Roy Milton was born in Kansas City, Kansas back in 1909. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1933. He was first assigned to the battleship Texas and a year later attending Submarine School in New London. After school, he arrived in Pearl Harbor in 1939.
After just four patrols he was recommended for a command of his own by his commander. He was given command of the USS Haddock. On his first patrol, he sank two ships off the Palau Islands. On other patrols during WWII he is credited for sinking over one-million tons of ships. Some of the battles you may have heard of in which he was involved in include the Palau Islands, Truk and the Luzon Straits just to name a few.
After ten war patrols he requested shore duty, becoming a maritime engineer instructor at Annapolis. He also saw action during the Korean War in command of the troop transport USS General J.C. Breckinridge retiring from the Navy after 26 years of service.
What you may not know about Roy Milton Davenport is he is the first individual and only sailor to be awarded the Navy Cross five times for his military service. He was dubbed the “praying skipper” he was also known for his daring attacks against Japanese ships. On another note, he was awarded two Silver Stars, two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, two Presidential Unit Citations and the Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon. He died in 1987, he was 78. Until tomorrow keep a smile on your face and a penny in your pocket.
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