Fukowee president rides again

The tattoos on William Davis's right arm tell a story about him.  Stretching from his shoulder to his elbow is a mixture of things that represent him and his hobbies.

"My ship that goes all the way up into my armpit reminds me that I'm a sailor and the V-twin motorcycle engine just shows that I like to ride," the freshman business major said.
Davis, who was a navigator in the Coast Guard for more than four years, was discharged honorably but medically due to a slight head injury that occurred during some rough seas.

Shortly after his head injury, he was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which put him in a bind for finding a job after being discharged.
"The only jobs I can really get are sea-going jobs," Davis said. "And I am actually retired, so I don't have to do anything."

But after sitting at home for a few years, his doctor told him to get out there and find something he liked to do. As a kid Davis had always been interested in motorcycles, so he decided to give riding them a try.

Now, Davis drives a black Harley-Davidson and is the president of the Fukowee Tribe motorcycle club.
"Riding that motorcycle makes me happy," Davis said.

He then decided he needed to give college another try because he regrets dropping all of his classes his first time around.
"The only chance I really have for getting a job or being employed anywhere is if i have my own business," Davis said. "That's why I'm starting over."

The 9-11 GI Bill paid for 50 percent of his tuition and was the incentive he needed to return to school, Davis said.
 Benefits from the bill are determined by how much time a person served after 9-11.
"It's nice that I'm retired and that they pay me a pension so I can basically do whatever I want with," Davis said.

"But one thing that I never got was that college degree and I want it. It's something that no one can take away."
If given the choice to do things over, Davis said he would have finished college the first time around, then joined the military and become an officer.

Looking at Davis's Stonehenge tattoo on his arm shows exactly how he gets by day by day.
"I built everything on faith."