World War II Honoree
World War II Veteran
Herbert Ayers
Branch of Service
U.S. Navy
Hometown
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Honored By
Richard W. Baragar, Sr.
Relationship
Lifelong Friend
ACTIVE SERVICE JANUARY 26, 1943 BOOT CAMP GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN; GUNNERY SCHOOL GREAT LAKES, ILLINOIS. WENT TO SOLOMONS ISLAND, MARYLAND TO FORM CREW, TO PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA TO WAIT FOR SHIP TO BE FINISHED AT DRAVO CORPORATION. SERVED ON LST 47 AND TOOK IT DOWN THE OHIO AND MISSISSIPPI RIVERS TO NEW ORLEANS, THEN TO PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA WHERE WE HAD OUR SHAKEDOWN CRUISE. BEING A GUNNER'S MATE IT WAS MY DUTY TO CLEAN GUNS AND TRAIN OTHER MEN ON THE GUNS. THEN WENT TO NEW YORK, BOSTON, NOVA SCOTIA AND ENGLAND. BECAUSE OF ROUGH WEATHER, IT TOOK 16 DAYS TO ARRIVE AT MILFORD HAVEN, THEN TO PLYMOUTH, ENGLAND WHERE WE STARTED OUR PRE-INVASION PRACTICE, WHICH INCLUDED OPERATION TIGER, WHERE TWO LST SHIPS WERE SUNK BY GERMAN E-BOATS AND ABOUT 1,000 NAVY AND ARMY MEN DIED. ON JUNE 3, 1944 GOT UNDERWAY FOR NORMANDY. OUR SMALL BOATS LCVP LEFT THE SHIP AND HIT THE BEACH OF NORMANDY AND HIT THE BEACH 16 TIMES THE FIRST DAY. WE MADE NINE TRIPS ACROSS THE CHANNEL, FROM ENGLAND TO NORMANDY. ON JULY 18, 1944 HEADED FOR AFRICA. ARRIVED AT BIZERTE, TUNISIA JULY 29. ARRIVED NAPLES AUGUST 3, 1944 AND LEFT AUGUST 12 FOR THE SOUTHERN FRANCE INVASION. ARRIVED ST. RAPHAEL, FRANCE AUGUST 15; SOUTHERN FRANCE INVASION ON D-DAY. SEPTEMBER 28, 1944 RETURNED TO BIZERTE; OCTOBER 5 WENT TO MARSEILLES, FRANCE; OCTOBER 6 WENT TO TOULON. OCTOBER 8 TO DECEMBER 28, 1944 TRAVELED BACK AND FORTH FROM BIZERTE TO MARSEILLES, TO ORAN, TO MERS-EL-KEBIR, AFRICA. DECEMBER 28, 1944 HEADED BACK TO U.S. JANUARY 17, 1945 ARRIVED NORFOLK, VIRGINIA. FEBRUARY 22, 1945 RETURNED FROM 30-DAY LEAVE. MARCH 8, 1945 HEADED FOR PANAMA CANAL. ARRIVED SAN DIEGO MARCH 30, 1945; SEATTLE, WASHINGTON APRIL 8, 1945; LEFT FOR PEARL HARBOR APRIL 16, 1945. HEADED FOR THE MARSHALL ISLANDS MAY 1, 1945. ANCHORED AT ENIWETOK MAY 13, 1945. WENT TO GUAM MAY 15, 1945 AND SAIPAN ON MAY 22, 1945 PUT TROOPS ASHORE HEADED FOR OKINAWA. AFTER THE INVASION, WENT TO SUBIC BAY JUNE 27, 1945 TO AUGUST 10, 1945 TO IWO JIMA, OKINAWA, LEYTE, MINDANAO AND CAVITE, MANILA. AUGUST 15, RECEIVED NEWS THE WAR HAD ENDED. HONORABLY DISCHARGED FEBRUARY 15, 1946.