Life of WWII veteran Romay Davis of Montgomery remembered at funeral
Romay Davis, 102, poses with a photo showing her during World War II, at her home in Montgomery, Ala., Monday, July 25, 2022. Davis is being honored for her service with the all-female, all-Black 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, which got mail to U.S. troops in Europe during the war. (AP Photo/Jay Reeves)
The life of Romay Davis, a World War II veteran who was 104 years old when she died on June 21 in Montgomery, is being remembered by countless people who shared in her life of service to others.
A graveside service was held today at Fort Mitchell National Cemetery in Russell County.
During World War II, Davis was a member of the largest all-Black, all-female group to serve in the war, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. In 2022, President Joe Biden gave the Congressional Gold Medal to the unit, nicknamed the “Six Triple Eight.”
That same year, Davis was honored at Montgomery City Hall as the oldest living member of the unit.
Romay Davis is honored at Montgomery City Hall, July 26, 2022 – Photo from WAKA Action 8 News
Davis was also well known and a beloved employee at Winn-Dixie in Montgomery, where she worked until she was 101. Action 8 News was at the Sturbridge Winn-Dixie for her surprise birthday party when she turned 100 years old in 2019.
Davis served as a deacon at Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church in Montgomery, the church where Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was pastor in the 1950s.
Her passions included painting, sewing, landscaping, furniture making, traveling and singing. She earned a 2nd-degree black belt in Taekwondo at age 79.
Her name is etched on the 6888th Central Postal Battalion Monument at the Buffalo Soldier Military Park in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
FILE – In this image provided by courtesy of the National Archives, members of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, an all-female, all-Black unit formed during World War II, are shown during an inspection in an undated Department of Defense photo. Surviving members are being recognized following President Joe Biden’s decision to sign a bill authorizing the Congressional Gold Medal for the unit. (Courtesy of National Archives via AP, File)
Winn-Dixie has established the “Romay Davis Belonging, Inclusion & Diversity Grant” in her honor. This program continues her life-long community commitment by supporting organizations that address racial disparity in health care, food insecurity and education. This grant has awarded 104 grants totaling $1 million since 2020.
Romay Davis arrives in a Rolls-Royce to a surprise 100th birthday celebration for her at the Sturbridge Winn-Dixie in Montgomery, October 29, 2019 – Photo from WAKA Action 8 News
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the 6888th Monument Committee, c/o 9701, Weatherby Lake, Missouri, 64152-1825, the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, or the Winn-Dixie SEG Gives Foundation under “The Romay Davis Belonging, Inclusion & Diversity Grant” at https://bit.ly/RomayDavisGrant.
