Luther Chavis was born in Lumberton, North Carolina, on March 15, 1894. Chavis was inducted into military service on August 8, 1918 and served with the 56th Pioneer Infantry, the 422nd Reserve Labor Battalion, and the 4th Pioneer Infantry during World War I. He served overseas from September 22, 1918 to October 6, 1919, assigned to Prisoner of War Escort Company 215, and was honorably discharged on October 11, 1919. At some point during the war, Chavis contracted tuberculosis and was later admitted to the veterans' hospital at Oteen outside of Asheville, North Carolina. He succumbed to the disease on April 10, 1927, following an 21-month stay at Oteen.