Michael Shannon Davison (March 21, 1917 – September 7, 2006) was a United States Army four-star general, who served as Commander in Chief, United States Army Europe/Commander, Central Army Group from 1971 to 1975.
During World War II, Davison was assigned to the Operations Division, War Department General Staff Theater Group, and later reassigned to the 45th Infantry Division in North Africa as Assistant G-2. He remained with the division in Sicily and Italy, to include taking part in the Anzio invasion. At the age of 26, he was chosen to command a battalion, the 1st Battalion, 179th Infantry Regiment. Four months later he was promoted to lieutenant colonel, and he remained commander of the battalion throughout the Italian campaign and the invasion of southern France. During his time with the division he was wounded twice. Towards the end of the war he served as G-2 and G-3 (Operations) at Headquarters, VI Corps.
After the war, then-Colonel Davison was assigned to the Plans Section, Headquarters Army Ground Forces at Fort Monroe, and later took command of the 18th Mechanized Cavalry Squadron stationed in Puerto Rico. He received a master's degree in Public Administration from Harvard University in 1951, and following a stint in the Office, Chief of Legislative Liaison, he was assigned to his alma mater as Commander, First Regiment, United States Corps of Cadets in 1954.
In 1958 Davison graduated from the National War College in 1958, and subsequently served as Chief, Combat Materiel Division, Office, Chief of Research and Development until 1960. He was then chosen to command Combat Command A, 3rd Armored Division, and was later promoted to brigadier general and assigned as Chief of Staff, V Corps. He once again returned to West Point to become the 51st Commandant of Cadets in 1963.
In May 1971, Davison was promoted to general and assigned as Commander-in-Chief, United States Army Europe and concurrently as Commander, Central Army Group, NATO. During his tenure he placed emphasis on race relations and equal opportunity. Because of these efforts, he was awarded the NAACPMeritorious Service Award in 1976. The citation reads:
In recognition of his leadership, courage, and dedication to the principles of human relations, equality of opportunity and justice, which has been the hallmark of his numerous commands in the Army of the United States.
Davison was also responsible for ending the bitter in-fighting over what would constitute the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. It was Davison in January 1982 who suggested the inclusion of a statue, The Three Soldiers, as compromise between parties arguing over whether the memorial would be Maya Lin's black granite wall or a more traditional heroic memorial.[2]Jan Scruggs, president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, said "He was a think-out-of-the-box kind of guy. He was also very smart. He waited until the end of the day, when everybody was very tired, before he made his suggestion."[2]
Davison died on September 7, 2006. He was survived by his second wife, Helen Walker Davison, three children, one of whom, retired Lieutenant General Michael S. Davison, Jr., also achieved flag rank, 6 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Jean Miller Davison, who died in 1983, and a daughter who died in 1957.[3]