Rudolph B. Davila Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Rudolph B. Davila
First Lieutenant Rudolph B. Davila, Medal of Honor recipient
Born	(1916-04-27)April 27, 1916 El Paso, Texas, US
Died	January 26, 2002(2002-01-26) (aged 85) Vista, California, US
Place of burial	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1941–1945
Rank	First Lieutenant
Unit	Company H, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Medal of Honor Distinguished Service Cross Purple Heart
Other work	Teacher

Rudolph B. Davila (born April 27, 1916 – died January 26, 2002) was a brave American soldier. He was born in El Paso, Texas, and had both Spanish and Filipino heritage. During World War II, he served in the United States Army and showed amazing courage in Italy. For his heroic actions, he received the Medal of Honor, which is the highest award for bravery in the U.S. military. He was the only soldier of Filipino background to earn this medal for fighting in Europe. At first, he received the Distinguished Service Cross. But in 1998, after a careful review, his award was changed to the Medal of Honor.

Early Life and Joining the Army
Heroic Actions in World War II
Life After the War
- A Wife's Dedication
Medal of Honor Awarded
Later Years and Legacy
Awards and Recognitions
See Also

Early Life and Joining the Army

Rudolph Davila was born in El Paso, Texas. His father was from Spain, and his mother was from the Philippines. When he was a child, his family moved to Watts, Los Angeles, California. He grew up there and went to school. In March 1941, Davila joined the Army from Los Angeles.

Heroic Actions in World War II

Davila was a Staff Sergeant in Company H of the 7th Infantry Regiment. This unit was part of the 3rd Infantry Division.

Breaking Through Enemy Lines

On May 28, 1944, his company was fighting near Artena, Italy. They were trying to break through strong German defenses in the mountains. The German soldiers were attacking Davila's company very hard. For some reason, his machine gunners were not firing their weapons.

Davila knew his company was in danger. He bravely crawled 50 yards (about half a football field) to the closest machine gun. He then fired over 750 rounds at the enemy hiding in the hills.

His fellow machine gunners saw his courage and started firing too. Davila used hand and arm signals to guide their shots. They kept firing until two enemy machine guns were silenced. Even though he was hurt by the enemy, he kept fighting. He fired at the enemy from inside a burnt tank.

Clearing a Farmhouse

Next, Davila saw what looked like a rifle in a farmhouse window. He quickly grabbed a rifle and two grenades. He went into the farmhouse and threw the grenades into the attic. He then shot at the enemy soldiers inside. This destroyed two more enemy machine gun nests. The enemy soldiers had to leave their strong positions.

Receiving an Award

After these brave actions, Davila was promoted to Lieutenant on the battlefield. A Captain in his company said he would recommend Davila for the Medal of Honor. However, Davila was instead given the Distinguished Service Cross. This is the Army's second highest military award.

Davila continued to serve with his company after his leg wound healed. A few months later, he was in France's Vosges Mountains. He was ordering his men to attack a German tank when a shell hit a tree and bounced off. The shell hit him in the chest. This injury caused his right arm to become paralyzed.

Life After the War

Davila was treated for his injuries at a hospital in Modesto, California. There, he met a nurse named Harriet, and they got married three months later.

He continued his education and earned two degrees from the University of Southern California. He then became a high school history teacher in Los Angeles. In 1977, he and his wife moved to Vista, California after he retired from teaching.

A Wife's Dedication

His wife, Harriet Davila, worked hard to get her husband the Medal of Honor. She learned about his heroic actions in Italy. For years, she contacted Army officials. She made phone calls, wrote letters, and looked through military records. She wanted to prove her husband deserved the Medal of Honor. But she never received a reply.

Medal of Honor Awarded

In 1996, Senator Daniel Akaka from Hawaii helped make a new law. This law asked for a review of records for Asian-American soldiers. These soldiers had earned the Distinguished Service Cross in World War II. Congress wanted to see if they were unfairly denied the highest award for bravery.

On June 21, 2000, President Bill Clinton presented the Medal of Honor to Davila. He also gave the medal to 21 other World War II servicemen of Asian descent. This special ceremony took place at the White House. Only seven of the 22 soldiers were still alive to receive their medals. Before this, only two of the more than 40,000 Asian-Americans who served in World War II had received the Medal of Honor.

The next day, Army Secretary Louis Caldera welcomed these soldiers into the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes. Sadly, Harriet Davila, his dedicated wife, had passed away six months earlier, on December 25, 1999.

Later Years and Legacy

After receiving the Medal of Honor, Davila was honored by the city of Vista. He was also the main speaker at the Veterans of Foreign Wars' Memorial Day ceremony in 2001.

Rudolph Davila died from cancer on January 26, 2002, in Vista, California. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia.