Glenn B. Davis

Glenn Benson Davis (January 2, 1892 – September 9, 1984) was a highly decorated officer in the United States Navy with the rank of Vice Admiral.

He graduated from the Norwalk High School in May 1909 and received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland in July that year.

Following the United States entry into World War I in April 1917, Davis was assigned to the tanker USS Maumee and embarked for Britain to fuel allied ships.

[6][7] In July 1921, Davis was assigned to the battleship USS Tennessee and served with her within Pacific Fleet until October 1924, when he was ordered to the Naval Proving Ground Dahlgren, Virginia as Experimental officer under Captain Andrew C. Pickens.

[9][10] Davis was ordered back to the Bureau of Ordnance in July 1930 and after two-year duty there, he was appointed commanding officer of destroyer USS Blakeley and participated in the naval operations and exercises with the Scouting Fleet in the Atlantic until March 1934.

Upon the commissioning of the ship in January 1938, Davis was appointed her executive officer under Captain Jules James and took part in the shakedown cruise in the West Indies followed by additional alterations at Philadelphia and further sea trials off the Maine coast.

[12][9] Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and United States' entry into World War II, Davis still served with the Bureau of Ordnance in Washington, D.C., now under his classmate, Rear Admiral William H. P. Blandy.

He led his force during the Isolation of Rabaul, New Britain during the summer of 1943, and after a brief stop at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Davis returned with BatDiv 8 to the Southwest Pacific area.

[14][17] Davis was succeeded by Rear Admiral John F. Shafroth Jr. in December 1944 and prepared for return to the United States, but Typhoon Cobra changed his plans.

Admiral William F. Halsey unwittingly sailed the Third Fleet into the center of the typhoon, and due to 100 mph (87 kn; 45 m/s; 160 km/h) winds, high seas, and torrential rain, three destroyers capsized and sank, with 790 lives lost.

[18] Davis then returned to the United States and assumed duty as Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff, Western Sea Frontier, headquartered in San Francisco under Admiral Royal E. Ingersoll.

[23][9] Vice admiral Glenn B. Davis died there on September 9, 1984, aged 92 and was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia.

Davis (extreme left) as Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff to Admiral Royal E. Ingersoll , Commander, Western Sea Frontier (second from left) during inspection at Naval Supply Depot, Clearfield, Utah in June 1945. Among them is also Vice Admiral John W. Greenslade (center).