Page 7 - Aruba Today

U.S. NEWS A7
Monday 22 February 2016

American Living:

Fallen US WWII hero’s Army dog tag found on Pacific island

This photo shows World War II Pfc. Thomas E. Davis’ Army dog was administered. nese attack on Pearl Har- Davis was born and raised
tag that was found in a farm field in Saipan in early 2014. Davis A year before Davis died bor drew the U.S. into World on his family’s farm in
earned one of the nation’s highest military honors after surviving in the battle for Okinawa War II. Roachdale in Putnam
the bloody fighting on Saipan only to die during the even in April 1945, he earned He served in the 165th In- County, Indiana, 30 miles
bloodier battle for Okinawa nearly a year later. one of the nation’s highest fantry Regiment of the 27th (48 kilometers) west of In-
military honors after surviv- Infantry Division, a New dianapolis. His mother died
(Genevieve Cabrera via AP) ing the bloody fighting on York National Guard unit when he was a young boy,
Saipan. mobilized into active ser- and his father remarried.
CHRIS CAROLA mation. According to wartime re- vice in 1940. Davis had six siblings: an
Associated Press Cabrera recently gave the cords kept at the New Davis was with the 27th older brother, Harold, three
ALBANY, New York (AP) — tag to members of Kuen- York State Military Museum, when it took part in the Oki- half brothers and two half
Dorothy Hollingsworth was tai, a Japan-based orga- home to many of the 27th nawa invasion, which be- sisters, including Holling-
just 7 when her brother Tom nization that has found the Division’s documents, Da- gan on April 1, 1945. Three sworth. The brothers have
left the family farm in Indi- remains of five U.S. 27th vis earned the Silver Star on weeks later, he was shot died. His other half-sister,
ana to join the Army a few Infantry Division soldiers on Saipan in June 1944 for risk- by a Japanese sniper while Hazel Priest, 81, lives in Vic-
months before the United Saipan. The group notified ing his own life to rescue a again helping a wounded toria, Texas, and several
States entered World War the AP this month about wounded comrade “at a soldier, according to what nieces and nephews live in
II. She never saw him again. the dog tag’s discovery in time when the American Hollingsworth says military Texas, Ohio and Indiana.
Now, more than 70 years the hope that his relatives front was undergoing bru- officials told the family. Da- Hollingsworth said Tom Da-
after Pfc. Thomas E. Da- could be found. The AP tal Japanese artillery and vis died April 30, two months vis, of Victoria, a 57-year-
vis was killed in one of the tracked down members of mortar fire.” shy of his 28th birthday. old machinist who was
war’s last major battles, a the soldier’s family with the Davis went into the Army Four years later, his body named after his uncle, will
tangible reminder of her help of Anthony Barger, in September 1941, three was brought back for re- likely get the dog tag.
beloved sibling has been the archivist for the Putnam months before the Japa- burial in his hometown.
found on the Pacific island County Public Library.
of Saipan — one of his Army Kuentai representatives
dog tags. said they’ll arrange to meet
“He was a great guy,” said the Davis family in the U.S.
Hollingsworth, 82, who lives to hand over the tag.
outside Dayton, Ohio, not- While it is relatively com-
ing that some of her earli- mon to find canteens,
est memories are of the tall, weapons and even un-
thin sibling 17 years her se- exploded shells from the
nior who always sat next to 100,000 Americans and
her at the dinner table. “He Japanese who fought for
was always laughing and 25 days on the 46-square-
singing and whistling.” mile (119-square-kilometer)
Cultural historian Gene- island, dog tags remain a
vieve Cabrera told The As- rare find, Cabrera said. The
sociated Press in an email tags, attached to a chain
that she found the discol- worn around the neck,
ored metal tag sticking out were the only item of mili-
of the soil of a farm field tary-issued gear a soldier
on Saipan in early 2014. It wore daily that included
was embossed with Da- potentially life-saving infor-
vis’ name, serial number, mation such as blood type
hometown and other infor- and when a tetanus shot