Evening star., 1950-12-31
Fort Myer Services
To Be Held Thursday
For Admiral Davidson

Funeral services for Vice Ad-
miral Lyal Ament Davidson, "a.
cruiser division commander in the
Mediterranean area during World
War II, will be held at 8 pm.
Thursda" at Fort Myer Chapel.
Burial will be in Arlington Gene
terry.
Admiral Davidson died Friday
night in Bethesda Naval Hospital
after a years illness. He lived at
1909 Thirty-fourth street NV,
/ Before his retirement in 1916,
Admiral Davidson wa. assigned to
the Office of the Chief of Naval
Operations for two years. He also
was a member of the State-War-
Navy Co ordinating Committee
during this period.
A native of Muscatine, Iowa,
Admiral Davidson was the son of
Army Col. Joseph T. Davidson and
MRS. Judith Ament Davidson. He
attended schools in Muscatine and
was graduated from the Naval
Academy in 1910.
Commended for Gallantry.
While serving as a junior officer
of the U. S. S. New Hampshire in
April, 1914, he was commended
for gallantry in action as a men,
| ber of a landing force at Vera
Cruz, Mexico.
During World War I, he served
as a temporary lieutenant COM
mander aboard the battleships
Minnesota and Kansas, engaged
In escort operations in the At
lantic In 1918 he was commits
stoned a regular lieutenant.
| Admiral Davidson held several
posts aboard ships and in the
Navy Departments Bureaus of
Navigation and Engineering until
1881, when he was appointed aide
to the commandant of the 11th
Naval District, San Diego, Calf,
He served in this position until
1886, when he was made COM
mander of Destroyer Division 9.
Taught at Michigan U.
From July. 1910. until Decem-
ber, 1941, he served as professor
of naval science and tactics at
the University of Michigan, in
the naval reserve officers train
ing corps program. Later he
served for four months as an in
structor at the Naval War College,
Newport, r. I.
During the North African cam
paign in November, 1912, he COM
manded the Southern Attack
Group of the Western Naval Task
Force. He was awarded the Dis
tinguished Service Medal for that
service.
Admiral Davidson also was in
command Of transports and fire
support ships during the invasion
of Sicily in July. 1888. for which
he received the Legion of Merit.
/ AS commander of a support
group during the invasion of Italy
in September. 1943, Admiral Da-
wilson was awarded the Gold Star
in lieu of the second Legion of
Merit.
Got Navy Unit Citation.
/ He also received the NAVY Unit
Citation for his service as COM
mander of a cruiser division
aboard the cruiser Philadelphia
during the Mediterranean cam
paign.
In addition to the DSM and
the Legion of Merit with Gold
Star, Admiral Davidson also was
awarded the Mexican Service
Medal, the Victory Medal. the
Second Nicaraguan Campaign
Medal, the American Defense
Service Medal and the European
African-Middle Eastern Area
Campaign Medal.
He also received the Order
of the Commander of the Bath
from the British Government and
the French Legion of Honor for
his World War II service.
He is survived by his widow,
Mrs. Caroline G. Davidson. of
the Thirty-fourth street address;
two daughters, Mrs. Judith
Walker. wife of Marine Mai. An
thony Walker, Camp Lejeune,
N. c., and Mrs. Alexander Carey,
Patuxent, Md, and one son. Will
liam G. Davidson, Bonsall, Calf.