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Fred G. Davis

  • Fred Davis poses with weapons in a picture he captioned "Combat Davis." He brought the belt, knife, holster, and canteen home with him after the war as souvenirs. Source: Fred Davis Collection.
  • Fred Davis of Company G sits in a Japanese tank, while his friend MacKenzie observes. Likely taken in the Philippines. Source: Fred Davis Collection.
  • Fred Davis (at right) sits on a damaged Japanese artillery piece, possibly on Cebu. The other soldier is MacKenzie. Source: Fred Davis Collection.

Red-headed Fred G. Davis joined Company G on January 31, 1945, while the unit was on Leyte. During the Cebu campaign, Davis wrote home that he was the first soldier to enter the Provincial Capitol building. But just days later, he was shot through the torso. Fortunately, the bullet did not hit any of his critical internal organs. He was evacuated back to Leyte for treatment of his wounds, and returned to the front in less than a month. In June, he wrote home with excitement about the steady stream of soldiers from the company being sent home on points – the old veterans from Camp Edwards and New Caledonia. Davis participated in the occupation of Japan, and later returned home safely to the United States. He passed away in 2002, and is survived by his wife Betty.

In his letters home, Davis often shared poignant observations on life in the Pacific war. In June 1945 he wrote “[w]hen you see men thirty five years old start crying like a baby, and young kids like myself get so scared, that their stomachs starts feeling like butterflies, and they begin throwing up, that is when it is more than just a thrill, and adventure.”