| Korean War Hero of the Month: U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel George Andrew Davis Jr. | |
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The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (Minister Kang Jung-ai) announced that Lieutenant Colonel (posthumously promoted from Major) George Andrew Davis Jr., a United States Air Force officer who was deployed to the 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing during the Korean War and carried out a total of 60 operational missions, shooting down 14 enemy aircrafts, as the 'Korean War Hero of the Month for February 2024'.
Lt Col Davis joined the United States Army Air Corps in June 1942 as a fighter pilot and participated in the Pacific War. During the Korean War, which broke out in 1950, he was assigned to the 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing (Air Force) in October 1951 and carried out patrol missions in 'MiG Alley' over Sinuiju, North Pyongan Province, a major reinforcement route for the Chinese People's Volunteer Army, covering friendly forces from enemy attacks. During the war, he successfully completed 60 sorties, shooting down 14 enemy aircraft. He was known as the 'Hunter of the Skies' and held the record for the highest number of enemy aircraft shot down within the UN forces (at the time of his death), and was one of the top fighter pilots in the United States Air Force. On February 10, 1952, Lieutenant Colonel Davis was leading four F-86 fighters near the border of North Korea and Manchuria, China, on a reconnaissance mission. During the patrol, upon realizing that a friendly squadron was threatened by a formation of 12 MiG-15s from the Chinese People's Volunteer Army, he promptly initiated an attack against the enemy. Despite the disadvantageous situation, determined to save his colleagues, he dived towards the enemy formation and broke through from behind, intensively attacking and shooting down two enemy aircraft. Maintaining superior speed, instead of evading the concentrated enemy fire, he slowed down and engaged in combat with a third enemy aircraft, during which he was shot down. Lt Col Davis's bold attack completely disrupted the enemy's formation, allowing the friendly forces to successfully defend against the enemy's provocation. Lt Col George Andrew Davis Jr., who defended South Korea with a sacrificial spirit until his last moment, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration, by the United States government on May 14, 1954. |
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| date | 2024-01-31 |
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