World War II Honoree

George Dorrell Davis

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Pampa, Texas

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: PRIVATE 1ST CLASS. JAPANESE PRISONER OF WAR FOR AN UNDETERMINED PERIOD OF TIME. HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS SEPTEMBER 16, 1940 AND COMPLETED BASIC COMBAT TRAINING AT THE MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA. SERVED WITH K-COMPANY, 3RD BATTALION, 4TH MARINE REGIMENT STATIONED AT THE MANILA CAVITE NAVY YARD IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. WHILE FIGHTING IN THE DEFENSE OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS AND IN RETREAT TO THE BATAAN PENINSULA DURING THE INVASION OF THE ISLANDS (DECEMBER 8, 1941) BY THE JAPANESE ARMED FORCES, HE ESCAPED TO THE ISLAND OF CORREGIDOR ‘THE ROCK’, LOCATED ACROSS THE BAY FROM MANILA. THE JAPANESE CAPTURED HIM, WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 1942 WHEN GENERAL WAINWRIGHT WAS FORCED TO SURRENDER CORREGIDOR TO THE INVADERS. AS A PRISONER OF WAR, HE WAS EVACUATED TO A PRISON STOCKADE IN MANILA AND LATER TRANSFERRED TO PALAWAN AN ISLAND PROVINCE OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS AND HELD CAPTIVE AT THE PRISONER OF WAR CAMP, PUERTO PRINCESA. HE JOINED A GROUP OF FILIPINO ‘GUERILLA’ RESISTANCE FIGHTERS AFTER ESCAPING FROM HIS PRISONER OF WAR CAMP AUGUST 11, 1942. ON TUESDAY, MAY 7, 1946 HE WAS REPORTED AS MISSING IN ACTION AND IS MEMORIALIZED AT THE MANILA AMERICAN CEMETERY LOCATED AT FORT BONIFACIO, MANILA, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. DECORATIONS AND CITATIONS: PURPLE HEART, AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL AND THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN. THE PURPLE HEART WAS AWARDED TO THE MARINE FOR HIS ULTIMATE SACRIFICE IN DEFENSE OF HIS COUNTRY.