Alva was born on the 16th of January in the year 1926. His parents were Samuel and Bessie Myers. He was one of 8 children in the Myer's household. Alva grew up in Wilshire Indiana, and went to school in Pleasant Mills. He only completed two years of high school education before he dropped out. After Alva dropped out of school he took a job at the Decatur Casting Company and was drafted on the 8th of April 1944. Alva's enlistment terms was to serve for the duration of the war plus six months. He was assigned to the 80th Infantry, and earned the rank of Private First Class (PFC). The 80th Infantry took part in many battles including the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. The 80th Infantry Division landed on Utah Beach, 3 August 1944, and on 8 August was ordered to stop the German attack at Avranches. The 80th arrived too late to take part in smashing the German drive, Suzanne. The Division then attacked Argentan, taking it and creating the Falaise Pocket on August 20 1944. After cleaning out the Germans in the area, the 80th took part in the Third Army dash across France cutting through St. Mihiel, Chalons, and Commercy in pursuit of the retreating Germans until stopped by the lack of gasoline and other supplies at the Seille River From 25 September to 7 November, the Division maintained an aggressive defense of positions west of the Seille, and prepared for the Third Army sweep into the industrially vital Saar Basin. The attack jumped off on 8 November, the 80th advancing through Delme Ridge, Faulquemont, and St. Avold. it moved to Nurnberg for occupation duty and on 28 April 1945, to Regensburg, then to the Enns River, when the war in Europe ended. On March 3rd 1945 Alva Adrian Myers was killed somewhere near Weilerswist Germany. His memorial took place on June 10, 1945. He was buried in Wilshire cemetery. He was the first of their children to have died. For actively engaging in combat, PFC Myers was presented the Combat Infantryman's Badge. Additionally, he earned the WWII Victory Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, and the Purple Heart. Information collected and researched by Zach Myers, 2014.
"80th Infantry Division - WWII." 80th Infantry Division - WWII. Web. 17 Dec. 2014.
Indiana Historical Bureau, comp. Gold Star Honor Roll: Adams County. Bloomington: Indiana
The Berne Witness 19 Mar. 1945, Obituary sec. Print.
War History Commission, 1949. Print. Vol. 1 of Indiana in World War II.
Year: 1930; census place: Monroe, Adams, Indiana; roll: 574; page: 1B; enumeration district: 8; image: 137.0; FHL microfilm: 2340309
Year: 1940; census place: blue creek, Adams, Indiana; roll: T627_1024; page: 1A; enumeration district: 1-1