Serving in Silence: Veteran of once classified agency shares his story

CINCINNATI (WXIX) - The story of Richard Davis is not the typical veteran experience. He never fired a weapon. He never saw combat. Nevertheless, Davis has helped save thousands of lives.

Davis doesn’t offer much detail about his military career, but it’s not because he doesn’t have anything to share.

He served in the Army’s Security Agency, intercepting and decoding encrypted radio signals from 1968 to 1972.

“That information got sent to Vietnam to help soldiers who were going from one area to another to another to keep them safe,” Davis explained.

The Army Security Agency (ASA) isn’t widely known because of its secretive missions and its eventual dissolution in 1977.

It played an important role during the Cold War and Vietnam War, helping save thousands of lives.

“We were like 1% of the total Army,” Davis said.

ASA personnel were stationed at locations around the world, wherever the United States had a military presence.

On the April Honor flight, Davis reflected on his time in the service and the places it took him.

“I went to basic training in Fort Dix, New Jersey, stationed in Fort Devens, Massachusetts, went from there to Chitose, Japan, and then Camp Humphreys in Korea,” Davis recalled.

Davis is proud of his time in the service.

“I have no regrets at all,” Davis said.

Even today, decades after they served, some of the missions involving the ASA still cannot be discussed.

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