SAN PEDRO, Calif. – Oct. 13, 2023 – The National Museum of the Surface Navy, founded aboard Battleship USS IOWA and scheduled to open in 2025, today named retired Navy Admiral Philip S. Davidson as the recipient of the 2023 Freedom of the Seas Award. The Freedom of the Seas Award goes to an accomplished individual who embodies the core principles of America’s Surface Navy to protect and defend our oceans for the benefit of the free world.
Admiral Davidson is the former 25th Commander of United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), America’s oldest and largest military combatant command. USINDOPACOM includes 380,000 Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, Coast Guardsmen, and Department of Defense civilians, and is responsible for all U.S. military activities in the Indo-Pacific, covering thirty-six nations, fourteen time zones, and more than fifty percent of the world’s population.
“As USINDOPACOM, Admiral Davidson’s leadership and strategies helped raise awareness of the tensions in the Indo-Pacific region and deterred enemy forces from threatening the peace and prosperity of all nations,” explained retired Navy Rear Admiral Mike Shatynski, Chairman of the Board of the National Museum of the Surface Navy. “His service and commitment to protecting and defending our oceans for the benefit of the free world throughout his naval career continue to positively impact our Navy and nations around the globe, making him an ideal recipient for this prestigious award.”
