Davis Jr. James Kenneth.

Davis Jr. James Kenneth, born 09-06-1912, in Hobart, Kiowa County, Oklahoma, United States, to Eva Alice, born Deardorff York (1885–1982) and had one sister, Leona Mae “MomB” Davis Boylan

(1910–1997) . James was married twice, the first wife Gladys Irene Vaughn Wallace (1914–1982 (wedding in 1930) and Vivian Doris Sweaney Scott (1923–2005 (wedding in 1980).

James Davis first entered the armed forces as an enlisted man in the 45th Infantry Division (National Guard) nicknamed the “Thunderbirds,” in 1940 in Oklahoma. He served as an enlisted man from 16-09-1940 to 16-02-1941. He received a direct commission to 1st Lieutenant and transferred to the the 101st paratroop division and was assigned to the 506th PIR 2nd Battalion, The record shows that he trained for a short time with Company E  “Easy Company” and then transferred to HQ Company as the XO. He is identifies in a group picture of HQ Company taken at Fort Bragg, North Carolina in August of 1943. About 70 days before D-Day he was given a Special Duty assignment as the Assistant to the S-4 at Regimental HQ’s. Kenneth was sent on a short mission shortly before the call to assemble for D-Day and was not present until the last few hours before the attack was launched. James apparently found a place on a plane that was not his assigned position and may have dropped into Normandy with a group of men that he did not know.

Davis was dropped far off the intended drop point and landed in water. He was able to cut his chute and equipment to free himself and during the first day joined two or three others who had dropped with him. They had no communication equipment and only their personnel weapons with a few rounds of ammunition. They were fired on by a German machine gun but escaped injury. During the night they tried to move away from the enemy positions but were seen and captured. After a few days he escaped and tried again to reach American forces but was again captured. He was shipped to POW Camp 045 in Poland. As the Russian forces approached the camp in 1945 he once again escaped and joined the Russians. They provided transportation to the Black Sea where he boarded a ship with many other former POW’s and returned home.

He was awarded the American Defense Service Medal,   the WWII Service label button, the WWII Victory Medal and the Combat Infantry Badge .

Death and burial ground of Davis Jr. James Kenneth.

Shortly after the war ended Kenneth returned to Germany and worked for the occupation forces as a administrator with a local fire department. James remained in Germany for several years and returned home in about 1953 with a new wife and three young children. Kenneth died on 09-08-2000, age 88 in Kennewick, Benton County, Washington, USA and is buried at Desert Lawn Memorial Park in Kennewick, Benton County, Washington, United States.

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