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Major Glen C. Davis, a longtime resident of Paden, OK passed away surrounded by his loving family on February 6th, 2023, at the age of 90.
Glen was born on February 12th, 1932, north of Paden to Tony and Dovie Cobble Davis. He attended Midway & Grant Schools along with Little and Prairie Valley for one year and then Paden High School from 1946-1948. He left Paden High School after his sophomore year at age 16 and was sent to Japan in 1949 on occupation duty until June 1950 (when Korean War began). On July 1st, 1950, he was sent into Korea from southern Japan to Pusan S. Korea, where he was loaded onto a train at Pusan arriving at Taejon on July 4th. From there they loaded onto trucks and moved north to Osan. This was the first American Forces into Korea. This unit was the 1st Battalion of the 21st Infantry Regiment of the 24th Infantry Division. This 450-man unit is more commonly referred to as 'Task Force Smith" after the Battalion commander.
On the morning of July 5th this small unit engaged a full North Korean regiment which was supported by 33 T-34 Russian tanks. After 2 hours of fighting with its ammunition gone and almost 50% of the unit dead or wounded Col. Smith gave the order "get out any way you can" those not dead or severely wounded retreated south. When they assembled later the next day it was found that the 450-man unit had suffered 1/3 killed, 1/3 wounded and captured (later these were killed by the North Koreans) and 1/3 still able to fight. For the next 10 days it was fight and retreat south.
On July 20th during the battle for Taejon Glen was wounded while driving a Jeep load of wounded. The Jeep was destroyed and all except for Glen were killed. Evacuated to a hospital in Japan where he remained until late September 1950 when he volunteered to go back to Korea with the 187th Airborne Regiment. Glen jumped into North Korea on October 20th, 1950, and stayed with the 187th thru the winter of 1950-51. He then jumped into North Korea again on March 29th, 1951. During this jump he broke his left leg and left shoulder and was again evacuated to Japan.
He returned to Korea again in May 1951 and set up a Medical Aid Station north of UiJong-Bu until February 1952. Then he went to Brook Army Medical center in San Antonio, Texas. He married Dorthy Bryant on April 17, 1952, in Huntsville, Arkansas. He was discharged from the Army in June 1952 and then re-enlisted in September 1952. He was sent to Artillery Officers Canidate School in February 1955. Glen was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in July of 1955. Then he attended Advanced Airborne and Ranger School at Ft. Benning Georgia. Followed by fixed wing flight school at Ft. Rucker, AL in 1956.
Glen was then sent to Army Language School in Monterey, CA in 1956-57 where he studied the Russian language for 12 months. He then spent 3 years in Germany (1957-1960) with the 532nd Military Intelligence Battalion as a Russian Interrogator/Translator. Glen returned to Ft. Sill, OK for advanced Artillery School in 1960-61.
Glen was called to Washington D.C. to work in the Pentagon during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October of 1962. Later in 1962 he was sent to Tokyo, Japan as a Special Intelligence Operative. From 1962 thru late 1965, Glen made numerous trips into Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia) setting up Intelligence Gathering units with the Special Forces.
Glen completed his college degree at the University of Nebraska in 1966 and was assigned to the Officers Candidate School at Ft. Sill, OK from 1966-1967.
Glen arrived in South Vietnam in January 1968 assigned to the Americal Division at Chu Lai as the Division Artillery's Intelligence officer and Senior Aerial Observer. From February 1968 until November 1968, he logged over 600 hours as Aerial Observer putting in Artillery Strikes, Air Strikes and Naval Gunfire for this service he was awarded 11 Air Medals.
From November of 1968-January of 1969 Glen was the Americal Division Liaison Officer to the 2nd South Vietnamese Division at Quang Neigh. In February of 1969 he returned to Ft. Sill, OK assigned as the "Death Notification Officer" for the Oklahoma area. From Feb. 1969 until August 1969 when he retired, he made over 200 death notifications in the Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas areas. Glen was proud of his country and served the US Army for over 20 years.
Glen's service in the US Army took him to duty stations, such as, Lawton, Alabama, Georgia, California, Germany, Japan, or spur of the moment adventures to the far reaches of the globe amassing Secondhand Lionesque stories. Part Rambo, part James Bond, and always our cussing, cantankerous curmudgeon with a cigar in one hand and armed with a razor-sharp wit, Glen had a chokehold on life and squeezed out the good stuff until the very end.
In August of 1969 he retired and moved back to "good old Paden". After he hung up the dog tags, he took on the fulltime loving role of husband, dad, grandfather (Papa). He fought boredom with game shows such as Wheel-of-Fortune and was a contestant in 1990. Glen enjoyed traveling, hunting, and working various other jobs, such as Paden City Judge, Program Director of the Boley State School for Boys. Glen received an Honorary Paden High School Diploma in November 2001. Glen enjoyed attending the activities of his grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren. Glen was always up for an enjoyable time. He enjoyed dancing and hitting the casinos. He would travel on a whim to Las Vegas, NV or Tunica, MS without anyone knowing until he returned with his winnings, or you found a note taped to his door that read, "Be back, when I get back, if I come back." Glen lived a full life and spent the last few years content in his Paden home.
Glen was preceded in death by his parents, his wife of 43 years Dorothy Davis, infant daughter Dorthy Davis, brother Bill Davis, sisters Eulena Lyons and Juanita Chapman, and special friend Zelda Jordan.
Glen is survived by his daughter Shirley Davis of Prague, Oklahoma and son Glen Ray Davis of Hastings, Nebraska, granddaughter Tammy Bost and husband Jimmy of Seminole, grandson Michael Mlynek and wife Jennifer of Prague, great grandchildren Chad Bost and wife Lauren, Brett Bost and wife Kaylee, Taryn Bost, Josh Bost and wife Ayaka, Jayden Mlynek, Emmary Mlynek, Maryiah Mlynek, great-great grandchildren, Channing Bost, Baker Bost, Leon Bost and Cameron Bost. Sister Pat and her husband Ronnie Booth of Eufaula and great friend (son) Steve Cheatwood and numerous other family and friends.
Family visitation to be held at Parks Brothers Funeral Home in Prague, Oklahoma on Thursday, February 9th from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Services to be held at Parks Brothers Chapel in Prague, Oklahoma on Friday, February 10th at 2:00 p.m. and he will be laid to rest at Oakdale Cemetary in Paden, Oklahoma.
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