Emmett Smith Davis

Emmett Smith Davis
Nickname(s) Cyclone
Born (1918-12-12)December 12, 1918
Roosevelt, Utah
Died November 3, 2015(2015-11-03) (aged 96)
Highland, Utah
Buried Highland City Cemetery, Highland, Utah
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branch United States Air Force
Years of service 1940–1963
Rank Colonel
Commands held
Battles/wars
Awards
Other work Hughes Aircraft

Emmett Smith "Cyclone" Davis (December 12, 1918 – November 3, 2015) was a career officer and pilot in the United States Air Force, retiring as a colonel. He was an American and U.S. Army Air Forces fighter ace in the Pacific of World War II and a jet fighter pilot with the Air Force in the Korean War.

Early years

Davis was born December 12, 1918 in Roosevelt, Utah. He was the fifth of eight children. His family was poor and lived in a tent. His father had been in an infantry in Wyoming and had served with Teddy Roosevelt in the Rough Riders in the Spanish–American War.

When Davis was in the 3rd grade his family moved to Duchesne, Utah. His fourth grade teacher's husband had purchased an old Curtis Jenny mail plane. Emmett later said, "I used to go up and watch him fly that old airplane, and I guess that was really when I got struck with being an aviator". After his 7th grade year his family moved to Salt Lake City, Utah. There he graduated from East High School. He later attended the University of Utah. In 1939, his family again moved, this time to Compton, California.

U.S. Army Air Corps

On April 5, 1940, Davis joined the United States Army Air Corps. He attended Primary Flight Training School in Glendale, California training on a Stearman PT-13. In spite of his early dreams of being an aviator he encountered problems early in training. During an engine failure scenario the instructor disliked his choices and wanted to "wash him out". The chief instructor, however, decided to give him a second chance and began personally instructing him. He progressed and attended Basic Flight Training at Randolph Field.

Later, during Advanced Flight Training at Kelly Field, Texas, Davis was intent on piloting multi-engine aircraft - specifically B-17s. His flight instructor, however, told him, "No Davis you're a fighter pilot and that's where you want to be".

Davis graduated with the Flying School Class of '40 G and commissioned as second lieutenant November 15, 1940.

U.S. Army Air Forces

Pre World War II

Davis commissioned as second lieutenant on November 15, 1940. He elected to join a group to deliver P-36s to Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii in February 1941 aboard the USS Enterprise (CV-6). Having only 17 hours of flight experience and no carrier experience and while 100 miles from shore Davis was the second plane on the flight deck (immediately behind the commander) to take off the deck of the Enterprise to Wheeler Field.

Nickname: Cyclone

While stationed at Wheeler Field, Oahu, Hawaii the pilots would engage in mock dogfights. One of Davis' signature maneuvers was a tight, climbing spiral with a hammerhead that would put him on the pursuers tail. Other pilots began referring to the maneuver as "the cyclone" and eventually referred to Davis as Cyclone Davis. Davis embraced the nickname and used it throughout the remainder of his life almost to the exclusion of his first name.

One of Cyclone 's peers, Gabby Gabreski who could beat the other pilots and even the commander (and later became one of the leading aces of WW II) could not beat Cyclone and later wrote of him: ". . . he was in a class by himself."

World War II

Pearl Harbor

Second lieutenant Gabby Gabreski (left) and first lieutenant Cyclone Davis (second from left) at the Wheeler Field Officers Club, Hawaii, 1941

35th Fighter Squadron

Davis took command of the 35th Fighter Squadron, a Bell P-39 Airacobra unit, on 7 March 1943.[1] In the summer of 1943 Davis was able to get his squadron reequipped with the superior Curtiss P-40N Warhawk.[2]

U.S. Air Force career

Post-Korea

Bendix Trophy

Cyclone competed in the 1951 Bendix Trophy Transcontinental Air Race – jet class. He flew an F-84E from Muroc Field to Detroit, Michigan. Notwithstanding an in-flight failure resulting in cockpit depressurization, Cyclone succeeded at finishing second behind Colonel Keith K. Compton

Aerial victory credits

Cyclone Davis standing next to the P-40 that he flew to score all of his victories

Military ranks

Davis' rank promotions:

 Colonel c. mid-January 1951 (age 32 – he had been promoted to full colonel in the reserves several years earlier)
 Lieutenant colonel March 18, 1944 (age 25)
 Major July 6, 1943 (age 24)
 Captain August 8, 1942 (age 23)
 First lieutenant April 21, 1942 (age 23)
 Second lieutenant November 15, 1940 (age 21)

Military awards

Davis' military decorations and awards include:

Silver Star
Legion of Merit
 Distinguished Flying Cross with one Oak leaf cluster
 Air Medal with three Oak leaf clusters
 Air Force Commendation Medal with two Oak leaf clusters
 Air Force Presidential Unit Citation with two Oak leaf clusters
American Defense Service Medal
American Campaign Medal
Silver star
 Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one silver star
World War II Victory Medal
Army of Occupation Medal with Japan Clasp
Bronze star
 National Defense Service Medal with two bronze stars
Bronze star
 Korean Service Medal with two bronze stars
 Air Force Longevity Service Award with four Oak leaf clusters
Bronze star
 Philippine Liberation Medal with one bronze star
Philippine Independence Medal
Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
United Nations Korea Medal
Korean War Service Medal
 Honorable Service Lapel Button

Personal life and death


Legacy

In 2016, he was inducted in the Utah Aviation Hall of Fame.

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Robertson, Patsy (March 16, 2015). "35 Fighter Squadron (PACAF)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  2. ↑ Molesworth 2003, p. 51.

Bibliography

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Interviews

Miscellaneous

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