Donald E. Davis

Donald E. Davis was the tail gunner on the Hetzler B-24 Crew that was shot down over Germany on March 23, 1944. I was lucky enough to meet with his younger brother, his niece and his nephew this afternoon in southern Illinois. They graciously shared pictures, letters and memories with me, a complete stranger. Pat Meller of the Union County Historical Society helped me find the family and set up the meeting. I am hoping to collect more information, write an article and give a talk about him, much the way I did for Harold Hetzler in his hometown. Of course, ultimately, I would like to write a book about all 10 members of the crew and my journey to learn what I could about these men 65 years after they lost their lives. So many historians focus on the "great" men of history. There is nothing wrong with that of course, but I like to focus on the common people, which it turns out, usually aren't common at all. They were heroic, humorous, adventurous and loved life. Surely they have as much to teach us as the presidents and generals.

If you are a relative, friend or have any information about Donald E. Davis, please contact me: kirbhund at sbcglobal.net