Davis Josephine May “Mama Josie” Nesbit

Monuments

Name:

Josephine May “Mama Josie” Nesbit Davis

Rank:

First Lieutenant

Serial Number:

Unit:

United States Army Nurse Corps

Date of Death:

1998-08-15

State:

Cemetery:

Plot:

Row:

Grave:

Decoration:

Bronze Star Medal, Legion of Merit

Comments:

Josephine May “Mama Josie” Nesbit Davis was born on December 23, 1894 in Bates County, Missouri. She was the daughter of James Nesbitt and Florella Zeruiah Craw Roberts. Josephine served in the US Army Nurse Corps as a First Lieutenant during World War II. She was one of the "Angels of Bataan and Corregidor” – the US Army and Navy Nurse Corps women who served in the Battle of the Philippines in 1941-42. When Bataan and Corregidor fell, 11 Navy nurses, 66 army nurses, and 1 nurse-anesthetist were captured and imprisoned in and around Manila. They continued to serve as nurses in various POW camps until they were finally liberated in February 1945. She retired from the military in 1946 as a Major with 28 years of service. Josephine died on August 15, 1998 at the age of 103 in Alameda County, California. Her body was creamted and ashes were scattered at sea.