The body of the central Iowa Marine who was killed Friday in Afghanistan was flown back to the United States Sunday. Nineteen-year-old Lance Corporal Joshua Davis was a 2009 graduate of Perry High School. The principal of the high school, Dan Marburger, says it wasn’t long ago that Davis finished school.
“We’re all in a little bit of a shock here as we think about just a year ago that Josh was graduating from high school…(we’re) very proud of Josh and the service he had,” Marburger says. He says Davis was a four year member of the football and wrestling teams and was heavily involved in the industrial technology area. Marburger says there are many students who knew Davis.
Marburger says Davis will be missed by the many students who knew Davis and his family, and their thoughts go out to the family. He says Davis has a sister Ashley who is a 9th grader and brother Joe who is a 10th grader. Marburger says Davis’ brother and sister were proud of his service in the military.
“Very often you would see both Ashley and Joe in a Marines t-shirt, very proud of their brother as well they should be,” Marburger says, “he will be missed greatly here at the high school.” Davis joined the Marine Corps after graduation and was killed while fighting in southern Afghanistan with the first battalion, second Marine Division. Services for Davis are pending.
By John Patrick, KDLS, Perry