Loval E. Ayers

He was drafted into the Army on April 17, 1941, at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia.
His had completed grammar school and his civilian occupation was listed as farm hand.
He listed his home of residence as Overton County, Tennessee and was he was single with no dependents.
His religion was listed as no preference.

The date of his assignment to the 22nd Infantry is unknown but he was serving as a
Private with Company B 22nd Infantry at least by October 1941 as he is in a Company
photo taken at Fort Benning, Georgia during that time frame.

From a Company photograph of Company B 22nd Infantry circa June-October 1941

Loval Ayers in training in the United States.

Photo by kaycarrington1
from Ancestry. com

Ayers was promoted from Private First Class to Staff Sergeant on the battlefield in Normandy
on June 27, 1944.

Staff Sergeant Loval E. Ayers was Killed In Action in Germany, in the vicinity of Bruhlborn, on March 2, 1945.

During the battle of Prüm, Germany, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross,
as recorded in Headquarters, Seventh U.S. Army, General Orders No. 541 (1945),
for his actions on February 10, 1945.

"For extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy in the vicinity of Prum, Germany,
10th February, 1945. Enemy fire emanating from three buildings prevented Sgt. Ayer’s Company from reaching its objective.
Without orders from his platoon leader, he made his way toward the first house and killed two Germans, visible at a window
as he approached. He then entered the house, single handed, killed two more Germans and forced the surrender of the
remaining twelve. Sgt. Ayers then returned to his unit and asked permission to repeat the process on the remaining
two points of resistance. Permission was granted, and two men were sent along to cover his assault. He then crept up
to a point near a second building and hurled a grenade inside, followed closely by his entry, firing his automatic rifle rapidly.
By the employment of this daring method, he successfully neutralized all resistance which had impeded his company.
He killed a total of five Germans in the last two houses, and captured 41 prisoners. The outstanding heroism displayed
by Sgt. Ayers is in keeping with the finest traditions of the military service."

On April 7, 1945, Staff Sergeant Loval E. Ayers was awarded the Military Medal
by the Government of Great Britain, under War Office Orders WO 373/150.

Built in 1952, the US Army post at Kirch-Göns, Germany, was named Ayers Kaserne, in honor of Loval E. Ayers.
Photo above shows the main gate to Ayers Kaserne.

Article from The Stars and Stripes Tuesday January 12, 1954 announcing
the dedication of Ayers Casern (Kaserne).

Note: The article incorrectly states Ayers' death as February 10, 1945.
His actual date of death is March 2, 1945.

In 1952 a U.S. Army installation was built at Kirch-Göns, Germany and in 1954 it was named Ayers Kaserne in honor of Loval E. Ayers.
Upon its completion the 22^nd Infantry (already stationed in Germany and organized as the 22^nd Regimental Combat Team
of the 4^th Infantry Division) moved into the new Kaserne and remained based from there until May 1956. For the next forty years
elements of the 3^rd Armored Division were stationed at Ayers Kaserne and the installation was known as “The Rock”.

On Veterans Day in 1998 the bronze plaques from Ayers Kaserne honoring Loval E. Ayers
were brought to the United States, and installed on a memorial to Ayers,
in front of the Overton County Courthouse, in Livingston, Tennessee where they still stand today.

STAFF SERGEANT LOVAL E. AYERS
AYERS KASERNE IS NAMED IN HONOR OF THIS SOLDIER
FROM COMPANY B 22D INFANTRY UNITED STATES ARMY
WHO WAS KILLED IN ACTION ON 10 FEBRUARY 1945 AT
PRUM, GERMANY. HE WAS POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS FOR EXTRAORDINARY
HEROISM IN ACTION IN THE DEFENSE OF HIS COUNTRY.

Note: The information on the plaque is incorrect. SSG Ayers was not killed on February 10, 1945.
That is the date of the action for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross during the
Battle of Prüm. SSG Ayers was killed in action on March 2, 1945 in the vicinity of Bruhlborn, Germany.

Portrait plaque
on the monument for
SSG Loval Ayers

Loval E. Ayers was buried in the temporary U.S. Military Cemetery,
Foy Cemetery, Bastogne, Belgium and some time later his remains
were returned to the United States where he was
reinterred in Tennessee.

Top photo of Private Loval E. Ayers at Camp Gordon, Georgia from the webmaster's collection