Kermit Daywalt, HMCM, USN (Ret.)

A member of The Greatest Generation has passed into history. Kermit Daywalt, HMCM, USN (Retired), was born in Oregon City, Oregon, on September 14, 1920, and passed away on June 30, 2013 in Tallahassee, FL. He was the only child of Wilson and Caroline Daywalt. He attended grade school at Clackamas, Oregon, high school in Newport, Oregon, and two years of college at Pacifica College, Newberg, Oregon, where he was a football and track letterman. He quit college and joined the US Navy at the beginning of World War II. The Navy sent him to Treasure Island, CA for training where he became a Pharmacist Mate, the predecessors to today’s Hospital Corpsmen. Kermit Daywalt was promoted to Chief (E-7) within 14 months on active duty. During WWII they were called Tojo Chiefs, promoted on the battle field when the petty officer who was senior to you was either killed or wounded. During WWII he was assigned to the First Marine Division and saw combat in the Pacific at Peleliu, Okinawa, Eastern New Guinea, New Britain and Guadalcanal. Chief Daywalt was later part of the Naval Field Hospital occupation forces in Peking, China during the Chinese Civil War supporting the Koumintang against the Communist Chinese. He later was with the occupation forces in Japan. He came back to the United States after WWII and was assigned to the Naval Hospital in Bermuda and then the Naval Hospital in Key West, FL. When the Korean War broke out, he left Key West and went with the 1st Marine Division to Korea for two years as a Hospital Corpsman Chief in the field with the Marines. He saw combat at Inchon, Seoul, Yalu River and the Chosin Reservoir in Korea. During the Vietnam War HMCM Daywalt did two deployments, one in country with Commander Service Squadron Five and the second with the USS Berkeley, DDG-15. During his 30-year naval career he saw action with the 1st. Marine Division, served on seven ships, four Naval hospitals, and Commander Service Force Five, Hawaii, as an administrator for the medical departments of a 35-ship squadron. Kermit Daywalt was promoted the first time they created the Super Chief (E-8) and the first time they created the Master Chief (E-9). When he retired in 1972, there was only one E-9 senior to him in all four services who retired a few weeks later. Among his many military citations are three Presidential Unit Citations, WWII Victory Medal, Navy Occupation Medal, China Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, Fleet Reserve Association and American Legion. There is a picture of HMC Daywalt standing outside the Naval Field Hospital in Peking, China at the USMC Museum in Quantico, VA. HMCM Daywalt did a total of 30 years of active duty service. He was proud to have been in the Navy. We have lost over nine decades of history with his passing. In March, 1946, he married his first wife, Barbara Louise Moore, in Miami, Florida. To this union of 40 years, three children were born, Theodore, Caroline and Susan. Upon retiring from the Navy, he worked a year as the administrator for Jacksonville Podiatry, and then began a career with the State of Florida Medicaid system as a program consultant, which entailed traveling the state reviewing hospitals physicians, nursing homes and pharmacies. He would later finish his undergraduate degree at FSU after retirement. Kermit served in many civic activities and organizations. He was a lifetime member of the Masons, Marzuq Shrine, past President of Fleet Reserve, past Commander of the Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Past Nobel Grand of the ODD Fellows, and other organizations. He was a member of Lafayette Presbyterian Church and installed as a Deacon of the church. On completion of his second career he retired in Tallahassee at Westminster Oaks with his second wife, Bernice, of 24 years, who passed in 2010, and is buried in Miami, Florida with her first husband. Both wives died of cancer. He leaves as survivors: his son, Theodore (Ted) Lewis Daywalt, Captain, US Navy (Retired) and his wife Belinda, of Roswell, Georgia; a daughter, Caroline Cooke, and her husband Antony, of Capistrano Beach, California; a daughter, Susan Raymond, and her husband Kevin, of Havana, Florida. He is also survived by Sarah Melissa Daywalt (granddaughter) of Marietta, GA; Andrew Paul Daywalt (grandson) of Atlanta, GA; Shannon Raymond (granddaughter) of Tallahassee, FL; Peyton Avery Raymond-Volz (great-granddaughter) of Tallahassee, FL; and Vera Moses (sister-in-law) and her husband Robert Moses of Miami, FL. All total, he is survived by seven grandchildren, and five great grandchildren, and other relatives. Burial will be at Roselawn Cemetery, Tallahassee. A military service will take place with his son, Captain Theodore Daywalt, US Navy (Retired) officiating. Gifts in memory of Mr. Daywalt may be made to the Shriner's Hospitals for Children, c/o Marzuq Shrine Temple, 1805 North Monroe Street, Tallahassee, FL 32303.

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Kermit Daywalt, HMCM, USN (Ret.)

September 14, 1920 - June 30, 2013