JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Many members of the military have vivid memories of key moments. In this week's Stories of Service, we meet a Navy veteran who served in the Korean War and was involved in the invasion of Inchon in 1950, but that was 12 years before his most vivid military memory.
At his home in Jacksonville, Jack Davitt lives in memories of service.
He has a piece of the plaque from the USS Missouri commemorating the surrender of Japan in World War II.
Davitt served on the USS Missouri for two and a half years, some years after World War II ended, but he was front and center for a different moment in military history.
In 1962, Davitt was on the bridge of the USS Coney as part of the blockade during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
"It was frightening because we're trying to stop Russian cargo ships from taking ballistic missiles into Cuba," said Davitt.
Tense moments, a powder keg that could have started another World War.
"All you could see was the huge cargo ship," said Davitt, "you knew what they were carrying, you had intelligence reports they were carrying ballistic missiles into Cuba and our job was to stop them."
Guns at the ready, prepared for a fight.
"You didn't know where the Russian submarines were, didn't know if they were going to push you out of the water, it was scary," said Davitt.
More than 60 years have passed since the Cuban Missile Crisis and Davitt settled in Jacksonville after his last duty station at NAS JAX.
He had five kids, five grandkids and more great-grandkids than he could keep track of; a full life. A life intertwined through seminal moments in American military history over a 30-year career in the Navy.
"It was part of my life and I enjoyed it," said Davitt, "I enjoyed being in the Navy, it was a challenge, every day you got up you didn't know what the day would bring."
The Cuban Missile Crisis wasn't Davitt's only foray with Cuba, he was also stationed at Guantanamo Bay for three years before he was served at NAS JAX.
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