Lieutenant General Harold M. Davis Jr.

Lieutenant General Harold M. Davis Jr., served as Commanding General, United States Army, Southern Task Force and 5th Support Command, headquartered in Vicenza, Italy.

Harold M. Davis, Jr., was born in Providence, R.I., May 29,  1933.On October 6, 1954, he enlisted as a private in the 76th Infantry Division Artillery, US Army Reserve, and rose to the grade of Specialist 4th class before being commissioned a Second Lieutenant of field artillery as a distinguished military  graduate of Providence College, Providence, R.I.,with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. His initial assignments included the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Battery command at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas; and Survey Platoon leader, Battery executive officer and Battery Commander with VII Corps artillery units in Germany.

In February 1962, he returned to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, for the Field Artillery Officer's Career Course, and upon being graduated was selected to remain at Fort Sill as a instructor in the Tactics and Combined Arms Dept. In Sept. 1964, he went to Vietnam as a District Advisor in Tay Ninh Province, and subsequently as a Sector Operations Advisor in Long Anh Province, III Corps, MACV. On his return from Vietnam in 1965, he was assigned as an Intelligence instructor at the John F. Kennedy Center for Special Warfare, Fort Bragg, No. Carolina, and in 1966 was selected to attend the Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Upon being graduated from Fort Leavenworth he attended the Army's graduate degree program at Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y., where in 1968 he received his Master of  Business Administration degree in Comptrollership. In Sept. 1968 he was assigned to Korea, where he assumed command of the 4th Battalion, 76th Field Artillery (105mm towed), and in January 1969, took command of the 6th Battalion, 80th Field Artillery (155mm towed/8-inch self-propelled) of the 7th Infantry Division Artillery.

In November 1969, he was assigned to the Pentagon as a command budget analyst, Office of the Director of Operations and Maintenance, Army and in May 1971, moved to the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Financial Management as Military Assistant for Budget Operation. In 1973, he was  selected to attend the Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, PA.  Upon being graduated from the War College in 1974, he returned to Korea as Deputy Comptroller, United Nations Command, US Forces Korea, Eight United States Army. In July 1975, he assumed command of the 2nd Infantry Division Artillery, Camp Stanley, Korea.  On returning to the United States in 1976 he was assigned as Executive Officer to the Comptroller of the Army and in 1978 was reassigned as Director of Resource Management, US Field Artillery Center, Fort Sill, OK.

In 1979 he was appointed Chief of Staff, United States Army Field Artillery Center and Fort Sill.  When he was promoted to Brigadier General in 1980, he was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff for Resource Management, Headquarters, Training and Doctrine Command, Fort Monroe, Virginia. In June, 1982, he returned to the Pentagon to assume the position of Director of Army Budget, and in Jan. 1983, was promoted to the rank of Major General.  On Aug. 10, 1984, General Davis assumed the position as Commanding General, United States Army, Southern European Task Force and 5th Support Command, headquartered in Vicenza, Italy.

General Davis married the former Madeline J. Murphy of Providence, R.I. They have four children, Susan, Kevin, James and Christopher.

Years of Active Commissioned Service: Over 30.

United States Decorations and Badges:

Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Soldiers Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (w/2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Air Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, General Staff Identification Badge, Combat Infantryman Badge