Pvt. 1st Class Reed A. Davis, buried in Luxembourg American Cemetery
Pvt. 1st Class Reed A. Davis was born in 1910 in Ohio. Formerly a Machine Operator in a steel mill, he was drafted in 1944, when his son Richard was 7-years-old.
Davis was assigned to the 328th Infantry Regiment, 26th Infantry Division, and fought in Luxembourg during the Battle of the Bulge.
By the end of December, American reinforcements continued to pour into the Ardennes region to halt and turn back the German advance. As part of Patton’s Third Army’s counterattack, the 26th Infantry Division fought north through Luxembourg towards the encircled 101st Airborne Division in Bastogne. By Christmas day the division was assaulting the town of Arsdorf on the Sure river.
On Dec. 25, 1944, while the division was trying to defend and cross the Sure river in the north of Luxembourg, Company C was faced with enemy machine gun fire. To enable his comrades to move forward and push past their dangerous position, Davis was willing to risk his own life. His citation for the Silver Star reads:
“Private First Class Davis, a Company C rifleman, advanced ahead of the forward elements and exposed himself to draw the enemy fire. While thus engaged; he was struck and killed. His heroic act enabled his comrades to detect the location of the enemy emplacement and execute a flanking movement which resulted in neutralizing the automatic weapon. His courage under fire and aggressiveness in action reflect the highest credit upon Private First Class Davis and the Armed Forces of the United States.”
In addition to the Silver Star, Davis was awarded the Purple Heart. His wife, Irma, chose to have him buried with the fellow service members he sacrificed for at the Luxembourg American Cemetery.