Emmett Smith Davis
Emmett Smith "Cyclone" Davis was a career officer and pilot in the United States Air Force, retiring as a colonel. He was an American and United States Army Air Forces fighter pilot in the Pacific of World War II and a jet fighter pilot with the Air Force in the Korean War.
Early years
Davis was born December 12, 1918, in Roosevelt, Utah. He was the fifth of eight children. His family was poor and lived in a tent. His father had been in an infantry in Wyoming and had served with Teddy Roosevelt in the Rough Riders in the Spanish–American War.When Davis was in the 3rd grade his family moved to Duchesne, Utah. His fourth grade teacher's husband had purchased an old Curtis Jenny mail plane. Emmett later said, "I used to go up and watch him fly that old airplane, and I guess that was really when I got struck with being an aviator". After his 7th grade year his family moved to Salt Lake City, Utah. There he graduated from East High School. He later attended the University of Utah. In 1939, his family again moved, this time to Compton, California.
Military career
United States Army Air Corps
On April 5, 1940, Davis joined the United States Army Air Corps. He attended Primary Flight Training School in Glendale, California, training on a Stearman PT-13. In spite of his early dreams of being an aviator he encountered problems early in training. During an engine failure scenario the instructor disliked his choices and wanted to "wash him out". The chief instructor, however, decided to give him a second chance and began personally instructing him. He progressed and attended Basic Flight Training at Randolph Field.Later, during Advanced Flight Training at Kelly Field, Texas, Davis was intent on piloting multi-engine aircraft - specifically B-17s. His flight instructor, however, told him, "No Davis you're a fighter pilot and that's where you want to be".
Davis graduated with the Flying School Class of '40 G and commissioned as second lieutenant November 15, 1940. He elected to join a group to deliver P-36s to Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii in February 1941 aboard the USS Enterprise (CV-6). Having only 17 hours of flight experience and no carrier experience and while 100 miles from shore Davis was the second plane on the flight deck to take off the deck of the Enterprise to Wheeler Field.
Nickname: Cyclone
While stationed at Wheeler Field, Oahu, Hawaii the pilots would engage in mock dogfights. One of Davis' signature maneuvers was a tight, climbing spiral with a hammerhead that would put him on the pursuers tail. Other pilots began referring to the maneuver as "the cyclone" and eventually referred to Davis as Cyclone Davis. Davis embraced the nickname and used it throughout the remainder of his life almost to the exclusion of his first name. Throughout World War II whenever Davis commanded a fighter group it was known as Cyclone's Flying Circus.One of "Cyclone"'s peers, Gabby Gabreski who could beat the other pilots and even the commander could not beat "Cyclone" and later wrote of him: "he was in a class by himself."