Ayers

Kaserne ''Kaserne'' is a loanword taken from the German word ' (plural: '), which means "barracks". It is the typical term used when naming the garrison location for American and Canadian forces stationed in Germany. American forces were also sometimes hou ...

Kirch-Göns Butzbach () is a town in the Wetteraukreis district in Hessen, Germany. It is located approximately 16 km south of Gießen and 35 km north of Frankfurt am Main. In 2007, the town hosted the 47th Hessentag state festival from 1 to 10 June ...

, Germany (coordinates: 50° 28' 46.08" N 8° 38' 41.83" E) was a

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

installation built in 1952 as part of the major construction efforts under the U.S. Army troop augmentation program of the early 1950s, occupied by the 22nd Regimental Combat Team of the Fourth infantry Division until May, 1956, and by the Third U.S. Armored Division in 1956 and then home to Combat Command A, 3rd Armored Division was stationed at Ayers

beginning 12 May 1956. The troops arrived following an 11-hour train ride from the port of

Bremerhaven Bremerhaven (, , Low German: ''Bremerhoben'') is a city at the seaport of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany. It forms a semi-enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the Riv ...

History

As of 1 October 1963, Combat Command A was reorganized and re-designated as the 1st Brigade,

3rd Armored Division (United States) The 3rd Armored Division (also known as "Spearhead", 3rd Armored, and 3AD) was an armored division of the United States Army. Unofficially nicknamed the "Third Herd," the division was first activated in 1941 and was active in the European Theat ...

which was the largest combat brigade in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

until 1996 when the division colors were transferred back to Ft. Knox, Kentucky for retirement of the colors, thus the end of the historic

(Spearhead). The installation was known throughout the

United States European Command The United States European Command (EUCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States military, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Its area of focus covers and 51 countries and territories, including Europe, Russi ...

(EUCOM) as "the Rock". Originally, Ayers Kaserne was used as a recovery field for the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The entire base was demolished, except for one bunker.

United States President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United State ...

and Commander-In-Chief

Gerald R. Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...

visited Ayers Kaserne in July 1975; the first visit by a U.S. President to a U.S. military installation in

since

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

's 1963 visit to the 3rd Armored division in

Hanau, Germany Hanau () is a town in the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 25 km east of Frankfurt am Main and is part of the Frankfurt Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region. Its station is a major railway junction and it has a port on the riv ...

. President Ford was accompanied by

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

Alexander M. Haig, Jr. (the seventh

Supreme Allied Commander, Europe The Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) is the commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Allied Command Operations (ACO) and head of ACO's headquarters, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE). The commander is ...

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Louis C. Wagner, Jr. (

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

, 1st

Brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. Br ...

, 3AD); and

Georg Leber Georg Leber (7 October 1920 – 21 August 2012) was a German Trades Union leader and a politician in the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). Biography Leber was born in Obertiefenbach (Beselich). After serving in the Luftwaffe (the Germ ...

(German Minister of Defense). Units of the 1st Armored Division (forward) occupied the ''kaserne'' until its closing and return to the

government in 1998. Today, the former military ''kaserne'' has been redeveloped as a business/industrial park, chiefly occupied by a transport company named "Bork". All post buildings have been demolished except for the former chapel. The ''kaserne'' was named Ayers Kaserne in honor of SSG Lovall E. Ayers, B Company, 22nd

Infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

Regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

, 4th Infantry Division, killed in action in

References

External links

* * * * {{cite web , url=http://www.3ad.com/history/cold.war/feature.pages/ayers.2001.htm , first=Kirk , last=Callesen , title=Return to "The Rock" in 2001 , website=Association of 3d Armored Division Veterans

Ayers Ayers may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * A.D. Ayers, American baseball umpire (National League) * Aaron Ayers (1836–1900), New Zealand auctioneer and politician * Bill Ayers (born 1944), American academic and activist * Bill Ayers (baseball) (1919� ...

Military installations closed in the 1990s

History

See also

References

External links