Davis, Raymond Gilbert, Jr., Gen., 1995 August 15

This is a Living History interview with General Raymond Davis, class of 1938, conducted by Marilyn Somers on August 15, 1995 at his home in Stockbridge, Georgia. The subject of this interview is his life and experiences at Georgia Tech. General Davis begins with his family history and moves quickly into the impact that ROTC had on his life. He was involved in ROTC in high school and continued to make it a high priority when he attended Georgia Tech. He also discusses the jobs he undertook while going to school, including work at the Robbery. During his time at Tech, he was influenced by a number of people, friends, and professors. Among those people were D.M. Smith, Manuel Cortes, and Edwin Patton. At graduation, Gen. Davis won a Marine Corps commission and went to Philadelphia for officer training. After basic school, he joined the First Marine Battalion and shoved off to New Zealand at the beginning of World War II. During WWII, he was involved in battles at Guadalcanal, and Peleliu. His bravery at Peleliu won him the Navy Cross. In the Korean War, Davis met some of the first Chinese forces in battle. His battalion led the way in the Chosin Reservoir Battle. During this battle, he was assigned to rescue the North Division and 100,000 Korean civilians. His success here won him the Medal of Honor. He also served under Gen. Abrams in the Vietnam War. After Vietnam, Gen. Davis taught at Quantico and worked to have a Korean War Memorial built. Gen. Davis then talks briefly of Tech’s influence on his life. He finishes the interview talking about his family.