Romay Davis (née Johnson; October 29, 1919 – June 21, 2024) was an American

Congressional Gold Medal The Congressional Gold Medal is an award bestowed by the United States Congress. It is Congress's highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions by individuals or institutions. The congressional pract ...

recipient known for her service in the first all-female, all-black unit in the United States Army that was deployed overseas during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Biography

Davis was born on October 29, 1919, and grew up in Virginia with her five brothers. At the start of World War Two, she worked for the

United States Mint The United States Mint is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury responsible for producing coinage for the United States to conduct its trade and commerce, as well as controlling the movement of bullion. It does not produce paper money; tha ...

. She joined the

Women's Army Corps The Women's Army Corps (WAC) was the women's branch of the United States Army. It was created as an Auxiliaries, auxiliary unit, the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) on 15 May 1942 and converted to an active duty status in the Army of the U ...

in 1943 and was one of 885 women who served in the United States Army's 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only predominantly all-black US Women's Army Corps unit sent overseas during

. She was first deployed to England after departing New York City for a transatlantic crossing that caused many of her battalion to get seasick. Once in England, the battalion sorted a large backlog of mail, and then the group moved to France to sort mail that had accumulated there. Her primary role was as a driver, though she did also sort mail. Davis returned to the United States in November 1945 and was honorably discharged from the Army. In the years that followed, she moved to New York City where she graduated from New York's

Traphagen School of Fashion Traphagen School of Fashion was an art and design school in operation from 1923 to 1991, and was located at 1680 Broadway in New York City. The school was founded and directed by Ethel Traphagen Leigh (1883–1963) with a focus on the foundational ...

with funding from the

G.I. Bill The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the G.I. Bill, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in 1956, bu ...

, and worked for the company Glen of Michigan as a designer for over thirty years. At the age of 61, Davis returned to school at New York University and earned a master's degree in technology and industrial education. Davis earned a second degree black belt in

Taekwondo ''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast kicking techniques. T ...

, after starting karate at the age of 73. At the age of 81, Davis started working in a Winn-Dixie grocery store. In 2020, its parent company, Southeastern Grocers, Inc., initiated the Romay Davis Belonging, Inclusion and Diversity Grant with the goal of funding minority-supporting organizations. Davis turned 101 in 2020, and the city of

Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery is the capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama and the county seat of Montgomery County. Named for the Irish soldier Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River, on the coastal Plain of the Gulf of Mexico. In the 202 ...

, honored her with a parade and declared her birthday "Romay Davis Day". The town had previously celebrated her 100th birthday. Romay Davis married Jerry Davis, whom she met in New York City when he worked for the New York City subway system. She died in Montgomery, Alabama on June 21, 2024, at the age of 104.

Awards and honors

In 2022, Davis received the

in recognition of her services in the United States Army. In the press events that followed, Davis was asked why she served, and she replied "It's my country too".

Biography

Awards and honors

References

Further reading