STORY BEHIND THE PLAQUE
Service Reflections of LtCol James J. Davies, U.S. Navy (1965-1996)

I don’t know what drew me to the Navy, but I’ve always had a powerful sense of patriotism and wanted to serve my country in some way. The Vietnam War was heating up during my junior year of high school, and I wanted to quit school so that I could do my part, but my father wouldn’t let me. On June 22, 1965, the day I turned 17 1/2, he did allow me to join the Naval Reserves. I attended drills every Tuesday night and on some weekends until I graduated and reported for active duty on June 22, 1966, at Naval Station, Long Beach, CA.

My first permanent duty station was with Inshore Undersea Warfare Group 1 located at Naval Station, Long Beach, CA, where I served as a deck seaman on one of the boats. I was only with IUWG-1 for a few months when I volunteered to deploy to Vietnam with IUWG-1 Western Pacific Detachment, Unit 2. On the East Coast, I served on 2 ships (USS GUAM (LPH-9) and USS AINSWORTH (DE-1090)) and one shore station (Naval Station, Annapolis, MD).

On the west coast, I served on the staffs of a type commander (COMCRUDESPAC) and a squadron commander (COMPHIBRON 5), four ships (USS SAN BERNARDINO (LST-1189), USS GRIDLEY (CG-21), USS VINCENNES (CG-49), USS ESSEX (LHD-2)), two shore duty tours (SM “A” school instructor and Recruit Company Commander), and a neutral duty station (ATGPAC). I believe I made 13 deployments, ranging from 3 to 12 months each.

I served primarily as a signalman but also held many collateral duty billets, including Command Career Counselor, Chief Master at Arms, 3M Coordinator, and Assistant Admin Officer. I was also a ship-handler. Ashore, I served in instructor billets.

Although I did an in-country tour in Vietnam and served in several ships that supported combat operations like the 1970 Jordanian crisis and the 1980 Iranian hostage rescue attempt, I didn’t see combat until I was an SMC in the USS VINCENNES (CG-49). On July 3, 1988, I was the JOOD/Conning Officer during the 04-08 watch. We heard a call on the bridge-to-bridge radio from a merchant ship saying they were being harassed by armed Iranian speed boats. We went to GQ and closed the merchant ship’s position at flank speed, but were soon ordered by COMFIFTHFLT to stand down. A short while later, the same thing happened again, and we were told to stand down again.

The watch ended with us in normal steaming condition in our assigned patrol sector. Later that morning, our helo received small arms fire from several Iranian small craft. As we were paralleling the boats, they turned toward us. Since we didn’t know their intentions and because they had already fired on our helicopter, the CO, CAPT Will Rogers, released guns, and we engaged the boats with our fore and aft 5-inch guns. The guns were radar-controlled and could also be controlled using video cameras. The XO still had me use the “big eyes” to call the fall of the shot; I’m not sure why, but I think it was to reassure the fire control team that their equipment was functioning properly. And it was! I saw at least three of the boats go dead in the water after a VT/FRAG detonated above them. During the running surface action, an unidentified aircraft closed within 6 miles of us, so CAPT Rogers ordered that it be engaged with missiles. Unfortunately, the aircraft turned out to be a civilian airliner and all aboard were killed. We later found evidence that small arms fire from the boats had struck the ship, but no one in our crew was injured.

The notification of my father’s death. I was stationed aboard the USS AINSWORTH (DE-1090). Upon returning from a weekend liberty, the OOD told me to report to the CDO. The CDO told me what had happened and handed me pre-approved leave papers and a check for a month’s advance pay. The duty driver was summoned, and he drove me to the airport; my flight arrangements had already been made. I will never forget how kind and thoughtful my shipmates were that night.

The qualification that means the most to me is that of Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist. I was the first enlisted man awarded the Crossed Cutlasses in the history of the USS San Bernardino (LST-1189).

The medal that means the most to me is my third Navy Achievement Medal. It was awarded by Commander Naval Forces Pacific, VADM Kihune, for writing a 275-page ESWS standard answers guide for Ticonderoga class cruisers.

SM1(SW) Charles W. Davis was the individual who had the most impact on my career. Although I was his Chief on the USS VINCENNES, Charlie took on most of the duties associated with being the Leading Signalman, allowing me to take on other responsibilities, which I believe led to my selection to Senior Chief and ultimately, Master Chief. Charlie left the Navy after 8 years, but he and I remained close friends. He joined the Reserves, where he served in SBU-1 as a Special Warfare Combatant-craft crewman and moved on to MIUWU-106 as assistant training officer for harbor defense and was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal. Realizing that his chances of making CPO in the Reserves as a Signalman were slim, he changed his rating to Intelligence Specialist and returned to active duty. Shortly after doing so, it was discovered that Charlie had a virulent form of brain cancer, and he was medically retired.

He was presented with his second Navy Commendation Medal at his retirement ceremony for the work he did installing and updating the command’s telecommunications equipment. Charlie passed away nearly 2 years later. He had made such an impact on the members of his last command that more than 30 attended his funeral, and 2 Flag Officers sent their condolences.

My tour in Vietnam was pretty uneventful except for the run-in I had with a mob of monkeys while I was on point lookout watch. I was alone on the point when I heard a lot of noise down in the bush in the direction from where we had been told a likely attack would come. I notified the command post by sound-powered phone and was told to take a defensive position, remain quiet, continue to observe, and keep the CP informed. After about half an hour of hiding behind a large rock and nothing else to report, the CP told me to relax and resume my normal lookout position.

About 15 minutes later, I realized that my weapon was loaded, and I couldn’t remember if the safety was on. I figured the easiest way to find out was to squeeze the trigger, so I did. The gun discharged, scaring the hell out of about a dozen monkeys who must have been the noisy culprits that started this whole situation in the first place. Their charging through the underbrush nearly gave me a heart attack!

I became involved in computers over the last fifteen years in the Navy, so I went to college and earned a degree in Computer Information Systems. Just about that time, the tech bubble burst, and the only job I could get related to the field was as an adjunct instructor at the college I graduated from. I taught for 10 years, and now I do what my wife asks me to do.

I belong to the Navy Memorial Society, USS Vincennes (CG-49) Association, and Inshore Undersea Warfare Group 1 Association. All of them provide me with a sense of camaraderie.

Early in my career, I didn’t trust anyone to get a job done without my active participation; I was a perfectionist. I was involved in so many projects that I was quickly overwhelmed. I couldn’t devote the time necessary to any single one of them to achieve the high standards I had set for them. I was very frustrated and angry; my subordinates didn’t have much respect for me and seemed to take joy in seeing me spin my wheels.

I asked a shipmate who always seemed to get his projects done with what appeared to be little effort, how he did it. He responded, “The key to leadership is delegation.” He explained that to be an effective leader, I had to learn to trust my subordinates. I had to provide them opportunities to excel. And instead of jumping in to correct mistakes myself, I provide them guidance but let them make the changes. I took his advice to heart and was truly amazed at how simple my life became. I still apply the philosophy to most everything I do today.

Many young people enter the service thinking they will have an immediate impact and influence the organization. When this doesn’t happen, they become frustrated, disillusioned, and disgruntled.

My advice to them is to win the war by winning the battles, win the battles by winning the skirmishes. In other words, be patient, change the things they can control, and move up in pay grade. Pay-grade indicates expertise; expertise results in influence.

Because of TWS, I have reconnected with several of my former shipmates. We now exchange emails, phone calls, Christmas cards, and we attend reunions that I don’t think we would have known about but for TWS.