Private Herman Davis of the United States Army was born in Manila, Arkansas. Initially, he was rejected for military service due to his height of 5'3". However, he was eventually drafted on March 4, 1918, and sent to France. During his service, Private Davis acted as a scout and was exposed to poisonous gas on multiple occasions. He earned the Distinguished Service Cross and was ranked fourth on General John J. Pershing's list of the greatest heroes of World War I.

Davis's role as a scout required him to advance ahead of his company frequently, where he encountered poisonous gas several times. In one engagement at Melville Farm, after his platoon came under fire from a German machine gun, Davis crawled within 50 yards of the gun and killed four enemy gunners. In other engagements, he was credited with killing 15 enemy gunners at a machine gun nest and 11 soldiers emerging from a dugout. On another occasion, he shot and killed five enemy soldiers attempting to set up a machine gun, reportedly stating that 1,000 yards was an ideal shooting distance.

Private Davis received the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions, which is described as follows: "The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Private Herman Davis, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company I, 113th Infantry Regiment, 29th Division, Allied Expeditionary Forces at Melville Farm, France on October 10, 1918. While on duty as a company runner, Private Davis accompanied the left assault platoon during its advance through the woods when it was fired upon by an enemy machine gun. As the platoon scattered to flank the gun, Private Davis pushed ahead and single-handedly attacked the nest, killing four enemy gunners. His gallant act enabled his platoon to continue the advance."

Upon honorable discharge on May 29, 1919, Davis returned to Manila and worked at the Big Lake Hunting Club. He did not speak of his wartime experiences or his exposure to poison gas. His family and friends only learned of his heroism after General Pershing's list was published. At their insistence, he reluctantly showed them his medals, which he had kept in a tackle box.

By mid-1922, Davis's health began to deteriorate due to tuberculosis caused by his exposure to poison gas during the war. He became too weak to work, and members of the Dud Cason American Legion Post in Blytheville transported him to the Veterans Hospital in Memphis for surgery. Private Herman Davis died during an operation on January 5, 1923.