[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 27 (Monday, February 10, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E109-E110]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 RECOGNIZING MAJOR GEORGE A. DAVIS, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. JODEY C. ARRINGTON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, February 10, 2025

  Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, you often hear me refer to West Texas as 
the Food, Fuel, and Fiber Capital of the World--where we feed, power, 
and clothe our Nation--but our greatest resource is the people who have 
made and shaped West Texas into the God-fearing and freedom loving 
place that it is today.
  The patriots of West Texas work hard and stand up for what's right. 
Perhaps no one embodies these values more than the man I honor here, an 
all-time great West Texan and Medal of Honor Recipient, Major George A. 
Davis, Jr.
  Maj. Davis was born on December 1st, 1920, in Dublin, Texas, before 
moving to the West Texas town of Morton, a little over 50 miles west of 
Lubbock. In 1942, shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Maj. Davis 
enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in Lubbock, Texas, as an Aviation 
Cadet. During World War II, Maj. Davis piloted a P-47 Thunderbolt with 
the 342nd Fighter Squadron, 348th Fighter Group. He heroically 
completed 266 missions, logged 705 combat hours, and shot down 7 
Japanese fighter planes between 1943 and 1944, contributing greatly to 
Allied air superiority.
  Following World War II, Maj. Davis again returned to the skies, this 
time in Korea, where it is said he distinguished himself by going above 
the call of duty and displaying immense courage in the face of great 
risk to his life.
  On February 10th, 1952, Maj. Davis and his wingman encountered 12 
enemy MIG-15 aircraft speeding toward allied fighter-bombers who were 
engaging the enemy. In an attempt to put himself in between the enemy 
combatants and our allied bombers, Maj. Davis rerouted his aircraft and 
dove directly into the MIG formation. While under fire, Maj. Davis 
destroyed two enemy aircraft, and instead of retreating, reduced his 
air speed to engage a third MIG-15 in defense of the Allied fighter-
bombers. It was this last of many selfless and heroic decisions that 
led to Maj. Davis suffering a direct hit that took the life of this 
West Texas hero and sent his plane crashing behind enemy lines some 30 
miles south of the Yalu River.
  His heroic and selfless acts in support of the mission and his fellow 
airmen in the face of formidable odds, provided enough cover to allow 
the allied bombers to successfully complete their mission and continue 
in the fight for another day. As a result of these acts of uncommon 
valor, Maj. Davis was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of 
Honor.
  Now, over 70 years later, his fellow veterans are fighting to bring 
Maj. Davis back home to Lubbock so he can be the first veteran buried 
at the new West Texas States Cemetery. As one of only seven American 
pilots to ever become an ace in two different wars and a recipient of 
the Distinguished Service Cross, three Silver Stars, the Purple Heart, 
and the Medal of Honor, Maj. Davis is an American hero. I implore my 
colleagues in Congress to do everything in our power to ensure his 
family can welcome him home to his final resting place in West Texas.
  On behalf of the 19th Congressional District of Texas, I want to 
extend a heartfelt thank you to Maj. George A. Davis, Jr. and his 
entire family for their tremendous sacrifice in service to our Nation.
  God Bless, and Go West Texas.

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