Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1957 Lucky Bag:

PHILIP CHARLES DAVIS

Phil packed his friendly, jolly personality and came out of the hills of New England to wage a four year war against the Academic Department. Phil excelled in such subjects as rack time, study hour, and liberty while the Academic Departments took a toll in most of the others. Phil’s main interest while at the Academy was his O.A.O. back home, plus the track in Thompson Stadium where he spent many of his spare hours.

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He was a member of the 11th Company.

Loss

Philip was lost on October 23, 1967 when the C-1A Trader aircraft he was aboard crashed while landing aboard USS Ticonderoga (CV 14).

Other Information

From the January 1968 issue of Shipmate:

LCdr. Philip C. Davis, USN, died at sea on 23 Oct. as the result of an aircraft accident in USS TICONDEROGA near San Clemente Island, Calif., during night carrier qualifications. Memorial requiem mass was held at the Naval Air Station Chapel, North Island, on the 27th.

LCdr. Davis was born in Fitchburg, Mass., and graduated from the Naval Academy in 1957. He completed flight training at the Naval Air Training Command, Corpus Christi, Tex., in May 1959 and subsequently served in Attack Squadrons 122 and 115. He attended the Naval Postgraduate School at Monterey before reporting to TICONDEROGA.

His decorations included the Navy Commendation Medal, the Air Medal, Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon, and the Armed Forces Expeditionary, National Defense Service, Vietnam Service and Vietnam Campaign Medals.

He is survived by his widow Helen, and three children: Earle Philip, Carol Ann and Norma Jean Davis, of 78 King St., Chula Vista, Ca. 92010; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Allen C. Davis, 7 Brigham St., Fitchburg, Ma. 91420.

From researcher Kathy Franz:

While at Laurel Street School, Philip served as captain during the fund raising campaign for the Fitchburg Youth Library.

He served as junior leader of the six-week YMCA camp in both June 1950 and 1951.

Philip graduated from Fitchburg High School in 1953. Class Will: leaves his pea jacket. Class Prophecy: Commander of USS America.

His appointment to the Naval Academy was made by Congressman Philip J. Philbin.

Phillip married a classmate Helen N. Webster.

After post-graduate school at Monterey, California, he was assigned to the naval station in Lemoore.

For eight months previous to May 1967 in the Gulf of Tonkin, he flew low ground level attack planes on bombing and strafing missions from the Ticonderoga with the 7th Fleet.

In June he returned to San Diego.

In September 1967, Philip received the Air Medal in a ceremony on the flight deck of the Ticonderoga. He was in charge of the ship’s three hangar bays.

His father is a civil engineer and served 20 years with the Naval Reserve. His mother was Esther.

Philip has a memory marker in Arlington National Cemetery.

From Ticonderoga’s deck log (pages 47-48), the copilot was also lost when the aircraft crashed while landing and then went over the side. The location of the crash was 33° 09.5’N, 118° 43.1’W.

Photographs

From his 1953 high school yearbook

From his 1953 high school yearbook