Page 4 - 5-22-15 Friday's Edition

Local
Family Visits Grave Of Fallen Tampa Soldier
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Last weekend, four siblings visited Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, West Virginia. The Davis family vis- ited the grave of Staff Sgt. Willie Davis, who became the first casualty from Hillsborough County to die in the “Operation Iraqi Freedom.”
Staff Sgt. Davis died on April 3, 2003, at the age of 40.
The family said, their visit provided a weekend of remem- brance, solace, support and in- spiration for six of his siblings, Ms. Peggy Davis Berger, Ms. Ellastine Davis Light- body, Robert (Bob) Davis, Sol Davis, III, Lt. Colonel Ernie Davis and Willie Car- nage.
Robert said, “Visiting the memorial site at Arlington and seeing the headstones of the thousands of soldiers between the ages of 19-25, who died and left their loved ones, allowed me the opportunity to take a mo- ment to appreciate how fortu- nate I am to have known one of three great men as a family member.”
Ms. Berger said, “I was so happy to see that my brother, who loved being a soldier, is surrounded by soldiers.”
Ms. Lightbody said, “Vis-
STAFF SGT. WILBERT DAVIS 11/29/1962 --- 4/3/2003
iting my brother’s grave site makes me happy in knowing that he died a soldier standing up for the freedom of our coun- try. Yet, I visualize a time of peace when fighting is no longer a part of our lives.”
Sol Davis, III, said, “The value of life is in the accom- plishments we achieve while serving our purpose in life. My brother died fulfilling his pur- pose. It is an aspiration to main- tain his legacy. Wilbert’s death is a sacrifice which should never be forgotten.”
S/Sgt. Wilbert Davis Staff Sgt. Wilbert Davis was born and raised in Tampa. The son of Mrs. Willie Mae Davis-Lane and the late
Solomon Davis, II, he at- tended the public schools of Hillsborough County.
Growing up in public hous- ing, S/Sgt. Davis played base- ball for the Belmont Heights Little League. As the team’s pitcher, he led them to compete in the Little League World Se- ries.
After graduating from
Family members recently visited the gravesite of Army Staff Sergeant Wilbert Davis. He was buried in Arlington Cemetery in Arlington, West Virginia. Family members who attended are left to right: Sol Davis, III, and Bob Davis. Shown standing from left to right are their sisters Ella Davis Lightbody, Peggy Davis Berger. Not shown in the photograph are Lt. Colonel Willie Davis and Willie Carnage.
Tampa Bay Technical High School, he worked at Tampa Electric before deciding to join the United States Army. A 15- year veteran, S/Sgt. Davis and a journalist, Michael Kelly died when the vehicle they were riding in went into a canal in Central Iraq.
Posthumously, S/Sgt. Davis’ name was read into the Congressional Record in May 2003. He was inducted into the
Little League Hall of Excellence, and the Boys & Girls Club near his childhood home now bears his name.
S/Sgt. Davis left behind his wife, 4 children, mother, 5 sib- lings and other family members.
Three other Hillsborough County residents: Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith, 33, (April 4); Marine Lance Cpl Andrew Aviles, 18, (April 7); and Army Cpl. John T. Rivero, 23 (April 17) died in April 2003.
Arlington National Cemetery
The first Memorial Day Commemoration Ceremony took place at the cemetery in 1868. It is the only cemetery to hold soldiers from every war in the history of the country. The cemetery is on the estate of General Robert E. Lee.
In addition to the soldiers, the cemetery is the burial site for nearly 4,000 former slaves as well.
Beginning in 1948, the troops in the 3rd U. S. Infantry Regiment --- known as the “Old Guard,” place the small U. S. flags on each grave. Each flag is planted precisely one foot in front of a grave marker and per- fectly centered.
The “Old Guard” is also re- sponsible for guarding the tomb of the Unknown Soldiers buried on the property.
PAGE 4-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2015