[Leonard K. Davis oral history interview]

Fighter ace Leonard K. “Duke” Davis is interviewed by Eugene A. Valencia about his military service with the United States Marine Corps during World War II. Davis describes his wartime experiences as a fighter pilot and his time with Marine Fighting Squadron 121 (VMF-121) in the Pacific Theater. Topics discussed include Davis’s combat missions, military life and conditions in Guadalcanal, and anecdotes about fellow pilots and other personnel.

Leonard K. “Duke” Davis was born June 16, 1913 in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1935 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. After the United States entered World War II, Davis was assigned to Marine Fighting Squadron 121 (VMF-121) and deployed to Guadalcanal. He was wounded in action in November 1942, and after his recovery, he joined Marine Fighting Squadron 111 (VMF-111). Davis remained in the military after the war, serving in command posts with the 1st Marine Air Wing in China and at Naval Air Station Glenview in Illinois. He retired as a colonel and passed away in 1971.

Biographical information courtesy of: Boyce, Ward J., ed., American fighter aces album. Mesa, Ariz: American Fighter Aces Association, 1996.