MAJOR Cecil E. Davis, Mission Aviation Fellowship and USAF pilot, entered glory on December 18. He was 96.
Don Davis, contributing writer with The Christian Messenger, is Cecil Davis’ youngest son. Cecil was living with his son Don in Israel.
Cecil was born in 1924 at Murray, Utah, and moved to a farm in California. During World War II he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1942. He became a B-17 engineer and gunner but soon qualified for Pilot Cadet training. Cecil graduated as a First Pilot (Commander) in B-17s, but for the need of pilots was transferred into B-29s.
He did his combat flying in WW II with the 39th Bomb Group, from Guam, in the B-29, ‘The City of Ketchikan’. In the military, Cecil was known as “Dave” Davis.
Later, he was recalled into the United States Air Force (USAF) during the Korean War. Cecil flew a six-month combat tour with the Strategic Air Command’s 98th Bomb Wing mainly in the bomber, ‘Ready Willin Wanton’, as well as being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (USA) for extraordinary combat action.
After the Korean War he served in Air Defense Command as a pilot, aircraft & intercept controller, UFO Study & Reporting Team, Special Assistant to Commanding General 31st Air Division, positions in Operations, and the Combat Bunker. Including flying Search and Rescue with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) while stationed in Canada, and credited for saving four civilians in a fire-crippled aircraft (although he was never awarded for the action despite submissions). Then with US Tactical Air Command in a combat crew, group and squadron, (reconnaissance aircraft – Cold War). Last, on Command Staff and Head of the Information Office of the 4504th Tactical Missile Training Wing, overseeing missile launches at Cape Canaveral and Patrick Air Force Base, reporting to staff, and unclassified material to USAF families and public. Cecil retired from the Air Force in 1967 after over 24 years.
He had at least 20 awards and ribbons, five occupational badges along with RCAF pilot wings, and flew over 2600 hours with 928 listed as combat hours. Also, Cecil flew 21 different US military aircraft and multiple varieties of those aircraft in addition to several RCAF aircraft. He flew single, twin and multi-engine prop, single and twin jet, and helicopter in diverse places around the world off of land, water, snow, and ice near the Arctic Circle.
USAF representatives, Lt. Col. Nicholas Unruh and USAF Lt. Col. David Manrrique were in attendance at Cecil’s funeral.
During Cecil’s military service he accepted the Lord and later resigned his regular military commission in 1961. While still being in the USAF Active Reserve, he began flying with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) in 1963. His summary of positions in MAF before retiring after 26 years in 1989; Pilot and Aircraft Mechanic, Program Manager, Experimental Test Pilot, Program Manager British MAF (BMAF), now known as MAF-UK, Operations & Personnel Manager BMAF HQ, Board Meetings BMAF, Assistant to US MAF President, General Director South Africa MAF, and Pilot Instructor.
Cecil served, along with his wife Colleen, in Ecuador, Suriname, Ethiopia, Kenya, Fullerton California Headquarters, South Africa and Redlands California Headquarters. But his responsibilities also included flying (and managing) in Guyana, French Guiana, Venezuela, Uganda, Central African Republic, Chad, United Kingdom, Ramona California, Rhodesia, Botswana, South West Africa, Tanzania and Congo-Zaire.
In addition, Cecil tested an MAF experimental Cessna 185 with a Reversible Prop. A Rake-Brake & Dual Brakes on a Cessna 180, and part of MK4 River Rover hovercraft operations evaluation in England. He flew 32 types of civilian aircraft with single and twin-engine prop, and multi-engine jet, plus helicopter for a total of over 3100 civilian aircraft hours.
Furthermore, Cecil had the rare opportunity to see a real shrunken head, one of the last verified ‘heads’ taken in warfare in Ecuador. The Ecuadorian government, via an American Missionary, secretly requested Cecil to fly the head to a location in order to return the head to the family, thus averting a nasty tribal war.
Moreover, Cecil has met with renowned evangelists, pastors, missionaries, rabbis, imams, generals, admirals, diplomats, governors, governor-generals, Royal appointees, chieftains, presidents, prime ministers, an emperor (Haile Selassie), a US president (Lyndon Johnson), in Marine One (The US President’s helicopter) during President’s Fords term, and is an Honorary Choctaw of the Native American Indian, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, granted by Chief (Miko) Gregory Pyle.
He leaves behind his oldest son, David, David’s wife Cheryl, three grandchildren, Jenny, (Kathryn already with the Lord) and Zachary, great-grandchildren, Miles, Olivia, and Julian. besides, of course, Cecil’s youngest son, Don.
During Cecil’s later lifetime, he devoted himself to the Lord, the Word, and in the last 25 years a defender of Israel. He was respected, admired and has the love, gratitude and esteem from his family and friends. Cecil’s body was buried in the husband/wife grave plot (where Colleen’s body is buried) in his home town in the Sharon Valley, in the State of Israel, where he lived for nearly 25 years.
In lieu of flowers anyone wishing can contribute or contact to contribute one, or more, of the following: Mission Aviation Fellowship, The Christian Messenger, India, 39th Bomb Group (Historical), Lost Ten Tribes.
