#VeteranOfTheDay Navy Veteran William Davis

On Sept. 2, 1955, as a student at Archbishop John Carroll High School in Washington D.C, William Davis enlisted in the U.S. Naval Ready Reserve. He served aboard USS Robert F. Keller as a once-per-week drilling Reservist.

In the summer between his junior and senior year of high school, Davis went to U.S. Naval Training Center at Bainbridge, Maryland, on the Susquehanna River. Shortly after graduating high school, at the age of 19, he enlisted as an active duty sailor. Davis went to Naval Hospital Corps School for medical training that lasted 16 weeks at Great Lakes, Illinois. Following completion of his medical training in September 1957, he served at U.S. Naval Hospital in Great Lakes. His first duty assignment was the orthopedic ward and physical therapy department.

In June 1960, Davis reported to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where he would lead the physical therapy department. One of his most memorable events while in the Navy was the opportunity to attend the Bob Hope Christmas show at Guantanamo in 1960, a USO show featuring Andy Williams and Bob Hope.

After completing 13 months overseas, Davis went to U.S. Naval Air Station Los Alamitos (currently named Joint Forces Training Base-Los Alamitos). In 1965, he relocated to the U.S. Naval Air Facility in Washington D.C (currently part of Joint Base Andrews). After two tours of duty, Davis reported to U.S. Naval Air Station Miramar, California (currently named Marine Corps Air Station Miramar) where he was in charge of the physical examination room. In this role, he oversaw the examinations of all Navy aviators. In January 1979, Davis received orders back to the U.S. Naval Air Facility in Washington D.C. to become the supervisor of medical records.

On Oct. 31, 1980, Davis retired at the rank of hospital corpsman first class after 25 years of total service, including 23 active duty and two reserve while in high school. He received a National Defense Service Medal and a Good Conduct Medal during his service.

Davis later married Judy Davis on Nov. 8, 1998. Today, they live in Carmichael, a suburb of Sacramento, California. The Davis’ are active members in the Catholic church, and Davis is a member and volunteer of the Knights of Columbus.

Thank you for your service!

---

Nominate a Veteran for #VeteranOfTheDay

Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.

It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.

---

Contributors

Writer: Alec Zimmerman

Editor: Christopher Wilson

Fact checker: Ileana Rodrigues, Shiv Lamba

Graphic artist: Katie Rahill