- Rank:
- Branch:
- Home Town:
- Date Of Birth:
- Disposition:
- Family DNA on File:
SF1c Thomas Ray Davis
Thomas Ray Davis was a shipfitter and petty officer first class on the U.S.S. Arizona when he was killed in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941.
He was born Nov. 17, 1903, in Davie County in west-central North Carolina. His father, William Davis, was a farmer and his mother, Jennie Miller Davis, a homemaker. They were Protestants.
The son enlisted in the Navy in July 1922. He married a Pennsylvanian, Gertrude Harris, in 1934. They made their home in Long Beach, California, next to San Pedro, which was home base for many ships, including the Arizona, which Mr. Davis first went aboard in 1937.
At the time of his last re-enlistment in fall 1939 he earned $105 a month.
Sources: Special thanks to great niece Judy Hildebrand. Other sources are: the Charlotte (North Carolina Observer; North Carolina birth and marriage record; Census; Navy enlistment record and muster rolls. This profile was researched and written on behalf of the U.S.S. Arizona Mall Memorial at the University of Arizona.
NOTE: If you are a family member related to this crew member of the U.S.S. Arizona, or have additional information, pictures or documents to share about his life or service to our county please contact us through our FAMILY MEMBER SUBMISSION FORM.