More detail on this person: COL JONES,
HARRY L. entered the Army in February 1941 and
got out 31 August 1974. He served at least one
tour in Vietnam as an Aviation unit commander and
had a helicopter pilot MOS.
Harry L. Jones did retire as a COL. He died maybe
7 years ago in Portsmouth Naval Hospital of
cancer. He was an old time aviator in late 40s.
Was in Corps of Engineers. I first met him 50
years ago in Alaska when I was assigned to 30th
Engineer Topo. Battalion Flight Detachment. Also
knew him in Korea when they (30th) were mapping
there. He also served in Japan. He had only one
tour in Vietnam.
From: G. Steve Bosan
Biography of the late COLONEL HARRY L. JONES,
U.S. ARMY RETIRED
COL Jones enlisted in the Florida National Guard
in 1940. In 1942 he landed in North Africa with
Operation Torch and continued serving as a First
Sergeant in the 175th Engineer Regiment during
campaigns in Sicily and Italy. In May 1945 he
received a field appointment as a Second
Lieutenant and continued service with the 5th Army
until November when he returned to the States to
be mustered out. In 1946 he returned to active
service as a Master Sergeant, Corps of Engineers
and served at The Engineer School and The United
States Military Academy. In 1948 he was
commissioned a Second Lieutenant, Corps of
Engineers and assigned to the Engineer School.
From there he attended Liaison Pilot training, Ft.
Sill, OK graduating in December 1950 as a dual
rated aviator. He was assigned to the 30th
Engineer Battalion, (Topographic,) Chrissy Army
Airfield San Francisco, California. He
participated in the Alaska survey missions in
51-53 and was a pioneer in aviation maintenance
and logistics working with such army logistics
greats as then Colonel (later LTG) Bill Bunker to
establish the priority system for repair parts
requisition. In 1953 he was assigned to the
KMAAG, as aviation advisor to the 1st ROK Corps.
From there he posted to the MAAG-Japan flight
detachment commanded by MAJ. William J.
Maddox Jr.(later MG) and LTC Henry Wann (Class
before One). COL Jones was instrumental in the
development of armament and weaponization for
army aircraft in the early 1960's. During Viet
Nam he commanded the 14th Transportation
Battalion (Aircraft Maintenance and Supply), which
was the largest battalion of its kind in the
history of the Army.
He later served in what became the HQ, DA
DCSLOG Aviation office, with Mr. Joseph P.
Cribbins and as Airmobility officer, in the newly
formed HQ AMC. He was Director of Aircraft
Maintenance and Training at the US Army
Transportation School (USATSCH), which is now
the US Army Aviation Logistics School (USAALS),
and was the Assistant Commandant, USATSCH.
Colonel Jones retired in 1974 as Chief of the
Iranian Helicopter TAFT, after 34 years of active
service, 24 years Aviation service, and over 4000
hours of both fixed and rotary wing experience.
His awards include the Legion of Merit w/2olc; MSM
w/1olc/ Air Medal w/1olc; ARCOM w/4 olc; He was
a Master Army Aviator. Colonel Jones is a past
President of the Colonial Virginia Chapter AAAA
and charter member of the Transportation Corps
Aviator Association (TCAA) and Distinguished
Member of the Transportation Corps Regiment.
Col. Jones died on July 22, 1996 at Portsmouth
Naval Hospital, Portsmouth, Virginia from Ocular
Lymphoma. He was 77 years old. He was
preceded in death by his wife of 50 years Florence
Christine Jones. He is survived by two sons, a
daughter and eight grand children. One son, LTC
(ret) Mark S. Jones and a grandson Captain Steven
Jones (VMI '97) are both Army Aviators.
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
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