After almost 50 years of being missing in action from the Vietnam War, an NC State graduate and veteran was returned home and buried in his hometown in North Carolina last week.
Edgar Felton Davis, a 1958 NC State graduate and Air Force veteran, was returned home to Goldsboro, North Carolina, on Thursday.
After graduating from NC State, Davis immediately accepted a commission to the United States Air Force where he was first stationed in Texas. He felt that joining the Air Force was a good way to raise a family. Martha Morton, Davis’ daughter, said that her family was glad to finally bring him home.
“It was very comforting being able to bring him back home to American soil to Goldsboro, to be with my mom and be in a country that they consider important after 49 years,” Morton said. “That’s a special thing.”
Davis’ plane was shot down over Laos in September 1968 while he was serving as a navigator with the United States Air Force. The pilot of the plane ejected and was later found and rescued, but Davis was stated missing in action. Morton was 8 years old when her father went missing.
“We all had really felt that he had died, so it wasn’t that we were wondering if he was a prisoner or anything like that.” Morton said.
Davis was eventually declared deceased when search and rescue teams were not able to locate his body or the aircraft that was shot down. Morton, her two brothers, and her mother were forced to become a family unit with their mother at the core with the passing of their father and late husband.
“She was a very strong person but she didn’t even have her driver’s license before he went over to Vietnam.” Morton said. “So going from being the housewife type then to lead our family was a big jump. It was not her comfort zone but she did a great job.”
In 2015, the Defense Intelligence Agency was given information from a Laotian man about the remains of a body found. Later, the bone fragments were identified as Davis’ using DNA that matched with his family members.
On April 5, Davis’ body was returned home and driven from Raleigh to Goldsboro where he was laid to rest alongside his wife. Morton said that her family received a lot of support from the local community when Davis returned home.
“We were so overwhelmed by the outpour,” Morton said. “It was just unbelievable driving from Raleigh to Goldsboro. The people that were lined up on the roads, it was so heartwarming. It was about honoring someone because of what they had done. We are just so grateful.”
Around 130 motorcycles that included members of the N.C. Patriot Guard Riders accompanied the hearse to Goldsboro. Davis was buried Friday along with full military honors at the Eastern Carolina State Veterans Cemetery which is under the flight path for the Air Force base.
Nick Drake, director of Military and Veteran Services at NC State, recognizes the importance of bringing Davis home.
“From a military perspective, we always talk about this teamwork and comradery and the brother and sisterhood that we all share, so the goal is to bring everyone home and don’t leave anyone behind,” Drake said. “One way or another it’s closure for a family.”
Drake said that he understands how meaningful it is to not only the family, but also to fellow veterans to bring Davis back to Goldsboro and lay him to rest.
“I think as a veteran myself, understanding the significance of bringing everyone home from war,” Drake said. “He served with a lot of men and women around that time during Vietnam so it is significant to all of them for a brother or sister to come home and the family could put it to rest and have a little bit of closure.”
Although Morton’s family is happy to have Davis laid to rest at home in Goldsboro, there are still others missing.
“It was very special, but there’s still work to be done.” Morton said. “There are others that are in the same circumstances as our family and there’s still many North Carolinians in that same circumstance and we’ve all become a family ourselves so we always hope that everyone can get closure like we did.”
