Davis family headed west for decommissioning of ship named for Macon hero

Losing something named for a family member would be a sad occasion for many folks.

Not for relatives of the late Rodney Maxwell Davis, about 30 of whom will be heading to Everett, Washington, this week, where Davis will be honored when the Navy decommissions the ship named for him.

Davis, a Marine sergeant, was killed in Vietnam in 1967 when he threw himself on an enemy grenade that had landed in his unit’s trench, saving the lives of his fellow Marines.

Davis was awarded the Medal of Honor, the only soldier from Macon to receive that award. He was also awarded the Purple Heart, the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Military Merit Medal, the Gallantry Cross with Palm, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.

Gordon Davis, Rodney’s older brother, said the family is grateful that the USS Rodney M. Davis was commissioned in the first place.

“It’s a great honor, and we’re proud to have that,” he said. “But (the ship) has served its purpose and is going on to something else.”

Davis said he knew the Navy would eventually decommission the ship, since other Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates also have been taken out of service. The Navy hasn’t decided whether it will sell the ship to another country or take it apart for scrap.

Davis said he hopes it’s the latter.

“My feelings are that I’d rather see it scrapped than sold off,” he said. “(If sold), I don’t know where it’s going to end up.”

If it is sold, the ship would likely be renamed by the country buying it.

There’s always the possibility that another ship could be named for Davis, though Davis said the Navy hasn’t wanted to commit to that prospect. Gordon Davis said he was fine if a similar honor went to another military family instead.

“If it happens, great,” he said. “If not, if someone else gets that honor and privilege, then some other family can get that joy.”

Construction of the USS Rodney M. Davis began in October 1982, and it launched Jan. 11, 1986, according to a Navy’s website. The ship was commissioned on May 9, 1987.

The ship was stationed in Yokosura, Japan, for several years before moving to Naval Station Everett in 2005.

Among the ship’s highlights was helping the U.S. Coast Guard make the largest cocaine seizure in maritime history when it captured a Belize fishing ship 1,500 miles south of San Diego. The boat contained 26,931 pounds of cocaine.

Davis said his brother’s daughters were relatively young when the ship was commissioned. Now, for the decommissioning ceremony, the late Marine’s three young grandsons also will be there for the event.

“They’ve never seen the ship, so it will be a great experience for them,” he said. “They’re old enough to understand what’s going on and be able to remember it.”

Gordon Davis was 3 years older than his brother and the eldest of five siblings. After graduating college, he was drafted by the Army and served in Vietnam from 1962 to 1965, coming home before his brother went overseas. A third brother, Howard, also served in Vietnam with the Army.

Because they were the closest in age, Gordon said he was closest to Rodney while they were growing up. They played baseball, football and basketball together, and they shared a paper route from the time Gordon was in the fourth grade until graduating high school.

“Everything we did, we always talked about it -- except getting married,” he said.

While the ship will soon be gone, there are other monuments to Davis. There’s a marker in Linwood Cemetery, where he is buried, and there’s a statue in front of the Macon Coliseum. In addition, there’s a marker in Rosa Parks Square facing the Macon-Bibb County Government Center.

Inside the center, there’s a portrait of Davis outside the mayor’s office.

Macon-Bibb Commissioner Ed DeFore helped get the marker in front of the Coliseum named for Davis, as well as other Macon servicemen and law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty.

“He was a fine gentleman,” DeFore said. “He had the respect of all the people around him. I felt like he should be recognized. (His honors were) well-deserved. ... He gave it all for the people.”

Gordon Davis said his brother “always had your back” when the two of them were growing up, so his sacrifice to save his fellow Marines was in keeping with his character.

“It was his makeup,” he said. “If he was for you, there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for you.”

To contact writer Phillip Ramati, call 744-4334.

This story was originally published January 18, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Davis family headed west for decommissioning of ship named for Macon hero ."