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NASHVILLE — A week ago he was in Qatar with the South Carolina Air Force National Guard. Today Senior Master Sergeant Dwayne Ayers is here waiting to watch his Kentucky Wildcats play in the Southeastern Conference Tournament and couldn’t be happier.
“I grew up in Louisville listening to Cawood (Ledford) with my Dad. He was the major influence with me being a UK fan. We would listen to the radio or stay up late to watch the delayed telecast (on TV),” said Ayers, who even went to watch the SEC tourney opening games Wednesday night when few others did. “I was deployed for 189 days to Al Udeid in Qatar although I was forward deployed to Afghanistan for part of that time.”
Often during that time — going back to football season — he corresponded with me about the Cats. He was as avid in his support of the football team — and already has plans to be back in Nashville Aug. 31 when UK plays the first game of the Mark Stoops era against Bobby Petrino and Western Kentucky — as he was John Calipari’s basketball team.
But he was home in Columbia, S.C., only a few days before he hit the road to Nashville with his wife for some “together time” and to watch his beloved Cats play.
“The main reason I wanted to come to the SEC Tournament was to see UK play in person. My wife and I have been to several SEC tournaments since 2003 when I deployed to Iraq. Just something we do to see the Cats play,” he said. “She is not as big a fan as me but puts up with me being a huge fan. Also I get to spend time with my aunt and uncle that are also big UK fans. Family is a huge thing with me.”
Ayers and his wife got to Nashville Tuesday. His aunt and uncle made the trip from Kentucky Wednesday.
“Anytime I can see the Cats play I am going to,” he said.
It wasn’t easy to keep up with UK in Qatar because of the time difference and often he had to depend on an internet stream to watch — and that was less than reliable. However, following UK helped for various reasons.
“It kept me from thinking so much about where I was or what I was doing. It gave me something to focus on other than being away from family and being someplace where some people really don't like you being there,” he said. “Also keeps you from focusing on what could happen at any time.
“When you see certain things in life, it helps to have happier things to focus on. Being in Nashville helps me come back to our world and realize we live in the greatest nation in the world and put my deployment in the past.”
Thankfully, I got to spend time with him and his wife Wednesday talking UK and National Guard. He wanted no thanks for his service because he said that was simply him having a chance to give back. But it almost made me cry as he talked about the sacrifice his wife and daughters had to make while he was deployed.
“I stay busy working 14, 15, 16, 17 hours a day. That’s all I had to do. But my wife had to work, take care of the family and worry. It’s hard on her,” he said. “When we were driving here she just kept touching my leg. When I asked her why, she just said, ‘I’m just glad to have you back.’”
We all should be because Ayers and those like him truly are special UK fans.
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