About Herman Davis State Park
Gardens And Parks, Cultural, Urban Environment, Interesting Places, Natural, Nature Reserves, National Parks
Herman Davis State Park is a 1-acre (0.40 ha) state park in Manila, Arkansas, United States. The park includes the grave of and a memorial to Herman Davis (1888-1923), a U.S. sniper during World War I. The park is located at the junction of Baltimore Avenue and Arkansas Highway 18, south of the city center. It consists of a grassy area, with a concrete walk leading to the memorial. The memorial is a granite obelisk, 25 feet (7.6 m) in height, in front of which stands a full-size granite likeness of Davis in his infantry uniform. Davis' remains are buried just behind the monument. The site is the only location in Arkansas associated with Davis, a native of Manila who won distinction in the war for taking out a nest of German machine gunners with his marksmanship. Davis modestly rarely mentioned the awards he received for this and other actions (including the US Distinguished Service Medal and two French Croix de Guerre), but was called out by General John J. Pershing, who placed him fourth on a list of 100 heroes of the war.
