Jim Marsh
Starwalker7@comcasst.net
Member, of 3rd, RRU., 1962-63.
4384, South, 1100, East, Salt Lake City, Ut., 841248, USA
Let's, get it right.
http://Patriotriders.org
Although Tom, (If you called him "Jim," you didn't know him) died, before my arrival at 3rd, RRU., I well knew the people who recovered, his body. They stated, that his weapon was a U.S., Army issue Carbine, cal. .30, M2, semi, or fully automatic, gas piston operated, shoulder weapon. By their count, he had expended his entire basic load, of 90, rounds, of ammunition and there were indications, that he had fought on with rifle stock and knife. The base station of the 3d, RRU., at Ton San Nhut, was named after him, Det., 1, of that unit, stationed, in Danang and later in Phu Bai, were unoficially named by those of us, who were there and opened those units, as "Davis I," Lawrence k Ludwig, Sgt., Donn Mann and others, can verify this. We were issued, the U.S., carbine Cal., 30, gas-operated, shoulder weapon M-2, as our basic service weapon. I swapped a case of Wild Turkey, to Special Forces for a Swedish "K" and two cases, of magazined 9mm, amunition and disassembled, the M-2 and discarded it, into the jungle piece by piece, as we drove back to our unit. The pieces were thrown into the jungle, in 1/4, mile increments, to prevent Charlie, from reassembling the weapon. Tom Davis, rests in honored glory in a small cemetery, near his home town - a site which was visited and honored, by the "Old Spooks and Spies," National Convention, this year.
Sep 8, 2006 |
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LTC Walter (Ron) Cyrus
cyruswr@aol.com
Home town boy
6790 Main Street
Wade, NC 28395 US
I was 10 years old riding home on a school bus in Livingston Tennessee . The bus stopped out of respect as they were laying this young hero to rest. I never would have dreamed that only 7 years later I would be slugging it out in South Viet Nam. I remember TAP's being played during his funeral. It is a day that has lived with me for over 38 years! I saluite you SP4 Tom Davis. One of my childhood hero's. Ron Cyrus LTC, IN US Army.
Thursday, June 01, 2000 |
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Jim Ovall
jovallsr@casscomm.com
Served with him, on Okinawa
Jim Davis, was assigned, from our section to Vietnam, after being on Okinawa, what seems, a short time. On the night, before he left he came around to say good bye, to some of us. He was, carrying his Bible.
Thursday, July 22, 1999 |
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Karen Kovach
kekovac@vulcan.belvoir.army.mil
Davis served, as a 3d, Radio, Research, Unit advisor, to elements, of the ARVN. The truck, in which his team, was riding hit, a road mine and they were ambushed, by the VC.. The men were thrown, from the truck, he managed, to fire several rounds, from his M-1, before being killed. Davis died, defending his comrades-in-arms. He was the first, Army, Security Agency soldier, to be killed, in the Vietnam War. President Johnson, later termed Davis, "the first American, to fall in defense of our freedom, in Vietnam."
Wednesday, April 14, 1999 |
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You, have not been Forgotten.
Thursday, June 28, 2001 |
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Rocky Chilson
philipkirk109@yahoo.com
Comrade/Family Friend
Challis, Idaho, 83226, USA
http://nasaa.npoint.net/davis.html
Served, with Tom on Okinawa, in 1961. Volunteered for "Davis Station" duty, in '63. Have since, become close friends, with Tom's younger brother, jack.
Monday, June 11, 2001 |
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Ronald Gravois
pepere@bellsouth.net
No personal acquaintance
121 Forest Drive
Mandeville, LA 70471
I remember the secret news of his death
I was a Marine corporal serving in the 3rd Marine Division message center on Okinawa in 1961. I knew a little about Vietnam, having recently read Tom Dooley's book and another about Dien Bien Phu. One December evening an urgent, encrypted message was received, directed to the the commanding general. It told of a soldier being killed by hostile fire in Vietnam. The three of us on duty were somewhat shaken up about it, since Okinawa was then the "front line" in the Asian theater. The message served as a wakeup call in our rather boring, peacetime duty. I remember the concern that we shared and that we could not tell the rest of the guys in the company, due to the secret classification. I believe today that casualty must have been Sp4 Davis. Though I never went to Vietnam, I well recall this precurser to the great losses that we all eventually suffered. May he rest in peace, along with all of the other Vietnam heroes.
Thursday, July 05, 2001 |
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Dick Schenck
pokeyolman@adelphia.net
Friend
Harpers Ferry, WV 25425 USA
Jim Davis and I shared a breakfast table at the Metropole BEQ the morning he was killed. I was a Navy Radioman serving with the Army STARCOM at MAAG Saigon. During the course of the day, our circuits to Okinawa were being torn up by VC jammers. Our controllers contacted 3rd RRU at Ton Son Nhut. They used DF to determine that there was a jammer near Ben Hoa that was on our frequency, in addition to our regular transmitter at Phu Lam. Jim Davis took two companies of ARVN troops and portable DF gear up the road towards Ben Hoa to locate and knock out the jammer. This was something that happened on a regular basis. Usually they would find a small group of VC cranking on a jammer. This time however, there was reportedly a battalion size group, using the jammer to draw out the two companies of ARVN's. All were killed. Jim had a carbine with six clips taped to each other, and expended all of his ammo. As the day was ending, while still on watch at MAAG, I processed the CROWN report (notification of a casuality) and sent it out by teletype. There had been a number of casualities before Jim, but I think he was the first to be counted as a combatant. We sent him into harms way where he lost his life. His bravery will forever be remembered by those whose lives he touched. He will be mourned, and missed.
Saturday, April 13, 2002 |
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George Bratina
gbratina@foxinternet.net
Personal Friend/Fellow Soldier
9620 N. Farmdale Street
Spokane, WA 99208 USA
Tom Davis and I attended a Radio Direction Finding Course at Ft. Devens, MA, in 1959-1959 time period. He was in the class behind me. After graduation I was assigned to the Republic of China. I didn't learn of Tom's death until some time in 1961, when a mutual friend came to Shu Lin Kou and told me what had happened. I wrote a tribute to Tom, that was published in the "Military Magazine" about two years ago.
Saturday, December 07, 2002 |
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Francis Kaufman
Just, a few words, to HONOR your memory, on the day, you made the SUPREME SACRIFICE, in 1961. You will, never be forgotten.
Sunday, December 22, 2002 |
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