Texas Land Commissioner Dr. Dawn Buckingham sent a letter to President Donald J. Trump, the Honorable Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State, the Honorable Pete Hegseth, U.S. Secretary of Defense, and other key leaders Feb. 10 calling for a joint investigation by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Defense to locate and return the remains of World War II and Korean War Veteran Lieutenant Colonel George A. Davis Jr.
This year, the Texas General Land Office (GLO) and the Texas Veterans Land Board (VLB) will open the fifth Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Lubbock, where Davis’ family resides. In honor of his tremendous courage and sacrifice, the GLO plans to commemorate the grand opening of the new cemetery by holding a special interment ceremony for Colonel Davis.
“As Texas Land Commissioner and Chairwoman of the Texas Veterans Land Board, I am responsible for serving the brave men and women who have valiantly defended our nation,” Buckingham said in a news release. “Colonel Davis served with incredible distinction, earning multiple military medals while flying during World War II and selflessly made the ultimate sacrifice for his country during the Korean War. I remain determined to help bring him home to rest in Lubbock where his family resides and uphold Texas’s legacy of exceptional Veteran care. After 73 long years, Colonel Davis and his family must be reunited.”
Colonel Davis began his incredible military career fighting in World War II after joining the U.S. Army Air Corps in March 1942. In just three years, he flew 266 combat missions, accrued 705 combat hours, and was awarded several medals, including the Silver Star, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, and nine Air Medals for acts of heroism.
Colonel Davis commanded the 334th Fire-Interceptor Squadron during the Korean War while training new pilots and flying air-to-air combat missions. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his leadership and extraordinary bravery in combat with an armed force. He became known as the Korean War’s ace of aces.
Colonel Davis was shot down 30 miles south of the Yalu River on February 10, 1952, while flying his 59th mission and defending a group of F-84 Thunderjets conducting a low-level bombing mission over North Korea. He was declared missing in action and presumed dead. Colonel Davis was later awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his valorous actions.
Currently, controversy and rumors surround the location of Colonel Davis’s remains. It has been reported that the Chinese military recovered Colonel Davis’s body but did not return his remains to the United States. There are additional reports that his dog tag and remains are possibly on display in a Korean War Museum in Mainland China.
Regarding this critical situation, Commissioner Buckingham stated in her letter:
“These rumors are extremely problematic, and if true, the flagrant disrespect shown to Colonel Davis is unacceptable. I’m calling on the United States to use all diplomatic means to demand the Chinese government permit United States investigators to explore the validity of these claims immediately […] Please help the loved ones of Lieutenant Colonel Davis finally find closure and allow us to provide him a dignified resting place where the free men and women of our country can pay their respects to a hero who defended the freedoms we hold dear.”
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