Honoring Our Own: Veterans Make Team Davidson Stronger
- David Wood
- Nov 10, 2025
- 5 min read
“I wouldn’t have made it home without him. He was there when no one else was...”
At Davidson, our mission to defend and protect is deeply personal. Many of our teammates once wore the cloth of our nation’s Armed Forces, and the lessons they carry from that experience—discipline, teamwork, and purpose—continue to shape who we are today.
In honor of Veterans Day, we invited our veteran employees to share photos and reflections in their own words from their time in service. Their stories span generations, branches, and missions, but together, they represent the same unshakable spirit of commitment that defines both the military and Team Davidson's core values.
We’re proud to recognize and celebrate these men and women who have served our country and continue to serve the mission every day.
Joey Leary
U.S. Army
This portrait is from my Army basic training, and the other photo is me somewhere in the Middle East with Sgt. Larry Clark. He taught me so much, and I would not have made it home without him. He was there when no one else was.
During the Gulf War, our tank broke down in a minefield as we crossed into Iraq. I moved to step off the tank to check the engine, and he wouldn’t let me. Instead, he jumped down immediately and made sure the ground was safe first. I was able to make the repairs while he provided security.
He was an amazing man — I’ve never met anyone stronger. I miss him and should probably try and reach out.
Leon Johnson
U.S. Army
I served in the Army from 1995 to 2006 at Fort Carson, CO, and Rose Barracks in Vilseck, Germany with the 4th ID, 1st ID, and 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. I deployed for Exercise Intrinsic Action, Operation KFOR, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
My Army experience was the most positive, life-changing experience. It brought me into contact with the most amazing people and helped me grow as a person.
Randall Gay
U.S. Navy
The first photo was taken at Officer Development School at Naval Station Newport, RI, after we received our Navy Working Uniforms. The next photo is from my promotion to O-3/Lieutenant at the Naval Nuclear Power Training Command in Charleston, SC, with my wife and daughter in attendance. Another photo is from a reenlistment ceremony I conducted for one of my former students. Two photos are from our wedding in Birmingham, AL.
Before joining, I thought of myself as undisciplined with my head in the clouds. After five years in the Navy, I’m still very much myself — but with discipline I now appreciate and apply in my life, research, and professional work.
I became more appreciative of our shared American spirit, history, and traditions, and of the sacrifices service members make — especially those deployed or underway. I taught nuclear power at a shore command in Charleston, SC, and while my environment was mostly air-conditioned and I wasn’t at sea, it was still incredibly demanding.
The Naval Nuclear Power Program is one of the most rigorous academic environments in the military. There were times I was humbled by difficult exams and the responsibility of standing watch as OOD or CDO, sometimes serving as second-in-command of thousands of staff and students. I experienced difficult moments, including responding to suicide attempts and tragedies on watch. Quiet days were the best days. Through it all, I learned to appreciate what’s most important in life.
During this time, my wife and I welcomed our daughter, and I was working on my PhD — a stressful but meaningful chapter that shaped me profoundly.
Troy Fred
U.S. Air Force — Deployments: Afghanistan and Iraq
In Kandahar, Afghanistan, an IED destroyed a convoy. Several were killed, and one person had a fatal injury that no one believed could be survived. I revived him three times in the back of our retrieval Humvee as we moved 100 yards toward the trauma bay. A corpsman revived him four more times once inside. For 48 hours, no one slept or left the building.
At one point, I traded off with another teammate to manually pump his heart while someone else worked his lungs. We hoped to get him to Germany so his family could say goodbye with his heart still beating. Instead, he survived. He is still alive today. Every time I see him in a Wounded Warrior commercial, I am proud of our team and of the Air Force, Navy, and Army working seamlessly when it mattered most.
I served as a medic specializing in trauma care, microbiology, and blood banking. Role 3 in Kandahar treated only life, limb, or eyesight-threatening injuries — every patient was at death’s door.
Clif Glass
U.S. Air Force, 1977–1982
I was a helicopter mechanic. This photo was taken at Myrtle Beach AFB, SC, but my most unforgettable memories are from Iceland. On one occasion, I was dropped off in the middle of nowhere as if I were a pilot who had ejected, and two pararescuemen had to hike in and find me. On another, I fired a machine gun from the helicopter window out over the ocean. Great memories.
David Britton
U.S. Navy
I began my service in 1994, stationed in Hawaii aboard the USS Buffalo (SSN 715), a fast-attack submarine. After active duty, I reenlisted in the Navy Reserve, where I had the privilege of serving with NATO.
One of my most memorable deployments was representing the United States in Switzerland during Viking 08, a multinational crisis-response exercise under a United Nations mandate. I also participated in four events in Norway while in the Navy Reserve.
I served proudly until 2010.
Walker Lee
Alabama National Guard
The Guard has taken me many places — from snowstorms in Connecticut to the heat of Cuba, and currently to the Southern Border. What I am most grateful for is that the Army, along with Davidson, made it possible for me to earn my master’s degree completely debt-free.
Jared Christian
U.S. Air Force
In 2015, while stationed at Aviano Air Base in Italy, I took a photo with my daughter, Felicity, in front of a 510th Fighter Squadron F-16. A special moment from a special chapter in life.
To all Team Davidson veterans: thank you for sharing your stories, and thank you for your service.
Your experiences, your character, and your continued commitment to the mission inspire us and remind us why our work matters. We are grateful for you, today and every day.