Air Force captain and Franconia native Joseph Davies and his co-pilot were shot down over North Vietnam’s Quang Bing Province on May 18, 1968. (It was actually May 19 in Vietnam.) More than 20 years later, inspection teams from the United States and the Republic of Vietnam found the wreckage of an F-4DII aircraft, the type Davies was flying. All remains recovered were identified by DNA testing as being those of First Lieutenant Glenn McCubbin, the co-pilot. No remains were identified as Davies.
Interestingly, metal ID tags with Davies’ name, of the type usually found on equipment, were acquired. While the recovery team was working, a nearby resident approached carrying Davies’ dog tags. He turned the tags over to the Vietnam team.
Interestingly, metal ID tags with Davies’ name, of the type usually found on equipment, were acquired. While the recovery team was working, a nearby resident approached carrying Davies’ dog tags. He turned the tags over to the Vietnam team.
Joseph Davies -- MIA 19 May 1968
In June 1974, the United States held a memorial service for Davies. The Defense Department said he had been killed in action in Vietnam, and they then promoted him to the rank of Major. His name was added to the Vietnam Memorial on the Mall in Washington, D.C., and also to the Tablets of the Missing, at the Military Cemetery at Punchbowl Crater in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Shirley Davies, Joe’s wife, was at home in North Garden, Virginia, with two of their four sons, Jeff and Jason, when word of Joe’s loss was delivered by an Air Force representative. Actually, the representative first met Shirley’s brother, Jimmy, who lived next door. The other two Davies boys, Joey and Jerry, were at nearby Red Bud Elementary School, Joey in the third grade and Jerry in the second grade.
Shirley’s older sister, Gin, was nearby, and Jimmy called his brother, Lenny, in Franconia. The Air Force also sent officers to notify Joe’s parents in Franconia. Joe’s sister, Cassie, arrived to console her mother, Jo. Joe’s father, Ed, had gone to the Shenandoah Valley, and he was contacted and asked to come home. Joe’s youngest sister, Pat, was home from college, and his brother, Tony, was in school in Kansas.
Over the years, family and friends helped Shirley and the boys come to grips with losing Joe in such a heart-breaking way. The family moved several times, including a five-year stay at an Air Force facility in Michigan. Hope for Joe’s recovery was continuously on everyone’s mind. Shirley’s brothers and sisters and Joe’s siblings were a constant source of strength for her, despite their own grief.
Shirley and the boys recently held a family reunion at the nursing home in Florida where she is now a resident. Joey, Jerry and Jeff followed their father in military careers, while Jason chose a business career. All have families of their own.
Shirley lost her brother, Lenny, in recent years. Joe’s younger brother. Tony, has also passed away. Joe’s sisters, and Pat, live in Fredericksburg and Charlottesville, respectively. Jimmy, Shirley’s brother, lives in Smith Mountain Lake, and Gin, an active 95 year old, lives in Richmond.
Perhaps the only positive memory of that long period took place just months before Joe was lost. Scheduled for a rest and relaxation week in the Philippines, Joe instead chose to travel surreptitiously halfway around the world to visit his family. He flew on an Air Force jet to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, and caught a bus to North Garden (near Charlottesville) to surprise Shirley and the boys.
Gin and Jimmy watched the boys as Shirley and Joe spent a few days at a Virginia resort, while also visiting Ed Henry, Joe’s former high school football coach, at Virginia Military Academy in Lexington. Then it was on to Franconia to see Joe’s family, friends and relatives. After the short stay, Shirley and Nelson Connor, Joe’s best friend growing up, took him back to Andrews to begin the long flight back to Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand, where he was stationed.
Joe is one of seven Franconians honored with stars at the Rocky Versace Plaza in Alexandria. The plaza was named for the Army captain who grew up there, and was killed when captured, after holding off a superior force while wounded in 1965. Versace died in captivity, and his body has never been recovered. He became a Medal of Honor recipient thirty-seven years later. Friends and comrades financed the center, located at the Mount Vernon Recreation Center on Commonwealth Avenue. A program of remembrance is held there on Memorial Day in May.
Also honored at the Versace Plaza are Corporal Robert W. Cupp, who died as the result of wounds received when a mine exploded June 6, 1968; Corporal Charles H. Elliott, who perished while a member on an Engineer unit; Private First Class Herman Judy, who was killed in action on May 29, 1969; Private First Class Bill Holland, a United States Marine who died on March 22, 1970; Air Force Captain Paul Bayliss, who was killed in a crash in Thailand on November 6, 1966; Private First Class Michael Ludwig, who died on May 27, 1968, just 17 days after arriving in Vietnam; and Air Force Tech Sergeant Mike Walker, who died on July 10, 1973, of pneumonia due to injuries and wounds suffered in Vietnam.
Send Shirley a card to let her know Franconia is still thinking of her, and of Joe. Her address is Shirley Davies, 37300 Royal Oak Lane, #226, Dade City, Florida 33525. Tell her the Franconia Museum provided her address.
Joe Davies and the other Franconia community members are featured in Volume Six of Franconia Remembers, which is available at the Museum for only $10. Add mailing costs to purchase online at franconiamuseum.org. Click on e-store for details.
In June 1974, the United States held a memorial service for Davies. The Defense Department said he had been killed in action in Vietnam, and they then promoted him to the rank of Major. His name was added to the Vietnam Memorial on the Mall in Washington, D.C., and also to the Tablets of the Missing, at the Military Cemetery at Punchbowl Crater in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Shirley Davies, Joe’s wife, was at home in North Garden, Virginia, with two of their four sons, Jeff and Jason, when word of Joe’s loss was delivered by an Air Force representative. Actually, the representative first met Shirley’s brother, Jimmy, who lived next door. The other two Davies boys, Joey and Jerry, were at nearby Red Bud Elementary School, Joey in the third grade and Jerry in the second grade.
Shirley’s older sister, Gin, was nearby, and Jimmy called his brother, Lenny, in Franconia. The Air Force also sent officers to notify Joe’s parents in Franconia. Joe’s sister, Cassie, arrived to console her mother, Jo. Joe’s father, Ed, had gone to the Shenandoah Valley, and he was contacted and asked to come home. Joe’s youngest sister, Pat, was home from college, and his brother, Tony, was in school in Kansas.
Over the years, family and friends helped Shirley and the boys come to grips with losing Joe in such a heart-breaking way. The family moved several times, including a five-year stay at an Air Force facility in Michigan. Hope for Joe’s recovery was continuously on everyone’s mind. Shirley’s brothers and sisters and Joe’s siblings were a constant source of strength for her, despite their own grief.
Shirley and the boys recently held a family reunion at the nursing home in Florida where she is now a resident. Joey, Jerry and Jeff followed their father in military careers, while Jason chose a business career. All have families of their own.
Shirley lost her brother, Lenny, in recent years. Joe’s younger brother. Tony, has also passed away. Joe’s sisters, and Pat, live in Fredericksburg and Charlottesville, respectively. Jimmy, Shirley’s brother, lives in Smith Mountain Lake, and Gin, an active 95 year old, lives in Richmond.
Perhaps the only positive memory of that long period took place just months before Joe was lost. Scheduled for a rest and relaxation week in the Philippines, Joe instead chose to travel surreptitiously halfway around the world to visit his family. He flew on an Air Force jet to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, and caught a bus to North Garden (near Charlottesville) to surprise Shirley and the boys.
Gin and Jimmy watched the boys as Shirley and Joe spent a few days at a Virginia resort, while also visiting Ed Henry, Joe’s former high school football coach, at Virginia Military Academy in Lexington. Then it was on to Franconia to see Joe’s family, friends and relatives. After the short stay, Shirley and Nelson Connor, Joe’s best friend growing up, took him back to Andrews to begin the long flight back to Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand, where he was stationed.
Joe is one of seven Franconians honored with stars at the Rocky Versace Plaza in Alexandria. The plaza was named for the Army captain who grew up there, and was killed when captured, after holding off a superior force while wounded in 1965. Versace died in captivity, and his body has never been recovered. He became a Medal of Honor recipient thirty-seven years later. Friends and comrades financed the center, located at the Mount Vernon Recreation Center on Commonwealth Avenue. A program of remembrance is held there on Memorial Day in May.
Also honored at the Versace Plaza are Corporal Robert W. Cupp, who died as the result of wounds received when a mine exploded June 6, 1968; Corporal Charles H. Elliott, who perished while a member on an Engineer unit; Private First Class Herman Judy, who was killed in action on May 29, 1969; Private First Class Bill Holland, a United States Marine who died on March 22, 1970; Air Force Captain Paul Bayliss, who was killed in a crash in Thailand on November 6, 1966; Private First Class Michael Ludwig, who died on May 27, 1968, just 17 days after arriving in Vietnam; and Air Force Tech Sergeant Mike Walker, who died on July 10, 1973, of pneumonia due to injuries and wounds suffered in Vietnam.
Send Shirley a card to let her know Franconia is still thinking of her, and of Joe. Her address is Shirley Davies, 37300 Royal Oak Lane, #226, Dade City, Florida 33525. Tell her the Franconia Museum provided her address.
Joe Davies and the other Franconia community members are featured in Volume Six of Franconia Remembers, which is available at the Museum for only $10. Add mailing costs to purchase online at franconiamuseum.org. Click on e-store for details.
FRANCONIA REMEMBERS
This is one of the Franconia Museum’s occasional articles highlighting the area’s history. If you would like a friend to receive these FREE articles, contact us at franconia.museum.newsletter@gmail.com Membership is also encouraged, so that we can continue our work. The Museum is in the Franconia Government Center, currently located at 6121 Franconia Road, Alexandria, Virginia 22310. The hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. The Museum is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, as approved by the Internal Revenue Service.
Join or contribute to the Franconia Museum electronically by accessing Franconiamuseum.org and clicking on Become a Member. You can also join the old fashioned way by mailing a check made payable to the Franconia Museum to 6121 Franconia Road, Alexandria, VA, 22310. Levels of memberships and giving are presented below.
The Museum will soon move into new quarters at the relocated Franconia Government Center on Beulah Street, near its intersection with the Franconia-Springfield Parkway. We need your help to make the move, so please consider making a contribution or becoming a member for 2025. Contributions in excess of the membership fee are greatly appreciated. The Museum is a volunteer effort, but there are also costs for insurance of our artifacts, printing and postage. Please help!
2025 MEMBERSHIP DRIVE – PLEASE JOIN OR RENEW
Join us in celebrating our 24th year of preserving and protecting the history of our unique community. Our collections are growing, and we are starting to purchase electronic equipment for displays that will be available in the new Franconia Govt. Center coming in 2025 next to Lane Elementary and Beulah Park. Make the move with us by becoming a member! Additional donations are especially welcome! We are a tax-exempt, volunteer organization. There are no fund-raising costs! Come see us and learn about our past, present and future! Join us as a new member, renew your 2024 membership, or become a Lifetime or Founding member. We need to fill vacancies on our Board of Directors, and need volunteers to help man the Museum on Mon-Tues-Wed-Sat.
Annual dues $25.00 Donation $______________ Total Enclosed $_____________
or Lifetime Member…$350.00 (one time payment)
or Founding Member…$1,000.00 (one time payment)
Name............................................................................................................................................
Address.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
Phone.................................................. E-mail...........................................................................
Please complete application and mail with payment to
Franconia Museum, 6121 Franconia Rd, Franconia, VA 22310
Open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Questions: Call Carl Sell at 703-971-4716 or email sellcarl@aol.com
For previous stories, go to franconiamuseum.org and click on history blog.
This is one of the Franconia Museum’s occasional articles highlighting the area’s history. If you would like a friend to receive these FREE articles, contact us at franconia.museum.newsletter@gmail.com Membership is also encouraged, so that we can continue our work. The Museum is in the Franconia Government Center, currently located at 6121 Franconia Road, Alexandria, Virginia 22310. The hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. The Museum is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, as approved by the Internal Revenue Service.
Join or contribute to the Franconia Museum electronically by accessing Franconiamuseum.org and clicking on Become a Member. You can also join the old fashioned way by mailing a check made payable to the Franconia Museum to 6121 Franconia Road, Alexandria, VA, 22310. Levels of memberships and giving are presented below.
The Museum will soon move into new quarters at the relocated Franconia Government Center on Beulah Street, near its intersection with the Franconia-Springfield Parkway. We need your help to make the move, so please consider making a contribution or becoming a member for 2025. Contributions in excess of the membership fee are greatly appreciated. The Museum is a volunteer effort, but there are also costs for insurance of our artifacts, printing and postage. Please help!
2025 MEMBERSHIP DRIVE – PLEASE JOIN OR RENEW
Join us in celebrating our 24th year of preserving and protecting the history of our unique community. Our collections are growing, and we are starting to purchase electronic equipment for displays that will be available in the new Franconia Govt. Center coming in 2025 next to Lane Elementary and Beulah Park. Make the move with us by becoming a member! Additional donations are especially welcome! We are a tax-exempt, volunteer organization. There are no fund-raising costs! Come see us and learn about our past, present and future! Join us as a new member, renew your 2024 membership, or become a Lifetime or Founding member. We need to fill vacancies on our Board of Directors, and need volunteers to help man the Museum on Mon-Tues-Wed-Sat.
Annual dues $25.00 Donation $______________ Total Enclosed $_____________
or Lifetime Member…$350.00 (one time payment)
or Founding Member…$1,000.00 (one time payment)
Name............................................................................................................................................
Address.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
Phone.................................................. E-mail...........................................................................
Please complete application and mail with payment to
Franconia Museum, 6121 Franconia Rd, Franconia, VA 22310
Open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Questions: Call Carl Sell at 703-971-4716 or email sellcarl@aol.com
For previous stories, go to franconiamuseum.org and click on history blog.
Recent
Archive
2025
2024
February
September
October
December
2023
September
November
December
No Comments