Being a military history buff, I was delighted when I discovered that American Legion Post 6 in Prescott, Ariz., was named after World War I pilot 1LT Ernest A. Love. The local airport also bears this hometown hero’s name. What I didn’t realize until I attended a presentation, by Air Force veteran and pilot Dan Baier at Yavapai College in November 2024, was just how powerful Ernest’s story was. Baier was a master storyteller and brilliantly wove the letters and photos from the early 1900s into an engaging historical and emotional experience that left few dry eyes in the auditorium.
Ernest A. Love is buried in Arlington National Cemetery due to the tenacious efforts of his mother, Etta, who did not wish to have her son laid to rest on enemy soil. What impacted me most about his story were the words engraved on his headstone that read:
“If I am to give my life for this cause, I am satisfied.
There is no way I’d rather go than serving my Country.”
Wow, this hits hard and speaks to the loyalty and passion of this young American who graduated from Prescott High School in 1914 and enrolled in ROTC while at Stanford University. He was commissioned a 1LT and sent to flight school and training in San Diego and then France.
Ernest was an exceptional aviator and flew 22 missions in two-and-a-half months in France. His wood-and-canvas plane was a SPAD 13, and he was killed in action on Sept. 15, 1918. His last letter to Etta Love in Prescott was dated Sept. 12 and was not signed.
So many heartfelt letters were exchanged during this time. They are archived and shared at the Sharlot Hall Museum as well as in the display case at the Prescott Legion post.
105 years ago, The American Legion and Ernest A. Love Arizona Post 2 (later to become Post 6) were founded. On a local level, the post has been a vibrant center of activity and support for veterans, families, Scouts and students. Since getting their physical post home on 202 S. Pleasant St. in 1930, the post has hosted countless dances, dinners, social and community events.
I am proud that I am a member, and now officer, of Ernest A. Love Post 6.
Prescott’s hometown hero has a life-size statue of him outside the local airport that bears his name. There is also a memorial display of photos, letters and a burial flag in the main hall of Post 6.
