page_title: Raymond G. Davis
section_title: Vietnam War
hierarchical_section_title: Raymond G. Davis / Marine Corps career / Vietnam War
caption_attribution_description: English: General Raymond Davis (USMC), Medal of Honor recipient; Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps. From official USMC biography - http://www.usmc.mil/genbios2.nsf/biographies/5849B386577A557585256A40007187A0?opendocument
context_page_description: Raymond Gilbert "Ray" Davis was a United States Marine Corps four-star-general who had served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Davis was decorated several times, he was awarded the Navy Cross during World War II and the Medal of Honor during the Korean War. While serving as the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, he retired with over 33 years service in the Marine Corps on March 31, 1972.
  General Davis had a close association with Marine Corps legend, Chesty Puller, having served with General Puller on Guadalcanal during World War II and in Korea during the Korean War. A middle school was built and named the "General Ray Davis Middle School", in 2006, in Conyers, Georgia, near Stockbridge, where he had resided.
context_section_description: In March 1968, Major General Davis was sent to the Republic of Vietnam and served until May 1968 as the Deputy Commanding General of the Provisional Corps in South Vietnam. He then became commanding general, 3rd Marine Division until April 1969. When he took command of the division, he ordered Marine units to move out of their combat bases and engage the enemy.  He had noted that the manning of the bases and the defensive posture they had developed was contrary to their normally aggressive style of fighting. As part of this change in tactics, he would order Operation Dewey Canyon in early 1969 to engage the NVA in the A Shau Valley. During this battle, his son Miles Davis, a rifle company platoon commander in K Company, 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines, was wounded in action. For his service as commanding general of the 3rd Marine Division from May 22, 1968, until April 14, 1969, he was awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal. The South Vietnam government awarded him several decorations including three Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Crosses.
caption: General Davis after his promotion to full general
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