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| Sgt. Fleming Davis served with these men of the 9th Infantry Division in Normandy. photo of Fleming Davis provided by his niece, Nancy Vogt. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/108384462 https://www.pinterest.com/pin/538672805421715984/?lp=true |
Alvin Fleming Davis never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
This profile was written at the request of Nancy Vogt, a coworker of mine at Zions Bank. Fleming Davis was an uncle she never met.
He was born on November 24, 1918 in Georgia. His parents Edwin and Ethel were also both born in Georgia. His father worked as a farmer who also bought and sold cows. He had a saw-mill for eight years until 1926. Fleming had three older sisters, two older brothers, two younger sisters and a younger brother. (Brothers Otis and Edwin both served in WW2 and returned home.) By 1940 Fleming had completed one year of high school and was living at home working as a farm laborer.
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| Fleming's brothers Otis and Edwin served in the Navy and Army Air Forces, respectively. photos from Fleming's niece, Nancy Vogt. |
He enlisted in the army on October 3, 1941. He became a sergeant in Company H, 2nd Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division (nicknamed "Old Reliables"). The 9th ID was one of the first American units deployed in WW2. It fought in Algeria in November 1942 and in Tunisia during the spring on 1943. Next it took part in the invasion of Sicily in August 1943. It was then sent to England to prepare for the invasion of France.
The 9th ID landed on Utah Beach on June 10, 1944, four days after D-Day. It was assigned to cut off the Cotentin Peninsula and capture Cherbourg. The position of his unit, the 60th Infantry Regiment, is shown on this map:
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| https://9thinfantrydivision.net/cutting-the-peninsula/ |
On June 15 the Americans faced fresh units of German infantry supported by tanks. The Germans attacked the 1st Battalion and sent them retreating with heavy casualties including two company commanders. The 2nd Battalion was called on to force back the Germans. Sgt. Davis was in the heavy weapons company so his unit would have been heavily engaged in a counterattack that repelled the Germans and their tanks. He was one of the men killed during this battle. The Americans prevailed and captured the village of Reigneville that day.
His grave is at Zeta Cemetery in Tennille, Georgia. His brothers Otis and Edwin are also buried there.
Last year on this date I profiled Harold Jared, 1st Infantry Division who, coincidentally, died just two days before Sgt. Davis, also in Normandy. You can read about Harold Jared here.
On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!
I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100
Sgt. Fleming Davis paid it all so that we could enjoy the God given Liberties and Freedoms by Americans. May we always remember the cost and not waste it.
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