Profile: Rich Davis

By Justin McAneny
Staff Writer

Rich Davis is a self described little guy. It’s how he ended up on submarines during his 20-year career in the United States Navy. During his career he was assigned to four different submarines and worked in communications intelligence. His career took him to various ports throughout the world and “I was under the ice a lot he said. And he describes being in a submarine as, “it’s very still under water.” Davis is a self-described Chester County resident, graduating from Great Valley High School, “I’ve been a Chester County resident all my life” he said. He also attended West Chester University from 1971 to 1973 before moving to Downingtown before joining the Navy. And upon moving to West Chester in 2006, he has seen the Chester County Peace Movement every Saturday morning, standing in front of the Chester County Courthouse. He decided seven weeks ago to form his own group of protesters: The Chester County Victory Movement.

“I know what it feels like to see protesters protesting what the military does,” Davis said. He said he spent his career “defending their (protesters) right.” Davis added, “People at home (in the United States) don’t know how hard it is to keep the peace.”

Now that Davis is retired he said he spends a lot of time traveling to area military bases and talking to troops that are currently on duty.  And while coaching a softball team has invited soldiers that are home from Iraq to come and talk to his players. “The soldiers,” Davis said, “talk about teamwork and pressure.”

Davis also said that he’s always been upset over partisanship and that he would rather see groups talk out their differences.  He said it upsets him to see people protest the draft and discourage enlistment in our volunteer military service. “I’m proud of my military career,” he said, adding, “the soldiers (past and present), they’re all really good guys.”

Although Davis supports the war in Iraq and President Bush’s decision to invade, “It’s important that today’s Americans let the troops know that they support them.”

 

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