David M. Jones
Encyclopedia
David M. Jones was a United States Air Force
pilot who served with distinction during World War II
. He was one of the Doolittle Raid
ers whose exploits in April 1942 were dramatized in the film Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
. He then flew combat missions over North Africa, where he was shot down. He was a German prisoner of war for two and a half years — helping with the escape attempt described in the book Great Escape
, which was later the subject of a Hollywood film
.
In his last assignment with the Air Force, Jones was the commander of the Air Force Eastern Test Range in Cape Kennedy
, Florida as well as the Department of Defense Manager for Manned Space Flight Support Operations. He retired from the Air Force after 37 years of distinguished service.
David Jones enlisted in the Arizona National Guard
while he was attending the University of Arizona
at Tucson
, from 1932 to 1936. His later education included three major Armed Forces schools: Command and General Staff School in Fort Leavenworth
, Kansas, 1946; Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia
, 1948; and the National War College
in Washington, D.C.
, 1956.
Jones was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Cavalry arm of the Arizona Army National Guard
, where he served one year of active duty before transferring to the Army Air Corps
and entering pilot training in June 1937. After completing his training in June 1938, he served as a pilot with the 17th Attack Group
and then with the 95th Bombardment Squadron.
In early 1942, Jones volunteered for the Doolittle Project — a secret bombing raid to be launched on Japan in retaliation for the December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor
. During the training phase of this project, he flew the initial evaluation flights on the specially equipped B-25 aircraft. On April 18, 1942, the Doolittle Raid launched from the United States Navy
carrier USS Hornet
, dropping their bombs on Tokyo and four other Japanese cities. This raid was the first good news that the Americans had from the Pacific front.
Lacking the fuel to return to the Hornet after the raid, Jones bailed out over China
, where he was assisted by the Chinese people in returning to the United States. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross
for his participation as a flight commander in the planning, training and completion of the mission.
In September 1942, Jones was assigned as commander of the 319th Bombardment Group in North Africa. He was assigned to develop low-level bombing tactics and techniques due to his experience with the Doolittle project and his belief in low-level bombing tactics. On December 4, 1942, he was shot down over Bizerte
, North Africa, and spent two and a half years as a prisoner of war
in Stalag Luft III
. As a result of his constant agitation and harassment of the enemy, he was selected for the "escape committee" by fellow prisoners. The committee reviewed escape plans and directed escapes. Jones led the digging team on tunnel "Harry" used in the Great Escape, chronicled in the Paul Brickhill
's autobiographical book
, and immortalized in the 1963 film
starring Steve McQueen
. After his liberation in April 1945, Jones was commended for leadership among his fellow prisoners.
. He followed this with attendance at the Armed Forces Staff College, which he completed in 1948. He then served as Director of War Plans at the Tactical Air Command Headquarters, followed by an assignment as Director of Combat Operations for the Ninth Air Force
; then as Commander of the 47th Bombardment Group, until February 1952.
He was then the commander of the 47th Bombardment Wing (a jet-bomber wing) at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia and in Sculthorpe, England until July 1955.
Jones began working in research and development
in 1956 when he was the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations for the Air Proving Ground Command at Eglin Air Force Base
, Florida. His experience in bombardment-type aircraft and previous command staff assignments in research and development resulted in his being selected director of the B-58
Test Force, organized in February 1958 at Carswell Air Force Base
, Texas. The B-58 Hustler was the first operational jet bomber
capable of Mach 2 supersonic
flight. During this time, Jones continued to maintain his flight status in the B-58, TF-102, and T-33
aircraft; participating in design speed dashes, low-level penetrations, night, weather, formation and inflight refueling missions. He had more supersonic time testing the B-58 than any senior U.S. Air Force pilot.
In September 1960, he became vice commander of the Wright Air Development Division at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
in Ohio. In October 1961, he was named program manager of the GAM-87 "Skybolt" at Aeronautical Systems Division. When that project was cancelled, he became ASD deputy for systems management and later vice commander.
In August 1964, he became deputy chief of staff for systems at Headquarters Air Force Systems Command
at Andrews Air Force Base
, Maryland, which had responsibility for research, development, and weapon system acquisition.
Orbital Workshop and spent-stage experiment support module (SSESM) — a concept of "in-orbit" conversion of a spent S-IVB stage to a shelter. In August 1965, he took on the additional duties as of the Saturn/Apollo Applications (SAA) Acting Director.
Then, in May 1967, he assumed duties as commander of the Air Force Eastern Test Range, Cape Kennedy, Florida.
, John A. Hilger, Everett W. Holstrom, and Richard A. Knobloch
Jones died on November 25, 2008, at age 94, at his home in Tucson, Arizona
. He was preceded in death by his first wife Anita Maddox Jones, and survived by his wife Janna-Neen Johnson-Dingell-Cunningham-Jones, daughter (Jere Jones Yeager), two sons (David Jones and Jim Jones) and a stepdaughter (Ann-Eve Grace Dingell-Cunningham) . At the time of his death, out of the eighty men who participated in the Doolittle Raid, there were ten remaining survivors.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
pilot who served with distinction during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was one of the Doolittle Raid
Doolittle Raid
The Doolittle Raid, on 18 April 1942, was the first air raid by the United States to strike the Japanese Home Islands during World War II. By demonstrating that Japan itself was vulnerable to American air attack, it provided a vital morale boost and opportunity for U.S. retaliation after the...
ers whose exploits in April 1942 were dramatized in the film Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
Thirty Seconds over Tokyo
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo is a 1944 MGM war film. It is based on the true story of America's first retaliatory air strike against Japan four months after the December 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The movie was directed by Mervyn LeRoy and produced by Sam Zimbalist. The screenplay by...
. He then flew combat missions over North Africa, where he was shot down. He was a German prisoner of war for two and a half years — helping with the escape attempt described in the book Great Escape
The Great Escape (book)
The Great Escape is an insider's account by Paul Brickhill of the 1944 mass escape from the German prisoner of war camp Stalag Luft III for British and Commonwealth airmen. As a prisoner in the camp, he participated in the escape plan but was debarred from the actual escape 'along with three or...
, which was later the subject of a Hollywood film
The Great Escape (film)
The Great Escape is a 1963 American film about an escape by Allied prisoners of war from a German POW camp during World War II, starring Steve McQueen, James Garner, and Richard Attenborough...
.
In his last assignment with the Air Force, Jones was the commander of the Air Force Eastern Test Range in Cape Kennedy
Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral, from the Spanish Cabo Cañaveral, is a headland in Brevard County, Florida, United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic coast. Known as Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated from it by the Banana River.It is part of a region known as the...
, Florida as well as the Department of Defense Manager for Manned Space Flight Support Operations. He retired from the Air Force after 37 years of distinguished service.
Early years; education
David Mudgett Jones was born on December 18, 1913 in Marshfield, Oregon, the son of David Arthur (Dade) Jones and Grace Mudgett. His father Dade Jones, the son of Welsh immigrants, homesteaded land in Meadow Lake Township, North Dakota in 1896 before marrying Grace and moving to Oregon.David Jones enlisted in the Arizona National Guard
Arizona National Guard
The Arizona National Guard is the National Guard of the American state of Arizona. It consists of the Arizona Army National Guard and the Arizona Air National Guard.Both components are part of the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs...
while he was attending the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
at Tucson
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
, from 1932 to 1936. His later education included three major Armed Forces schools: Command and General Staff School in Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
, Kansas, 1946; Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, 1948; and the National War College
National War College
The National War College of the United States is a school in the National Defense University. It is housed in Roosevelt Hall on Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C., the third-oldest Army post still active. It was officially established on July 1, 1946, as an upgraded replacement for the...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, 1956.
Jones was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Cavalry arm of the Arizona Army National Guard
Arizona Army National Guard
The Arizona Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization...
, where he served one year of active duty before transferring to the Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
and entering pilot training in June 1937. After completing his training in June 1938, he served as a pilot with the 17th Attack Group
17th Training Wing
The 17th Training Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command Second Air Force. It is stationed at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas...
and then with the 95th Bombardment Squadron.
Doolittle Raid
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
. During the training phase of this project, he flew the initial evaluation flights on the specially equipped B-25 aircraft. On April 18, 1942, the Doolittle Raid launched from the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
carrier USS Hornet
USS Hornet
Eight ships of the United States Navy have been named USS Hornet, after the stinging insect., was a ten-gun sloop commissioned in 1775, and served in the American Revolutionary War, was also a ten-gun sloop and took part in the First Barbary War, was a brig-rigged sloop of war launched on 28 July...
, dropping their bombs on Tokyo and four other Japanese cities. This raid was the first good news that the Americans had from the Pacific front.
Lacking the fuel to return to the Hornet after the raid, Jones bailed out over China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, where he was assisted by the Chinese people in returning to the United States. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
for his participation as a flight commander in the planning, training and completion of the mission.
North Africa, prisoner of war, and The Great Escape
Bizerte
Bizerte or Benzert , is the capital city of Bizerte Governorate in Tunisia and the northernmost city in Africa. It has a population of 230,879 .-History:...
, North Africa, and spent two and a half years as a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
in Stalag Luft III
Stalag Luft III
Stalag Luft III was a Luftwaffe-run prisoner-of-war camp during World War II that housed captured air force servicemen. It was in the German Province of Lower Silesia near the town of Sagan , southeast of Berlin...
. As a result of his constant agitation and harassment of the enemy, he was selected for the "escape committee" by fellow prisoners. The committee reviewed escape plans and directed escapes. Jones led the digging team on tunnel "Harry" used in the Great Escape, chronicled in the Paul Brickhill
Paul Brickhill
Paul Chester Jerome Brickhill was an Australian writer, whose World War II books were turned into popular movies.-Biography:...
's autobiographical book
The Great Escape (book)
The Great Escape is an insider's account by Paul Brickhill of the 1944 mass escape from the German prisoner of war camp Stalag Luft III for British and Commonwealth airmen. As a prisoner in the camp, he participated in the escape plan but was debarred from the actual escape 'along with three or...
, and immortalized in the 1963 film
The Great Escape (film)
The Great Escape is a 1963 American film about an escape by Allied prisoners of war from a German POW camp during World War II, starring Steve McQueen, James Garner, and Richard Attenborough...
starring Steve McQueen
Steve McQueen
Terrence Steven "Steve" McQueen was an American movie actor. He was nicknamed "The King of Cool." His "anti-hero" persona, which he developed at the height of the Vietnam counterculture, made him one of the top box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s. McQueen received an Academy Award nomination...
. After his liberation in April 1945, Jones was commended for leadership among his fellow prisoners.
Post-World War II
In July 1946, Jones was assigned as an air inspector at Headquarters Air Training CommandAir Training Command
Air Training Command is a former major command of the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force. ATC came into being as a redesignation of the Army Air Forces Training Command on July 1, 1946...
. He followed this with attendance at the Armed Forces Staff College, which he completed in 1948. He then served as Director of War Plans at the Tactical Air Command Headquarters, followed by an assignment as Director of Combat Operations for the Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
; then as Commander of the 47th Bombardment Group, until February 1952.
He was then the commander of the 47th Bombardment Wing (a jet-bomber wing) at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia and in Sculthorpe, England until July 1955.
Test pilot
Research and development
The phrase research and development , according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers to "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of...
in 1956 when he was the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations for the Air Proving Ground Command at Eglin Air Force Base
Eglin Air Force Base
Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....
, Florida. His experience in bombardment-type aircraft and previous command staff assignments in research and development resulted in his being selected director of the B-58
B-58 Hustler
The Convair B-58 Hustler was the first operational supersonic jet bomber capable of Mach 2 flight. The aircraft was designed by Convair engineer Robert H. Widmer and developed for the United States Air Force for service in the Strategic Air Command during the 1960s...
Test Force, organized in February 1958 at Carswell Air Force Base
Carswell Air Force Base
Carswell Air Force Base, was a United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base located about northwest central of Fort Worth, Texas, United States; the air force base is mostly within the Fort Worth city limits and has portions within Westworth and White Settlement...
, Texas. The B-58 Hustler was the first operational jet bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
capable of Mach 2 supersonic
Supersonic
Supersonic speed is a rate of travel of an object that exceeds the speed of sound . For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C this speed is approximately 343 m/s, 1,125 ft/s, 768 mph or 1,235 km/h. Speeds greater than five times the speed of sound are often...
flight. During this time, Jones continued to maintain his flight status in the B-58, TF-102, and T-33
T-33 Shooting Star
The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star is an American-built jet trainer aircraft. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948, piloted by Tony LeVier. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then designated T-33A. It was used by the...
aircraft; participating in design speed dashes, low-level penetrations, night, weather, formation and inflight refueling missions. He had more supersonic time testing the B-58 than any senior U.S. Air Force pilot.
In September 1960, he became vice commander of the Wright Air Development Division at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Greene and Montgomery counties in the state of Ohio. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally Wilbur Wright Field and Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot. Patterson Field is located approximately...
in Ohio. In October 1961, he was named program manager of the GAM-87 "Skybolt" at Aeronautical Systems Division. When that project was cancelled, he became ASD deputy for systems management and later vice commander.
In August 1964, he became deputy chief of staff for systems at Headquarters Air Force Systems Command
Air Force Systems Command
Air Force Systems Command is a former United States Air Force command. Its headquarters was located at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland...
at Andrews Air Force Base
Andrews Air Force Base
Joint Base Andrews is a United States military facility located in Prince George's County, Maryland. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 11th Wing, Air Force District of Washington ....
, Maryland, which had responsibility for research, development, and weapon system acquisition.
NASA
In December 1964, Jones became Deputy Assistant Administrator for Manned Space Flight with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In July 1965, he was given responsibility for development of the S-IVBS-IVB
The S-IVB was built by the Douglas Aircraft Company and served as the third stage on the Saturn V and second stage on the Saturn IB. It had one J-2 engine...
Orbital Workshop and spent-stage experiment support module (SSESM) — a concept of "in-orbit" conversion of a spent S-IVB stage to a shelter. In August 1965, he took on the additional duties as of the Saturn/Apollo Applications (SAA) Acting Director.
Then, in May 1967, he assumed duties as commander of the Air Force Eastern Test Range, Cape Kennedy, Florida.
Retirement; death
Jones retired at the rank of major general on May 31, 1973. He was one of five Doolittle raiders who later became generals; the others are James H. DoolittleJimmy Doolittle
General James Harold "Jimmy" Doolittle, USAF was an American aviation pioneer. Doolittle served as a brigadier general, major general and lieutenant general in the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War...
, John A. Hilger, Everett W. Holstrom, and Richard A. Knobloch
Jones died on November 25, 2008, at age 94, at his home in Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
. He was preceded in death by his first wife Anita Maddox Jones, and survived by his wife Janna-Neen Johnson-Dingell-Cunningham-Jones, daughter (Jere Jones Yeager), two sons (David Jones and Jim Jones) and a stepdaughter (Ann-Eve Grace Dingell-Cunningham) . At the time of his death, out of the eighty men who participated in the Doolittle Raid, there were ten remaining survivors.
Awards and decorations
Major General Jones' military decorations and awards include:
Legion of MeritLegion of MeritThe Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
Distinguished Flying CrossDistinguished Flying Cross (United States)The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
with oak leaf cluster
Air MedalAir MedalThe Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Purple HeartPurple HeartThe Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
NASA Distinguished Service MedalNASA Distinguished Service MedalThe NASA Distinguished Service Medal is the highest award which may be bestowed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the United States...
, the highest honor conferred by NASA
NASA Exceptional Service MedalNASA Exceptional Service MedalThe NASA Exceptional Service Medal is an award granted to U.S. government employees for significant sustained performance characterized by unusual initiative or creative ability that clearly demonstrates substantial improvement in engineering, aeronautics, space flight, administration, support, or...
with device- Yum Hwei from the Chinese government.
See also
- Jimmy DoolittleJimmy DoolittleGeneral James Harold "Jimmy" Doolittle, USAF was an American aviation pioneer. Doolittle served as a brigadier general, major general and lieutenant general in the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War...
- NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
- Test pilotTest pilotA test pilot is an aviator who flies new and modified aircraft in specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques or FTTs, allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated....
- Thirty Seconds Over TokyoThirty Seconds over TokyoThirty Seconds Over Tokyo is a 1944 MGM war film. It is based on the true story of America's first retaliatory air strike against Japan four months after the December 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The movie was directed by Mervyn LeRoy and produced by Sam Zimbalist. The screenplay by...
, 1944 film on the Doolittle Raid, starring Spencer TracySpencer TracySpencer Bonaventure Tracy was an American theatrical and film actor, who appeared in 75 films from 1930 to 1967. Tracy was one of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, ranking among the top ten box office draws for almost every year from 1938 to 1951...