David Haviland

MAJ in 23rd Headquarters Co

ASN#354870

Born 1914 in NY, Died 1995

Other residence(s): Brooklyn, NY; Orange, NJ; Montclair, NJ

United States Army, European Theatre of Operations

Occupation before the war: working at Chemical Bank in NY

College education before the war: Yale

Notes: Bronze Star; GO #3, Hq 12th A Gp, 20 Jan 45. Meritorious Service: Staff Officer (S-1), France, Luxembourg, Belgium, 22 Jul 44-1 Dec 45

Source: Roster of 23d HQ officers, from family of Oscar Seale; Awards and Decorations; Pine Camp list, 18 Dec 1945

David Haviland was born on May 12, 1914 in Brooklyn, NY, the oldest of three children. His father was a stockbroker (as was his mother for a time). In 1920 the family moved into a brand-new sprawling house with live-in servants in the Ditmas Park neighborhood of Brooklyn. By 1930, they had built a new house in Orange, NJ and moved there.

David attended Montclair Academy in 1928-29 and then boarded at Phillips Academy, Andover MA for his high school years, graduating in 1933. He went on to study at the Sheffield Scientific School at Yale University, graduating in 1937. There he was a member of St. Anthony Hall and Delta Psi fraternity, as well as Army ROTC. (His younger brother Albert followed a year behind him at Phillips Andover and Yale with ROTC, graduating in 1938.)

After graduation he took a job with Chemical Bank in New York City, and a 2LT commission with the reserves. In September, 1940 he took leave from the bank and enlisted in the National Guard where he was given a promotion to 1LT. In the late winter/early spring of 1941, as an officer in the 165th Field Artillery, he attended a 12-week battery officers' course at the Field Artillery School at Fort Sill, OK. In May, he was promoted to the rank of Captain, and became a Major in 1942.

He married Barbara Spadone on April 10, 1943; at the time he was stationed at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn, NY. At some point he became attached to the 23rd Headquarters Company as a staff officer, and traveled to Europe with the unit in 1944. (His first daughter was born in August, 1944 while he was overseas.) After returning to the states after the war, he was discharged on December 22, 1945. Then he and Barbara and their daughter settled in Montclair, NJ and he went back to work at the Chemical Bank. He remained in the Army Reserves for a time after the war; by 1952 he had earned the rank of LTC of Field Artillery in the Inactive Reserve. (His brother earned the same final rank in the Air Force.)

Over the decade after David’s return to the US, the Havilands had five more children: Peter, David William (aka Billy), Barbara, Catherine, and Linda. David worked his way up at Chemical Bank, becoming Assistant Secretary in 1949, Assistant VP in 1952, and later VP. He also took on the traditional community services responsibilities of a banker, serving as the President of United Community Services of Northern Essex NJ (a fundraising and social planning organization for seven towns) from 1967-1969.

After retiring from the Chemical Bank he served for several years as VP of the Yale Club of Montclair, and was a member of the Montclair Republican Advisory Board. The family also spent time at their vacation home in Round Island (aka Frontenac), Thousand Islands, NY.

David died on January 23, 1995 in Montclair, NJ.