World War II Honoree

Charley Davis

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Muskogee, Oklahoma

Honored By

Friends of American Heroes

A CHEROKEE INDIAN, HE ANSWERED THE CALL TO FIGHT IN 1942. SERVED WITH THE 23RD TANK BATTALION, COMPANY B, IN EUROPE. ON APRIL 3, 1945, HE VOLUNTEERED WITH 11 OTHER SOLDIERS TO REPLENISH THE SUPPLY OF FUEL AND AMMUNITION DESPERATELY NEEDED BY HIS UNIT. IT WAS A DANGEROUS MISSION THAT LED THEM HEAD ON INTO AN ADVANCING GERMAN UNIT. ON A LONELY ROAD IN THE EUROPEAN COUNTRYSIDE, THEY SLUGGED IT OUT WITH A VASTLY SUPERIOR FORCE IN A SAVAGE BATTLE THAT LEFT 6 OF THE 12 MEN DEAD OR DYING. MACHINE GUN FIRE RAKED ACROSS HIS LEGS AND THIGH. AS HE LAY WOUNDED, HE WATCHED IN HORROR AS GERMAN SOLDIERS EXECUTED THE WOUNDED AMERICANS. HE TOOK THE ONLY ACTION HE COULD TO SURVIVE; HE PULLED THE BODY OF A DEAD SOLDIER OVER HIMSELF AND PRETENDED TO BE DEAD. AN HOUR LATER HIS UNIT FOUND HIM ALIVE AFTER HE CALLED OUT TO THEM, BUT ONLY AFTER PASSING HIM BY THINKING HE WAS DEAD. HE SUFFERED A FRACTURED TIBIA AND A SEVERE WOUND OF THE RIGHT THIGH. HE SPENT 10 MONTHS OF HOSPITALIZATION WITH THE DAILY RISK OF LOSING HIS LOWER LEFT LEG. HE WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED FROM THE ARMY IN 1946. AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART AMONG OTHER MEDALS.