This hand-painted American flag made by Curtis Davis while a prisoner of war in Japanese POW camp in Tokyo boosted morale and brought comfort to his compatriots and fellow prisoners at Camp #10 D in Tokyo Japan during World War II.
The flag is an exhibit at the National POW Museum at Andersonville National historic site in Andersonville Georgia. An interpretive sign next to the flag reads as follows:
"The hand-painted American flag was made by POW Curtis G. Davis in Camp # 10 D in Tokyo. In violation of Authority, the American POW stood at attention before the flag and recited the Pledge of Allegiance on New Year's Day, 1945. In Curtis' words, "I was a very, very proud American Army private that day I can assure you. Sometime later the Japanese found the flag, confiscated it and threw it in the office trash. One of the prisoners, emptying the trash, found it and returned it to me."
Captured at Corregidor, this biography of Pvt. Davis on the Phillipine Defenders website fleshes out the details of this important piece of fabric contraband: (
visit link)
"Curtis Davis
This is a picture of Curtis Davis in December 1944 in POW camp. The paintings hanging are ones that Curt had painted and are in the POW museum in Andersonville, Georgia. He suffered beatings for painting an American flag on a piece of contraband silk. He was forced to kneel naked for three days with a bamboo pole wedged between his knees. If he moved or made a sound he was beaten.
He is the third from the left.
Obituary of Curtis Davis
DAVIS, Curtis G. “Curt”, a former resident of Middletown and Colonial Park, and recently of Enola, passed away peacefully on Sunday, June 7, 2009, in Claremont Nursing and Rehab Center in Carlisle, PA.
Born in Alberta, Canada, in 1922, Curt grew up in Ohio. Upon graduation from high school in 1941, he enlisted in the Army and was sent to the Philippines. He was captured at the fall of Corregidor at the start of World War II, and spent three and a half years as a POW in Japan. During his service in the Army, Curt was awarded numerous medals including three Purple Hearts and two Bronze Stars. He was also awarded the Prisoner of War, Philippine Defense, and the American Defense with Star ribbons. After leaving the Army in 1955, Curt worked first for Olan Mills in OH and PA and then for L.M. Berry & Company in PA and NY before retiring in 1979. He and his wife Lee were owners of Chicken Coop Antiques in Webster, NY, from the mid-1970s until December 1985 when they moved to Burlington, NC, where they became active antique dealers at the Greensboro Super Flea.
In April of this year he was given an award for 60 years' continuous membership in the American Legion, which included posts in Fort Knox, KY; Frankfurt, Germany; Webster, NY; and Burlington, NC. He was also a member of the Forty and Eight for 58 years, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor, and the Independent Telephone Pioneers of America.
Curt was preceded in death by his wife Leona (Lee) in December of 2008, his parents Jacob and Lana Davis, his siblings, and a grandson John Watt.
He is survived by his seven children, Sharon Fernberg, Greece, NY; Karen (Ray) Newstead, Campbell, CA; David (Loretta) Davis, Fairfield, PA; Colleen (Joseph) Watt, Clarksville, TN; Faith (Steven) Trinkl, Enola, PA; Patrick (Pamela) Davis, Chapel Hill, NC; Melanie (Gordon) Pike, Sodus, NY; along with 23 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren; many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews; and one sister-in-law, Ann Hayes, of Steubenville, Ohio.
Donations are welcomed by Loaves and Fishes, P. O. Box 1573, Burlington, NC 27216.
Note: The town Curtis Davis grew up in was Toronto, Ohio and he graduated from high school there."