Michael S. Davison
Michael Shannon Davison (born March 21, 1917 in San Francisco , California , † September 7, 2006 in Washington, DC ) was an American officer and general in the US Army . He last served from 1971 to 1975 as Commander-in-Chief of the 7th US Army in Heidelberg , also known as the United States Army Europe (USAREUR). He was also the commanding general of NATO's Central Army Group . His title was CINCUSAREUR / COMCENTAG (Commander in Chief United States Europe, Commander Central Army Group).
Life
Michael Davison came from a family with a military background. In 1939 he graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point , which he left as a lieutenant. His first station was with the 12th Cavalry Regiment in Fort Brown , Texas . During the Second World War , he initially served in the Operations Department in what was then the War Ministry . He was later assigned to the 45th Infantry Division . This unit fought in North Africa, then in Sicily and Italy . Davison was a member of the G-2 division of the command staff, which was responsible for intelligence. In 1943 the now 26-year-old, who had since risen to major, became the commander of the 1st Battalion of the 179th Infantry Regiment . Shortly afterwards he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. In his capacity as battalion commander, he took part in the Italian campaign and the invasion of southern France. He was wounded twice in the process. At the end of the war, he headed the G-2 and G-3 departments (intelligence / operations) at the VI headquarters. Corps, which was also deployed in Europe.
After the end of the war, Davison, who had meanwhile been promoted to colonel, was assigned to the Army Ground Forces headquarters at Fort Monroe . Then he took command of the 18th Mechanized Cavalry Squadron stationed in Puerto Rico . In the meantime he studied public administration at Harvard University until 1951, still as an officer in the army . In 1954 he was given command of a cadet regiment at the Military Academy at West Point. In 1958 he graduated from the National War College , in 1960 he was given command of a unit (Combat Command A) of the 3rd Armored Division . He was later promoted to brigadier general. In this capacity he became chief of staff in the V Corps . In 1963 he took over a command at the Military Academy in West Point. Davison was then appointed commander of the Command and General Staff College . After his promotion to lieutenant general , he was appointed chief of staff at the headquarters of the United States Army Pacific in 1968 . Since 1970 he took part in the Vietnam War as commander of the unit (II Field Force), which corresponded to an army corps . In this capacity, he led the US Army's Cambodia operation .
On May 26, 1971, Michael Davison was promoted to four-star general, the new Commander-in-Chief of the American Army Forces in Europe (USAREUR). His headquarters were in the Keyes Building of the Campbell Barracks in Heidelberg. At the same time he also took command of the Central Army Group. He campaigned for racial integration within his area of command. For this he received the Meritorious Service Award from the NAACP in 1976 . On June 29, 1975, his tenure as USAREUR commander ended. He then went into retirement.
After his military service, Davison held various civil offices. Among other things, he was President of the United Service Organizations and board member of the Mercedes-Benz branch for North America. He also settled a dispute over the construction of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in 1982 . Michael Davison died in Washington on September 7, 2006.
Awards
General Davison was awarded the following orders and decorations during his service: Army Distinguished Service Medal , Legion of Merit , Silver Star , Bronze Star Medal , Air Medal , Purple Heart , Legion of Honor (French), Croix de guerre (French), Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany , Bavarian Order of Merit and the Order of the Crown of Thailand . He was also an honorary doctor of the University of Maryland and an honorary citizen of the Meximieux community in France.
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Davison, Michael S. |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Davison, Michael Shannon |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American officer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 21, 1917 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | San Francisco , California |
| DATE OF DEATH | September 7, 2006 |
| Place of death | Washington, DC |