Marine Sgt. Zachariah S. Davis

Died January 6, 2005 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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25, of Twentynine Palms, Calif.; assigned to the 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; killed Jan. 6 by enemy action in Anbar province, Iraq.

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Twentynine Palms Marine killed in Iraq

Associated Press

TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. — When Zachariah S. Davis received orders to return to Iraq last summer, the 25-year-old Marine sergeant had just witnessed the birth of his second son and was worried about leaving his family.

“We talked about it and he said he had a bad feeling,” said his father, Terry Davis. “But he’s a Marine and he knew he had to go. He understood.”

A vehicle commander based at Twentynine Palms, Davis was killed on Jan. 6 during enemy action in Iraq’s volatile Anbar province. His family was told the cause was a roadside bomb.

The son of a career Marine, Davis enlisted after graduating from Twentynine Palms High School and was among the first U.S. troops to infiltrate Baghdad before the war. He worked for the San Bernardino County Fire Department, and enjoyed the outdoors and Tom Clancy novels.

But much of his time was reserved for his family. Davis was so happy after learning of his wife’s first pregnancy that he did cartwheels, he wife said. Later, he sang lullabies to his sons.

“He wasn’t just a Marine, he was also a dad. He was one of the best. You couldn’t ask for better,” said his wife, Angela.

She said she would always treasure an electronic card he e-mailed her from Iraq days before his death. It read: “No matter what, I’ll be falling in love with you over and over again, every day.”

“He wasn’t just my husband, he was my best friend,” his wife said.

Davis was assigned to the 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force.

During a funeral Friday, his casket was carried to the base’s Protestant chapel on one of several fire engines that participated in the service.

In addition to his wife and sons, Davis is survived by his parents and siblings.