DAVIS-JOHN
JOHN VERNER DAVIS
2ND CLASS FIREMAN
05/03/1926
My future father kept both a diary of his activities between San Diego and Japan, as well as a journal of his poetry and personal thoughts while onboad the Black (he was a fireman). After being credited with shooting down a kamikaze, the pilot's plane and body were recovered and my father was given the pilot's samurai sword. Later while working as a civilian DOD employee (1956-1981), John discovered there was an inscription the handle underneath the sharkskin cover. He had a Japanese-born colleague translate it and was able to locate the address of the dead man's parents in Japan, to whom he returned the sword by US Mail (you probably can't return razor-sharp swords this way anymore). They in return sent him a very fine uncommissioned sword, which my family still has.
Jonathan Davis, 11/11/2022