Naval History and Heritage Command

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Anthony James DeVico was born in Somerville, Massachusetts, on December 6, 1913, son of Salvatore and Marianna (Caloia) DeVico, both now deceased. He received the degrees of Bachelor of Arts from Boston University in 1937 and Bachelor of Laws from Boston College Law School in 1940. He taught high school science and Latin in Somerville, from 1937 until 1942 and on May 27, that year, was commissioned Lieutenant (junior grade) in the US Naval Reserve. Advancing progressively in rank, he subsequently attained that of Captain, to date from July 1, 1957, having transferred from the Naval reserve to the Regular Navy on October 31, 1946.

After receiving his commission in 1942, he was assigned as a Ground School Instructor and Personnel Officer at the Naval Reserve Aviation Base, Squantum and Mansfield, Massachusetts. In April 1943 he joined USS Davison as Training Officer and as such participated in the Sicilian occupation. Detached from that destroyer in October 1943, he next served as an Instructor and as Executive Officer at the Naval Flight Preparatory School, William College, Williamstown, Massachusetts. He remained there until June 1944, after which he had duty as Ground School Instructor, Personnel Officer and Welfare and Recreation Officer at the Naval Air Station, Ottumwa, Iowa.

In October 1946 he reported as Legal Officer, Shanghai, China, attached to the US Naval Port Facility there and in August 1948 was assigned as General Court Martial reviewing Officer in the Office of the Judge Advocate General, Navy Department, Washington, DC. During the period July 1950 to February 1953, he was Assistant District Legal Officer in the First Naval District, with headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts, where he organized the first General Court Martial under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and was Law Officer for the first seven months of courts operation. Subsequently he joined the staff of Commander Service Force, SIXTH Fleet, as Force Legal Officer. As such he was Liaison Officer with foreign law enforcement authorities and also had duty as SIXTH Fleet Foreign Claims Officer.

In July 1955 he reported as Base Legal Officer at Naval Submarine Base, New London, Connecticut, and in June 1957 joined the staff of Commander Submarine Force, Atlantic Fleet, as Force Legal Officer. Assigned in July 1960 to the Office of the Judge Advocate General, Navy Department, he served as Director of the Administrative Law Division until October 1961 and later as Assistant Judge Advocate General (Personnel, Reserve and Planning), and the Public Information Officer for the Office of the Judge Advocate General. On February 28, 1964, he was ordered detached for duty as Commanding Officer, Naval Justice School, Naval Base, Newport, Rhode Island.

Captain Devico has the American Camaign Medal; European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with star; World War II Victory Medal; China Service Medal; Navy Occupation Service Medal; and the National Defense Service Medal.

Captain DeVico is a member of the American Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States and the Massachusetts Bar Association. His hobbies are photography and hiking.

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