George Andrew Davis, Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Andrew Davis, Jr.
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| Nickname(s) | "Curly" "One Burst Davis" |
| Born | December 1, 1920 Dublin, Texas USA |
| Died | February 10, 1952 (aged 31) Sinuiju, North Korea |
| Place of burial |
Unknown
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| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/ |
 United States Army United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1942 – 1952 |
| Rank |  Lieutenant Colonel (posthumous) |
| Service number | 13035A |
| Unit | 342nd Fighter Squadron 71st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron 334th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron |
| Commands held | 334th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron |
| Battles/wars | World War II New Guinea Campaign Philippines Campaign Korean War "MiG Alley" |
| Awards | Medal of Honor Distinguished Service Cross Silver Star (3) Distinguished Flying Cross (4) Purple Heart Air Medal (10) Presidential Unit Citation (3) |
George Andrew Davis, Jr. (December 1, 1920 – February 10, 1952) was a highly decorated flying ace of the United States (US) Army in World War II. He was later part of the US Air Force during the Korean War. Davis rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in "MiG Alley" during the war. He was the only flying ace of the United States to be killed in action in Korea.
With a total of 21 victories he is one of only seven US military pilots to become an ace in two wars. He is also one of only 31 to be credited more than 20 victories. He was the fourth highest scoring ace of the Korean War.
Biography
George Andrew Davis Jr. was born in Dublin, Texas on December 1, 1920. He was the seventh of nine children born to George Davis Sr. and Pearl Love Davis. In his childhood, Davis briefly lived in Maple, Texas. Davis attended Morton High School in Morton, Texas. Davis then attended Harding College in Searcy, Arkansas. After completing a degree he returned to Texas. He took up farming for a time with his family before eventually deciding to join the military.
Aerial victory credits
Throughout his career, Davis was credited with 21 confirmed victories, 1 probable victory and 2 aircraft damaged. This made him one of only 30 US pilots to gain more than 20 confirmed victories over their careers. He had been known to be an extremely talented pilot and was especially accurate at deflection shooting, even from long distances against moving targets. Davis was one of 1,297 World War II aces from the United States, with seven confirmed kills during that war. He later became one of 41 Korean War aces from the United States, with 14 confirmed victories during that war. At the time of his death he was the top-scoring ace from the US, making him the ace of aces. By the end of the war, he was the fourth-highest scoring ace.
| Date | # | Type | Location | Aircraft flown | Unit |
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| December 31, 1943 | 1 | Aichi D3A | Arawe, New Guinea | P-47 Thunderbolt | 342 FS, 348 FG |
| February 3, 1944 | 1 | Ki-61 Hien | Wewak, New Guinea | P-47 Thunderbolt | 342 FS, 348 FG |
| December 10, 1944 | 2 | Ki-61 Hien | Cebu Island, The Philippines | P-47 Thunderbolt | 342 FS, 348 FG |
| December 20, 1944 | 1 | A6M Zero | Mindoro, The Philippines | P-47 Thunderbolt | 342 FS, 348 FG |
| December 23, 1944 | 2 | A6M Zero | Clark Field, The Philippines | P-47 Thunderbolt | 342 FS, 348 FG |
| November 27, 1951 | 2 | MiG-15 | Won-Ok, North Korea | F-86 Sabre | 334 FIS, 8 FIG |
| November 30, 1951 | 3 | Tupolev Tu-2 | Sahol, North Korea | F-86 Sabre | 334 FIS, 8 FIG |
| November 30, 1951 | 1 | MiG-15 | Sahol, North Korea | F-86 Sabre | 334 FIS, 8 FIG |
| December 5, 1951 | 1 | MiG-15 | Rinko-do, North Korea | F-86 Sabre | 334 FIS, 8 FIG |
| December 5, 1951 | 1 | MiG-15 | Haechang, North Korea | F-86 Sabre | 334 FIS, 8 FIG |
| December 12, 1951 | 2 | MiG-15 | Yongwon, North Korea | F-86 Sabre | 334 FIS, 8 FIG |
| December 12, 1951 | 2 | MiG-15 | Changa-Ri, North Korea | F-86 Sabre | 334 FIS, 8 FIG |
| February 12, 1952 | 2 | MiG-15 | Sinuiju, North Korea | F-86 Sabre | 334 FIS, 8 FIG |
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Military awards
Related pages
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.
Images for kids
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The P-47 Thunderbolt, the type of aircraft Davis flew during World War II
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Davis in the cockpit of his F-86 Sabre jet in South Korea during his 1952 tour in the war
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Zhang Jihui, the Chinese pilot who was one of two claiming to be responsible for Davis' death
