Ollie Davidson, a legendary figure in the annals of USAID, had already traversed the far corners of the globe by age 20, journeying by jeep and bus through Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, the Nile, Sudan, and East Africa. His adventures rivaled those of any explorer, each destination shaping his lifelong commitment to service. In 1966, Ollie joined the ranks of USAID and soon found himself stationed in Hau Nghia, arriving only months after my father’s untimely death there—a tragedy still shrouded in CIA secrecy. Years later, after discovering and reading my book, Ollie and his gracious wife Roxanne welcomed Brenda and me into their elegant Maryland home for an unforgettable lunch. We pored over Ollie’s meticulously preserved photographs and documents, recognizing faces and recalling names from a shared past, comparing notes, and reflecting on the choices we made—right and wrong—during a war that shaped us both. I urged him to capture his extraordinary life in a memoir, but he declined, citing a schedule still too full. Meeting Ollie was more than an honor; it was an inspiration to witness someone whose life epitomized the highest ideals of humanitarian service once championed by the United States on the world stage. Note the worn Ukrainian flag outside his home that has hung there since Day 1 of the Russian invasion.
One of USAID’s Best
- Post author By James b. Wells
- Post date August 5, 2026
- No Comments on One of USAID’s Best
- Tags family-history, history, memoir, military, mystery, nonfiction, USAID, veterans, vietnam, vietnam-war, war
By James b. Wells
JAMES B. WELLS is a retired criminology and criminal justice professor in the School of Justice Studies in the College of Justice, Safety, and Military Science at Eastern Kentucky University, and is the recipient of the 2025 Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences John Howard Award, an award given intermittently, upon significant demand, to recognize an individual who has made significant and sustained contributions to the practice of corrections. A former carpenter, soldier, and correctional officer in a super-maximum-security prison and later as a researcher/planner assisting architects in prison design, he has multiple degrees, including an M.S. in Criminal Justice, a Ph.D. in Research, and an MFA in Creative Writing. He’s authored or co-authored over sixty-five books, chapters, articles, and essays, as well as over a hundred and fifty research reports for various local, state, and federal agencies. Recent essays from his research and memoir work appear or are forthcoming in Collateral Journal, About Place Journal, Wild Roof Journal, Military Experience and the Arts, The Wrath-Bearing Tree, Shift, Proud to be: Writing by American Warriors, Trajectory Journal, and From Pen to Page III: More Writings from the Bluegrass Writers Coalition.
His investigative memoir about his father's still CIA-classified death in Vietnam in 1965, titled Because: A CIA Coverup and a Son’s Odyssey to Find the Father He Never Knew, will be launched on Father's Day weekend, 2025. Links to publications, presentations, trailers, social media, blog, and other information can be found at https://jamesbwells.com. James enjoys spending much of his leisure time with his spouse on their Lexington, Kentucky farm located on the palisades of the Kentucky River, where he is an organic gardener and beekeeper.
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James B. Wells 