Devers, Jacob Loucks “Jamie”, born on 08-09-1887 in York. Pennsylvania,


Growing up in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country, young Jamie Devers (as he was called by his family) enjoyed the outdoors: camping, fishing and hunting. He played all the usual boyhood sports and made friends easily with his engaging smile and cheerful personality. In addition to his household chores, he did odd jobs around the neighborhood and worked on his maternal grandfather Jacob Loucks’ farm. Initially, he was educated at Garfield Elementary School in York. He entered York High School in September 1901. A popular student, he was elected class president. He had an excellent academic record, earning high marks in mathematics and science. Always competitive though slightly built, the 120-pound (54 kg) 5-foot-10-inch (178 cm) Devers captained the basketball team, played defensive quarterback in football and starred in baseball.
He graduated 39th out of 103 graduates from the United States Military Academy
in 1909. Some of his classmates were Georg Smith Patton,
Robert Lawrence Eichelberger and William Hood Simpson. Much of his energy between the world wars was spent in the tactical and technical improvement of his branch, the Field Artillery. At the outbreak of World War II in Europe, Devers was serving in Panama. He then commanded the 9th Infantry Division, nickname “Old Reliabes”
at Fort Bragg, North Carolina from 15-11-1940 to 15-07-1941. The 9th Infantry Division had the next casualties during their Euopean campaign, killed 2.905, wounded 14.606, missing in action 792, captured 868 and battle casualties 18.631. The United States Army suffered 318.274 killed and missing in all theatres of the war. In May 1943, Devers was appointed overall commander of U.S. Army forces in Europe, where, from his London headquarters, he organized and trained many divisions for the Operation Overlord. When the Allied landings in Southern France took place in August 1944, Operation Dragoon, Devers formed a special headquarters in Corsica to oversee the Franco-American forces commanded by Lieutenant General Alexander McCarell “Sandy” Patch









Death and burial ground of Devers, Jacob Loucks “Jamie”.









