal than be president.” Davis said he wasn’t inclined to swap.
Davis was 88 years old at the time of his passing. He is survived by his wife, Willa; two sons, Raymond Davis Jr. of Covington, Ga., and Gordon Miles Davis, who lives in Alabama; a daughter, Willa Kerr of Stockbridge; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Robert A. Lynn is Medal of Honor Editor of DefenseWatch. He can be reached at militaryhistorywriter@yahoo.com.
Medal of Honor – Davis, Raymond G., Lt. Col. USMC
Organization: Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Reinforced)
Place and Date: Vicinity Hagaru-ri, Korea, 1 through 4 December 1950
Entered Service At: Atlanta, Ga.; Born: 13 January 1915, Fitzgerald, Ga.
Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion, in action against enemy aggressor forces. Although keenly aware that the operation involved breaking through a surrounding enemy and advancing eight miles along primitive icy trails in the bitter cold with every passage disputed by a savage and determined foe, Lt. Colonel Davis boldly led his battalion into the attack in a daring attempt to relieve a beleaguered rifle company and to seize, hold, and defend a vital mountain pass controlling the only route available for two U.S. Marine regiments in danger of being cut off by numerically superior hostile forces during their re-deployment to the port of Hungnam.
When the battalion immediately encountered strong opposition from entrenched enemy forces commanding high ground in the path of the advance, he promptly spearheaded his unit in a fierce attack up the steep, ice-covered slopes in the face of withering fire and, personally leading the assault groups in a hand-to-hand encounter, drove the hostile troops from their positions, rested his men, and reconnoitered the area under enemy fire to determine the best route for continuing the mission.
Always in the thick of the fighting, Lt. Colonel Davis led his battalion over three successive ridges in the deep snow in continuous attacks against the enemy and, constantly inspiring and encouraging his men throughout the night, brought his unit to a point within 1,500 yards of the surrounded rifle company by daybreak. Although knocked to the ground when a shell fragment struck his helmet and two bullets pierced his clothing, he arose and fought his way forward at the head of his men until he reached the isolated U.S. Marines.
On the following morning, he bravely led his battalion in securing the vital mountain pass from a strongly entrenched and numerically superior hostile force, carrying all his wounded with him, including twenty-two litter cases and numerous ambulatory patients.
Despite repeated savage and heavy assaults by the enemy, he stubbornly held the vital terrain until two regiments of the 1st Marine Division had deployed through the pass and, on the morning of 4 December, led his battalion into Hagaru-ri intact.
By his superb leadership, outstanding courage, and brilliant tactical ability, Lt. Colonel Davis was directly instrumental in saving the beleaguered rifle company from complete annihilation and enabled the two U.S. 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 U.S. Naval Service.
http://www.sftt.org/cgi-bin/csNews/csNews.cgi?database=DefenseWatch.db&command=viewone&op=t&id=192&rnd=706.3049015037687
Sempers,
Roger
:marine:
MoH Recipient: Hero of the ‘Frozen Chosin’ – Gen. Raymond G. Davis
By Robert A. Lynn
Retired Marine Gen. Raymond G. Davis, one of the most decorated fighting men in U.S. military history, died on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2003 of a heart attack. Over the past week, tributes to Davis have poured in from around the nation as veterans, friends and admirers recalled his dedicated service in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam War – and his steadfast efforts in retirement to battle for veterans’ issues.
The son of an Atlanta confectioner, Davis was born in 1915. After graduating with a degree in chemical engineering from Georgia Tech in 1937 during the Great Depression, Davis joined the military, which had some of the only jobs available.
He received his commission as a Marine Corps second lieutenant and subsequently took part in some of the worst fighting in the Pacific.
Davis commanded an antiaircraft machine-gun battery on Guadalcanal in 1942, then served as a battalion commander in the 1st Marine Division during the invasion of Peleliu in September 1944. Although wounded in the knee in that battle, Davis refused to be evacuated. He later led his battalion in an attack on Japanese forces for which he received the Navy Cross, the second-highest award for bravery.
General Davis became renowned in the Marines for his heroics in December 1950 at the Chosin Reservoir in what is now North Korea, nicknamed the “Frozen Chosin” for the severe cold weather in which the battle was fought. Davis played a major part in the success of the Marines’ fighting withdrawal out from an encircling Red Army that vastly outnumbered the American force.
Davis’s unit, the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, was ordered to rescue a smaller force of Marines who were trapped in deep snows astride a vital mountain pass. He led his on an eight-mile march past surrounding enemy forces, climbing primitive, icy trails in temperatures as much as 30 degrees below zero. At one point, Davis was knocked to the ground when a shell fragment struck his helmet, and his clothing was pierced by enemy fire. But he continued to lead his battalion.
The rescuers finally reached an isolated Marine company that had only 80 or so men remaining. Davis then led them to secured a vital opening called the Toktong Pass, enabling two other Marine regiments to escape.
On the morning of Dec. 4, the rescue mission completed, Davis led his battalion back to their base camp in Hagaru-ri. Shortly thereafter, Davis was named executive officer of the 7th Marine Regiment, remaining in Korea until June 1951.
Davis went to war for the third time in 1968, taking command of the 3rd Marine Division in Vietnam. In 1971, he attained four-star rank and was named Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps. He retired from military service the following year.
He performed one more service in 1995 as a member of the Korean War Memorial advisory board.
Last year, Davis was among a small group of Korean War veterans permitted by North Korea to visit the mountainous area at the western side of the Chosin Reservoir where he had led the rescue more than half a century earlier. It was the first time that North Korea had allowed Americans to visit that site.
During his 34 years of military service, Davis received – in addition to the Medal of Honor –the Navy Cross, two Distinguished Service Medals, two Silver Stars, two Legion of Merits, one Bronze Star, and one Purple Heart.
Receiving word of Davis’s death, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue called him a “leader during my campaign and an advisor in my administration” and ordered flags to fly at half-staff on Monday, Sept. 8, the day of his funeral.
U.S. Sen. Zell Miller, D-GA, took to the U.S. Senate floor last Thursday to call Davis a “true American hero” who “represented the highest traditions of military service and citizenship.”
His friends shared memories, some joking that they always expressed surprise that the diminutive five-foot-six Davis didn’t fall down from the weight of all his medals.
“If you looked at him, this man so small in stature, you’d never know that he earned every military award in the book,” said Thaddeus Sobieski, 76, former president of the Atlanta chapter of Korean War Veterans, which is known as the Davis Chapter. “But he was a real pepper pod. You don’t earn those honors without being the bravest of the brave.”
One vignette that all who knew him recalled with affection occurred On Nov. 24, 1952, when he received the Medal of Honor from President Harry S. Truman.
Upon presenting Davis the Medal of Honor for his heroics at the Chosin Reservoir, Truman he remarked, “I’d rather have this medal than be president.” Davis said he wasn’t inclined to swap.
Davis was 88 years old at the time of his passing. He is survived by his wife, Willa; two sons, Raymond Davis Jr. of Covington, Ga., and Gordon Miles Davis, who lives in Alabama; a daughter, Willa Kerr of Stockbridge; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Robert A. Lynn is Medal of Honor Editor of DefenseWatch. He can be reached at militaryhistorywriter@yahoo.com.
Medal of Honor – Davis, Raymond G., Lt. Col. USMC
Organization: Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Reinforced)
Place and Date: Vicinity Hagaru-ri, Korea, 1 through 4 December 1950
Entered Service At: Atlanta, Ga.; Born: 13 January 1915, Fitzgerald, Ga.
Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion, in action against enemy aggressor forces. Although keenly aware that the operation involved breaking through a surrounding enemy and advancing eight miles along primitive icy trails in the bitter cold with every passage disputed by a savage and determined foe, Lt. Colonel Davis boldly led his battalion into the attack in a daring attempt to relieve a beleaguered rifle company and to seize, hold, and defend a vital mountain pass controlling the only route available for two U.S. Marine regiments in danger of being cut off by numerically superior hostile forces during their re-deployment to the port of Hungnam.
When the battalion immediately encountered strong opposition from entrenched enemy forces commanding high ground in the path of the advance, he promptly spearheaded his unit in a fierce attack up the steep, ice-covered slopes in the face of withering fire and, personally leading the assault groups in a hand-to-hand encounter, drove the hostile troops from their positions, rested his men, and reconnoitered the area under enemy fire to determine the best route for continuing the mission.
Always in the thick of the fighting, Lt. Colonel Davis led his battalion over three successive ridges in the deep snow in continuous attacks against the enemy and, constantly inspiring and encouraging his men throughout the night, brought his unit to a point within 1,500 yards of the surrounded rifle company by daybreak. Although knocked to the ground when a shell fragment struck his helmet and two bullets pierced his clothing, he arose and fought his way forward at the head of his men until he reached the isolated U.S. Marines.
On the following morning, he bravely led his battalion in securing the vital mountain pass from a strongly entrenched and numerically superior hostile force, carrying all his wounded with him, including twenty-two litter cases and numerous ambulatory patients.
Despite repeated savage and heavy assaults by the enemy, he stubbornly held the vital terrain until two regiments of the 1st Marine Division had deployed through the pass and, on the morning of 4 December, led his battalion into Hagaru-ri intact.
By his superb leadership, outstanding courage, and brilliant tactical ability, Lt. Colonel Davis was directly instrumental in saving the beleaguered rifle company from complete annihilation and enabled the two U.S. 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 U.S. Naval Service.
http://www.sftt.org/cgi-bin/csNews/csNews.cgi?database=DefenseWatch.db&command=viewone&op=t&id=192&rnd=706.3049015037687
Sempers,
Roger
:marine: