Elmer L. Davis
3rd Air Rescue Group
Far East Air Forces
Elmer “Buddy” Davis served in Korea with the 3rd Air Rescue Group, Detachment 1, at K-16 air base (Seoul). He received the Distinguished Flying Cross 52 years after the heroic rescue of a downed F-86 pilot at a ceremony at Pope Air Force Base, N Carolina.
The citation reads:
Sergeant Elmer L. Davis distinguished himself by gallantry in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United States, near Chongdan, North Korea on 13 November 1952. On that date, he was Aero-Medical technician and part of a two man H-5 helicopter crew on a rescue mission of a downed pilot n enemy held territory. Upon researching the downed pilot’s location, Sergeant Davis was constantly in danger from enemy small arms fire, while the rescue sling was lowered. The pilot wounded and in his haste to be removed from hostile territory, inadvertently entered the sling improperly. The hoist malfunctioned as the helicopter climbed to an altitude of 600 feet. Sergeant Davis lay down and with his body half way out of the door, grabbed the back of the pilot’s jacket. The exhausted pilot could offer no assistance to Sergeant Davis, who was also in danger of falling from the helicopter. The helicopter rotated downward once again toward ground level where Sergeant Davis was able to lift the pilot inside. Both the pilot and Sergeant Davis were continuously exposed to enemy fire throughout the ordeal. The morale factor by other pilots knowing they would be rescued, even if behind enemy lines, by men with the motto “That Others May Live”, could not be measured. By this successful rescue, Sergeant Davis helped prove the future value of the helicopter for rescue use in war and peace. By the gallantry and devotion to duty, Sergeant Davis has reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.
Prior to the ceremony the helicopter pilot, Owen L Clark (LtCol-ret), the downed fighter pilot, Quintus J. Fuller and Davis were reunited for the first time since the rescue.
Davis continued to serve as a medical technician with the US Army serving in Vietnam as well. He retired in August of 1971 after 20 years of service with the rank of Sergeant First Class. Davis’s other awards include:
Bronze Star Medal w/1 OLC
Air Medal w/1 OLC
Army Commendation Medal w/2 OLC
Army Good Conduct Medal- 5th award
National Defense Medal w/1 star
Korean Service Medal w/1 campaign star
Vietnam Service Medal w/9 campaign stars
UN Service Medal
Vietnam Campaign Medal
Sikorsky H-5
Sanford, N. Carolina (2009)
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