Jacob L. Devers
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| Jacob Loucks Devers | |
|---|---|
| 1887-1979 | |
 General Jacob "Jake" Loucks Devers |
|
| Nickname | Jake |
| Place of birth | York, Pennsylvania |
| Place of death | Washington, D.C. |
| Years of service | 1909-1949 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands | 6th Army Group |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
General Jacob "Jake" Loucks Devers (September 8, 1887 - October 15, 1979), who is best remembered for his command of the 6th Army Group in Europe during World War II, graduated 39th out of 103 graduates from the US Military Academy in 1909 as a classmate of George S. Patton (46), John C. H. Lee (12), Robert Eichelberger (68), Stanley Rumbough (70), Edwin Forrest Harding (74), Alexander Patch (unknown), and William H. Simpson (101). Much of his energy between the world wars was spent in the improvement, both tactical and technical of his branch, Field Artillery.
Devers was born in York, Pennsylvania, died in Washington, D.C. and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
At the outbreak of World War II, Devers was serving in Panama. Devers commanded the 9th Infantry Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina from November 15, 1940 to July 15, 1941. On August 14, 1941 Devers, the youngest major general in the Army's land forces, was posted to Fort Knox, Kentucky to head the Armored Force. During his command, Fort Knox grew from two armored divisions to 16 divisions and 63 separate tank battalions. In May 1943, Devers became the overall commander of U.S. Army forces in Europe, where from his London headquarters he organized and trained many divisions for the cross-channel attack.
Finally in July 1944 Devers received the combat command he had so long coveted; the 6th Army Group. With his twelve American and eleven French divisions, Devers cleared Alsace, reduced the Colmar Pocket, crossed the Rhine River and accepted the surrender of German forces in western Austria on 6 May 1945.
Devers was a highly competent and consummate professional in an exemplary career that spanned more than thirty-five years. He was promoted to general on March 8, 1945 and retired on September 30, 1949.
