Marine Lance Cpl. Joshua M. Davis

Remember Our Heroes

Marine Lance Cpl. Joshua M. Davis, 19, of Perry, Iowa

LCpl Davis was assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died May 7, 2010 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

PERRY, IOWA:

The family of an Iowa soldier killed last week in Afghanistan told KCCI on Wednesday that members of the Westboro Baptist Church are expected to protest at their son's funeral.

Lance Cpl. Joshua Davis, 19, of Perry, died last Friday. His funeral is Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at the Perry High School. Visitation is scheduled for Friday at Carris Funeral Home from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The Westboro Church frequently protests outside soldiers funerals.

The Davis family said Joshua talked about the church at one time and said that he was fighting for people like them too.

Military officials said three North Carolina-based Marines were killed the attack. The Department of Defense announced on Monday that 22-year-old Lance Cpl. Christopher Rangel of San Antonio, Texas, and 21-year-old Cpl. Kurt S. Shea, of Frederick, Md., also died.

All three were killed in Helmand province. Officials provided no additional details on how the men died.

LCpl. Davis, Rangel and Shea all were assigned to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune.

Josh Davis was a machine gunner assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 2, I Marine Expeditionary Force Forward, according to a 2nd Marine Division press release. Davis joined the Marine Corps in March 2009, and was promoted to lance corporal on May 1, 2010.

He deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in March 2010, according to the 2nd Marine Division. His awards include the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Afghanistan Campaign Medal.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Perry High School for Marine Lance Cpl. Joshua Davis, 19, who died in combat in Afghanistan last week.

Visitation will be on Friday from to 1 to 9 p.m. at the Carris Family Funeral Home in Perry. The family will be present from 5 to 8 p.m. Burial will be at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery at Adel. Memorials may be given to the Joshua Davis Scholarship Fund and may be left at the funeral home or at First Federal Savings Bank of Iowa.

Davis graduated in 2009 from Perry High School and joined the Marine Corps. He was a machine gunner assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 2, I Marine Expeditionary Force Forward. He was deployed to Afghanistan in March.

The family of LCpl Joshua Davis has asked that the Patriot Guard Riders show our honor and respect for Joshua who died in combat in Afghanistan last week.

LCpl. Davis is survived by his father, Dave Davis and stepmother, Patti Davis of Perry; his mother, Beverly Jean Russell of Des Moines; brother, Joe Davis of Perry; sisters, Ashley Davis of Perry and Brandie Joy of Des Moines.

Marine Lance Cpl. Joshua M. Davis was killed in action on 5/7/10.