World War II Honoree

Lee L. Davenport

Hometown

Massachusetts

Honored By

An Indebted American

A RADAR PHYSICIST WHO WORKED AT THE SECRET MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY RADIATION LABORATORY TO DEVELOP RADAR SYSTEMS THAT WOULD GIVE THE U.S. MILITARY AN EDGE. CREDITED WITH DEVELOPING THE SCR-584 (SIGNAL CORPS RADIO) WHICH WAS A MICROWAVE RADAR BUILT INTO A SEMI-TRAILER WITH A PARABOLA ON TOP THAT TRACKED ENEMY PLANES AND HELPED TO DIRECT ANTIAIRCRAFT BATTERIES. WENT TO ENGLAND TO WATERPROOF RADAR SEMI-TRAILERS THAT WERE TO BE FLOATED ASHORE AT NORMANDY IN THE D-DAY INVASION. SENT TO FRANCE TO CONTINUE DEVELOPING APPLICATIONS FOR THE RADAR AFTER THE LANDING. THE SCR-584 HELPED SAVE ENGLAND FROM THE V1 BUZZ BOMBS. A TARGETING SYSTEM THAT WAS DEVELOPED FOR THE SCR-584 LATER HELPED ALLIED PILOTS TARGET ENEMY VEHICLES IN SNOWY CONDITIONS AT THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE.