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PFC-Oliver Jeffers, KIA Germany

Oliver Jeffers was born October 7, 1913 in the Fairview community of Scott County, Tennessee, the son of Dan and Syrinda (Foster) Jeffers. He entered service on November 7, 1942 and served in Company L, 12th Reg’t, 4th Infantry Division. Jeffers and the 4th Infantry Division entered Europe on Utah Beach on June 6, 1944 on D-Day. And throughout the summer and fall of 1944, the 4th Infantry Division fought Nazi troops throughout occupied France, pushing its way east toward Germany.

Just within the German border stretching for more than 390 miles from north to south, were thousands of Nazi fortifications, minefields, fox holes and concrete obstacles, known as “dragon’s teeth.” the U.S. would spend months breaching these obstacles and pushing through the Nazi lines, including those at Huertgen Forest. On November 6, 1944, PFC-Jeffers and the 12th Regiment was called forward to relieve one of 28th Division’s regimental combat teams just south of Huertgen Forest. The mission of the 12 Regiment, 4th Division was to clear the woods south of the town of Huertgen, located in the southern portion of the forest. After five days on the ground, and scores of attacks and counterattacks, the 12th Regiment, 4th Division incurred more than 500 casualties. They were unable to penetrate enemy lines or the enveloping landscape.

On November 10, 1944 the entire regiment jumped off on the attack, the 3rd Battalion continued its mission and the 1st Battalion renewed the assault on the draw, hitting northeast across the draw with the help of the 2nd Battalion, who were to cut off the draw by hitting from east to west. Heavy artillery and mine fields again slowed the attack of the 4th Division and at 12:20 Company L. was hit by a counterattack of Battalion strength and had to withdraw (it was at this point that PFC-Jeffers was killed and his body was not recovered).

The body of PFC Oliver Jeffers remained within the battlefield of the Huertgen Forest until 1946 when his unidentified body was discovered in a mine field and taken to the Ardennes American Cemetery and buried in 1950.

In April, 2018 the body of PFC-Jeffers was disenterred and taken to a laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska and eventually identified through DNA research and other identifying means .. On October 7, 2020 the remains of PFC Oliver Jeffers was returned home and nearly seventy-six years after his sacrifice was interred near his mother and fathers graves in the Fairview Memorial Cemetery in Scott County, Tennessee.

Article by David Jeffers