b. 07/09/1931 Kansas City, Missouri. d. 21/09/1951 Songdae-Dong, Korea.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 21/09/1951 Songdae-Dong, Korea.
Jack A Davenport MOH
Jack Davenport was born September 7, 1931 in Kansas City, Missouri, where he graduated from high school in 1949. While in high school, he was a newspaper carrier for the Kansas City Star and played American Legion baseball for three seasons. Upon completing high school, he studied for a year at the University of Kansas, where he was a member of the freshman football team.
He enlisted in the Marine Corps on July 25, 1950, and completed his recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California, that September. He was then stationed with the Training and Replacement Command at Camp Pendleton, California, until December 1950, when he embarked to join the 5th Marines in Korea.
In the early morning of September 21, 1951, Corporal Davenport sacrificed his life to save the life of a fellow Marine Priv. Robert W Smith in Korea. He was standing watch together with Priv. Smith when an enemy hand grenade landed in their foxhole. Without thought of his own safety, Davenport found the grenade in the dark and smothered its explosion with his own body in order to save the life of his fellow Marine.
His body was returned to the United States in January 1952 to be buried at Mount Moriah Cemetery, Hickman Mills, Missouri. Davenport’s father, Fred received the Medal of Honor on January 7, 1953, from U.S. Secretary of the Navy Dan A. Kimball in Washington, D.C.
MOH CITATION:
In the early morning of September 21, 1951, Corporal Davenport sacrificed his life to save the life of a fellow Marine in Korea. He was standing watch together with another Marine when an enemy hand grenade landed in their foxhole. Without thought of his own safety, Davenport found the grenade in the dark and smothered its explosion with his own body in order to save the life of his fellow Marine.
BURIAL LOCATION: MOUNT MORIAH CEMETERY, KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.
LOT 37, BLOCK 15, SPACE 7
LOCATION OF MEDAL: FAMILY.
