Master Sgt. Thomas Davis
Having lived a life of service, retired Master Sgt. E-8 Thomas Davis is incredibly grateful to have survived not one, but three wars, multiple tours of duty to Japan, Korea and Vietnam and the witnessing of bombs dropping on the USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor, all during a time when it was difficult for an African American to join the military.
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“sFC:?8 E92E E:>6[ 2== J@F 4@F=5 36 H2D 2 4@@< @C 2 DE6H2C5[ D@ x H@C<65 :? 7@@5 D6CG:46] x H2D :? E96 324<8C@F?5[ 2?5 x’> AC@F5 @7 H92E x’G6 5@?6[ 3FE E96 >2:? E9:?8 :D x’> AC@F5 E@ 92G6 4@>6 @FE =:<6 x 5:5[” D2:5 s2G:D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%96 ECF6 DF446DD @7 9:D G:4E@C:6D =:6D :? E96 724E E92E 96 ?@E @?=J 42>6 @FE F?D42E965 7C@> b_ J62CD H:E9 E96 &]$] pC>65 u@C46D 3FE 2=D@ 5:5 ?@E 92G6 2? 62DJ DE2CE E@ =:76] s2G:D’ >@E96C 5:65 H96? 96 H2D `_ J62CD @=5[ 2?5 9:D @=56C 3C@E96C C2:D65 9:> :? |@?E8@>6CJ[ p=232>2[ F?E:= 96 5C@AA65 @FE @7 D49@@= :? E96 `_E9 8C256]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qms2G:D E96? H6?E @? E@ H@C< 2E 2 8C@46CJ DE@C6[ H96C6 2? 2DD:DE2?E >2?286C[ H9@ 925 C646?E=J C6EFC?65 7C@> 2 E@FC :? E96 }2GJ[ 4@?G:?465 9:> E@ ;@:?] pE 286 `h[ H:E9@FE 7:?:D9:?8 9:D 65F42E:@?[ s2G:D 7:8FC65 :E H2D 2E =62DE 2 A2J4964< 2?5 2 8@@5 H2J E@ >2<6 >@?6J]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“u@C D:I J62CD[ x >256 Sa` 2 >@?E9[ 2?5 x ?6G6C =@@<65 324<[ 2?5 x’G6 ?6G6C 366? 3C@<6 2 52J :? >J =:76[” D2:5 E96 {@H?56D r@F?EJ ?2E:G6] “qFE :E H2D D:I =@?8 J62CD]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmp7E6C 3@@E 42>A :? }@C7@=<[ ':C8:?:2[ s2G:D H2D EC2?D76CC65 E@ $2? s:68@[ r2=:7@C?:2[ H96C6 96 H2D 2DD:8?65 E@ E96 &$$ (9:E?6J[ H9:49 6>32C<65 @? 2 E@FC E@ w2H2::] {F4< H2D @? 9:D D:56 5FC:?8 E92E EC:A :? H9:49 s2G:D 6D42A65 92C>’D H2J 3642FD6 @7 2 D:?8=6 49@:46 >256]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“%96 8FJ E92E H6?E :?E@ E96 }2GJ H:E9 >6[ 96 H2D @? E96 &$$ pC:K@?2 2?5 D2:5[ ‘(9J 5@?’E J@F 4@>6 FA 2?5 DA6?5 E96 ?:89E H:E9 >6[ 2?5 H6’== 9625 E@ w@?@=F=F E@ E96 4=F3Dn’ x D2:5 x’== DE2J @? >J @H? D9:A 2?5 >66E J@F 2E E96 5@4<] xE H2D E96 36DE >@G6 x 6G6C >256] w6’D ?@E 96C6[ 2?5 x’> DE:== 96C6[ 5C:?<:?8 >2CE:?:D[” D2:5 s2G:D[ H9@ H:E?6DD65 E96 7:CDE y2A2?6D6 2EE24< @? E92E G6CJ D9:A E96 ?6IE >@C?:?8]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmq6:?8 2 >:=6 7C@> E96 D:E6[ s2G:D D2:5 96 D2H 2 3@>3 5C@A 5@H? E96 DE24< @7 E96 pC:K@?2 2?5 DA=:E :E C:89E :? 92=7]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmw:D E62> E96? H6?E E@ E96 :?G2D:@?D @7 vF252=42?2= 2?5 E96 y2A2?6D6 xD=2?5D H96C6 96 4@?E:?F65 E@ @A6C2E6 >6DD 92==D F?E:= 96 H2D EC2?D76CC65 E@ !@42E6==@[ x529@[ 2 A=246 96 925 ?6G6C 6G6? 962C5 @7[ 96 D2:5[ E@ H@C< 2E 2 }2GJ @C5:?2?46 A=2?E]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm(96? !C6D:56?E #@@D6G6=E 564=2C65 E92E p7C:42? p>6C:42?D 4@F=5 ?@H ;@:? E96 |2C:?6D 2?5 DH:E49 7C@> E96 }2GJ :7 9@=5:?8 >@C6 E92? EH@ J62CD @7 5FEJ 2E E96 D2>6 C2?<[ s2G:D ;F>A65 2E E96 492?46] w6 DH:E4965 D6CG:46D 2?5 H2D 2? t\e C2?<[ 6BF:G2=6?E E@ 2 vF??6CJ $2C86?E :? E96 &]$] |2C:?6 r@CAD] w6 H@C<65 :? E96 @77:46CD’ >6DD6D 7@C E96 ?6IE a_ J62CD 2?5 D9:AA65 @77 E@ z@C62 :? `hd_ H96C6 96 2=D@ H2D :? E96 >:=:E2CJ A@=:46]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“w6C6 x H2D E9:?<:?8[ ‘(92E E96 964< 92G6 x 8@EE6? >JD6=7 :?E@n’ w6C6 x 2> @? >J H2J E@ z@C62 H:E9 2 A24< @? >J 324< 2?5 2 C:7=6 :? >J 92?5] qFE x >256 :E[” D2:5 s2G:D] “(96? J@F >2<6 2 =2?5:?8 @? E96D6 D9:AD[ 2?5 J@F D66 |2C:?6D 5J:?8 6G6CJ 52J[ 2== 5J:?8 @FE :? E96 H2E6C E96C6 – @9[ :E’D D@>6E9:?8 E@ D66] x ?6G6C H2?E E@ D66 :E 282:?]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmw@H6G6C[ 9:D >6>@C:6D @7 z@C62 H6C6?’E 2== EC2F>2E:K:?8] s2G:D D2:5 96 7@F?5 9:D H@C< 2D 2? |! 6I4:E:?8 2?5 A2CE:4F=2C=J E@@< 56=:89E :? 492D:?8 5CF?<6? D@=5:6CD @77 E96 DEC66E 2E ?:89E E@ 6?DFC6 E96J >256 :E 324< E@ E96:C 32CC24<D @? E:>6] w:D E:>6 :? z@C62 H2D D9@CE[ 2?5 s2G:D 7:?:D965 @FE 9:D E@FC :? y2A2? 367@C6 C6EFC?:?8 E@ %C62DFC6 xD=2?5 :? $2? uC2?4:D4@]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qms2G:D D2:5 E96 36DE ;@3 96’D 6G6C 925 H2D :? ':6E?2>[ H96C6 96 G@=F?E2C:=J 6?=:DE65 E@ D6CG6[ 56DA:E6 E96 96D:E2E:@? 7C@> 9:D 7C:6?5D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“|J 3F55:6D E@=5 >6 x H2D 4C2KJ] %96J D2:5[ ‘*@F’C6 8@:?8 E@ ':6E?2> E@ 86E 2 52>? DEC:A6Pn’ x D2:5 964<[ x DFCG:G65 !62C= w2C3@C[ x 42? DFCG:G6 ':6E?2> 2?5 E96? D@>6[” D2:5 s2G:D] “x 8@E >J DEC:A6[ E@@]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmw6 4@?E:?F65 9:D H@C< :? 7@@5 D6CG:46 2?5 @A6C2E65 E96 >6DD 7@C E96 86?6C2= 2?5 2 76H 4@=@?6=D[ 3FE 96 925 EH@ >2:5D[ EH@ 6?=:DE65 2?5 E96 FD6 @7 E96 86?6C2=’D 42C E@ A:4< FA 9:D DFAA=:6D[ 96 D2:5]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“x 925 :E >256[” 25565 s2G:D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmp7E6C C6EFC?:?8 E@ $2? uC2?4:D4@ E@ C6E:C6 7C@> E96 >:=:E2CJ[ s2G:D >6E 9:D H:76[ {F=2[ 2?5 E96J >2CC:65 :? `hg_] w2G:?8 6IA6C:6?46 :? 7@@5 D6CG:46[ 96 EC:65 9:D 92?5 2E 42E6C:?8 :? {28F?2 q6249[ r2=:7@C?:2[ 7@C 2 76H J62CD 367@C6 8@:?8 :?E@ D64FC:EJ 2E E96 (2E6C82E6 :? r2=:7@C?:2 F?E:= 96 C6E:C65]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm(96? E96 3C@E96C H9@ C2:D65 9:> 3642>6 D:4<[ s2G:D >@G65 324< 9@>6 E@ |@?E8@>6CJ E@ A2J :E 7@CH2C5 2?5 96=A @FE H:E9 9:D 3C@E96C’D `d 49:=5C6?[ ?:?6 @7 H9@> 42CC:65 @? E96 EC25:E:@? @7 ;@:?:?8 E96 D6CG:46]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“|J 3C@E96C 2=H2JD D2:5[ ‘x FD6 E@ 36 E96 >2?[ 2?5 %@> H2D E96 3@J] }@H %@>’D E96 >2? 2?5 x’> E96 3@J[’” D2:5 s2G:D[ H9@ DE:== 92D 2 9@>6 :? |@?E8@>6CJ 3FE DA6?5D >@DE 52JD 2E E96 q:== }:49@=D $E2E6 '6E6C2?D w@>6 :? p=6I2?56C r:EJ]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmq6:?8 E96 D@=6 DFCG:G@C @7 !62C= w2C3@C @7 p=232>2 56D46?E[ s2G:D 92D 366? 9@?@C65 3J G2C:@FD @C82?:K2E:@?D @G6C E96 J62CD] p 8C@FA :? |@?E8@>6CJ 492CE6C65 2 AC:G2E6 A=2?6 23@FE D6G6? J62CD 28@ E@ 3C:?8 ((xx G6E6C2?D @? 2 E@FC @7 (2D9:?8E@?[ s]r][ 7@C E96 52J] %96 G6E6C2?D’ 9@>6 AC6D6?E65 s2G:D H:E9 2 >62?:?87F= 7C2>65 7=28 2E :ED a_`e '6E6C2?D’ s2J EC:3FE6[ 2?5 E96 #65 rC@DD :? |@?E8@>6CJ 9@?@C65 s2G:D 2E :ED w6C@6D qC62<72DE E9:D A2DE |2C49 2?5 E@=5 9:D :?4C65:3=6 DE@CJ H:E9 2 AC6D6?E2E:@? @7 A:4EFC6D 2?5 ?2CC2E:@?] %96 }2E:@?2= x?72?ECJ |FD6F> :? r@=F>3FD[ v6@C8:2[ H:== 5:DA=2J 2?5 >6>@C:2=:K6 E96 H9@=6 s2G:D 72>:=J 2?5 E96:C D6CG:46 :? 6G6CJ 3C2?49 @7 E96 &]$] pC>65 u@C46D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qms2G:D C6>2:?D E96 @?=J 72>:=J >6>36C E@ 92G6 6G6C ;@:?65 E96 |2C:?6D E9@F89[ 2?5 96 D2:5 96 36=:6G6D E96 >:=:E2CJ :D 2 8C62E DE6AA:?8\DE@?6 7@C 2?J J@F?8 25F=E]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“x? >J 8@:?8 2C@F?5[ x’5 D2J[ ;FDE DE2J A@D:E:G6] p?5 E96 36DE E9:?8 7@C E96D6 J@F?8DE6CD :D E@ ;@:? E96 >:=:E2CJ] *@F 5@?’E 92G6 E@ DE2J 3642FD6 E96 >:=:E2CJ :D ?@E 7@C 6G6CJ3@5J[ 3FE :E’D 2 8@@5 DE2CE[ 6DA64:2==J E@ 86E @FE @7 J@FC >@>>2 2?5 5255J’D 9@FD6 2?5 86E 2=@?8[” D2:5 s2G:D] “%96 >:=:E2CJ E2F89E >6 5:D4:A=:?6 2?5 E2F89E >6 E@ 36 2 >2?]”k^DA2?mk^Am