Donald C. Davis

Donald Cooke Davis (January 24, 1921 – July 30, 1998) was a Naval Aviator and later an admiral in the United States Navy. He was Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet from 1978 to 1981.

Early life and education Donald Cooke Davis was born on January 24, 1921, in New Boston, Missouri, the son of Randal N. and Alice Isabelle Cooke Davis. He graduated in 1938 from Brookfield High School. Following his high school graduation, he attended the University of Missouri-Columbia while awaiting his appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy. He was admitted to the Academy to graduate in the Class of 1944 but, due to World War II, he graduated on 9 June 1943 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Engineering and was commissioned as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy. In 1960, Davis entered the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. While at Newport, he completed the Senior Course in Naval Warfare.

Career highlights During World War II, Davis served aboard the in the Pacific Theater, which participated in nine major campaigns. He qualified as a Naval Aviator in May 1946 and then served in several carrier-based fighter squadrons, including VF-51, the Navy's first operational jet squadron.

Subsequently, promoted to Vice Admiral, and later Admiral, Davis was Commander in Chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet from 1978 to 1981, a report re-emerged that credited Davis with being a significant part of the success of Apollo 11. (The story had first emerged in 2004. ) Just days before the mission was to launch, Captain Willard S. "Sam" Houston Jr. took command of the Pacific Fleet Weather Centre, Hawaii. He took immediate interest in the mission's splashdown position, and took the initiative to seek out data from the top secret Corona satellite station. Houston was warned by the Corona station commander, Major Hank Branli, that the intended splashdown area would be subject to a gathering storm. Without revealing the Corona source, Houston took this information to the commander of the recovery fleet, Davis, and convinced him of the need to change the recovery site. Davis ordered the fleet to change position, and together they then convinced NASA of the need to change the landing area. The U.S. Navy flew an aircraft over the original site during the landing, and found a major storm which would have been disastrous for Apollo 11.

After the Navy Davis and his wife, the former Elaine Mcauvic, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, moved to Coronado, California, with their daughter, Aditha. Davis died of a heart attack on July 30, 1998, in La Jolla, California. He was buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, San Diego, California.