BIO

Born:                             19 Jul 1917

Enlistment date:            22 May 1939

Deployments:                Europe

Units:                             9th Infantry Division, 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment 101st Airborne Division, 511thParachute Infantry Regiment 11th Airborne Division.

Rank:                            Colonel

Specialisations:

Qualifications:

Decorations:                  Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart.

Discharge Date:            31 Jul 1973

Deceased:

Other Information:        Colonel Jones was born 19 July 1917, Montreal, Canada. He was commissioned in the United States Army as a 2nd Lt Infantry, 22 May 1939. Jones served in Troop F, 111th Cavalry, NMNG, CCC, and 33 years Active Duty. He graduated from Parachute School 23 May 1942, and was assigned to 502d PIR; he served in various assignments, to include participation in Normandy and Rhineland Campaigns WWII. Jones was injured in Holland during Operation Market Garden while commanding "H" Company, 502d PIR, and returned to the US in February 1945 for hospitalization.

Colonel Jones was assigned to Airborne School, Ft. Benning, GA, May 1945 to May 1948, then assigned to 511th PIR, 11th ABN DIV, at Camp Haugen, Japan. He was subsequently assigned to the 32d Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division April 1949. Jones participated in the Inchon landing as Company Commander "C" Company, 32d Infantry. He was a participant in the Chosin Reservoir attack in North Korea as S1 of the 1st Battalion, 32d Infantry, and led the remnants of that Battalion, consisting of 3 officers and 18 soldiers, out of Chosin Reservoir attached to the 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. He remained in Korea as BN CO and XO of the Battalion engaging in five offensive campaigns. Colonel Jones returned to the United States in June 1951.

Jones served a tour as an Airborne Instructor at the Command and General Staff College 1951-1954 which was followed by a three year tour in Hawaii as a National Guard Advisor, G3 Staff Officer and as G5 US Army Pacific. His next assignments were with the 1st Airborne Battle Group, 327th Infantry 1957-1960, and as Executive Officer, Deputy Commander and Group Commander, Ft. Campbell, Kentucky.

In 1960 Jones was assigned as an Infantry Unit Advisor to the Turkish Third Army. In 1961 at the expiration of his overseas tour, he was selected to attend the US Army War College. After completing the USAWC he was assigned to Special Warfare Directorate, Office of the Chief of Staff for Operations, Department of the Army at the Pentagon 1962-1964, then to the Joints Chiefs of Staff J3, Pacific Division actively engaged in planning and operations of the Vietnam Conflict. In August 1966, Jones left on another overseas tour initially assigned to USAEUR Heidelberg, and then assumed command of the 10th Special Forces Group (ABN) Bad Toelz, Germany. Upon return of the Group to the United States in September 1968 he traveled to Vietnam to serve as Deputy Director, Phoenix Directorate, COORDS, HQ MACV until 3 June 1970, and then he departed to be Chief of Staff and Deputy Installation Commander, Fort Lewis, WA.

Colonel Jones received his Bachelor of Science degree from New Mexico A&M College in 1939, with Post Graduate work at the University of Texas. In 1965, he received a Master of Arts degree in International Affairs from GeorgeWashington University.

Colonel Jones' awards and decorations include: Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Legion of Merit with two clusters, Bronze Star with cluster, Joint Service Commendation Medal with two clusters, Purple Heart with cluster, Army Commendation Medal with Metal Pendant, Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Presidential Unit Citation 1st and 2d Awards (Navy), Combat Infantry Badge 2d Award, Belgian Fourraguere, French Croix DeGuerre with Palm, Netherlands Orange Lanyard, Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Vietnamese Police Medal of Honor 1st Class, Vietnamese Rural Revolutionary Development Medal, and various other Service Medals. He also is rated a Master Parachutist and a qualified Gliderman, and has been awarded the Departments of Army General Staff Identification and Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badges.

Colonel Jones retired from active duty in 1973, and presently resides in Clarksville, TN. He is a past President and Chairman of the Board of the 101st Airborne Division Association, Honorary Colonel of the 502d Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the 32d Infantry Regimental Association, a Member of The Chosin Few-an organization of the survivors of the Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War when the Chinese entered that conflict, he is a Distinguished Member of the 327th Infantry Regiment, and active in other military and civilian pursuits. In addition, he presently serves as the Chairman of the Board of the Fort Campbell Historical Foundation.

Col. (Ret.) Robert Ellis Jones, 90, Clarksville, died Thursday, Sept. 13, 2007, at his residence. Born 19 July 1917, in Montreal, Canada, Colonel Jones was commissioned in the United States Army as a 2nd Lt. Infantry, 22 May 1939. Jones served in Troop F, 111th Cavalry, NMNG, CCC, and 33 years active duty. Upon graduation from Parachute School 23 May 1942 and assignment to 502d PIR, he served in various assignments, to include participation in Normandy and Rhineland Campaigns WWII. Jones was wounded in, Holland during Operation Market Garden while commanding "H" Company, 502d PIR, and returned to the US in February 1945 for hospitalization.

Colonel Jones was assigned to The Parachute School, Fort Benning, Ga., May 1945 to May 1948, then to 511th PIR, 11th Airborne Division, Camp Haugen, Japan. He was subsequently assigned to the 32d Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division in April 1949. Jones engaged in five offensive campaigns in Korea. He participated in the Inchon landing as Company Commander "C" Company, 32d Infantry. As a participant in the Chosin Reservoir attack in North Korea as S1 of the 1st Battalion, 32d Infantry, Jones led the remnants of that Battalion, himself, two other officers and 18 soldiers, out of Chosin Reservoir while attached to the 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. He remained in Korea as Executive Officer and Battalion Commander until his return to the United States in June 1951.

Jones served as an Airborne Instructor at the Command and General Staff College 1951-1954, followed by a three year tour in Hawaii as a National Guard Advisor, G3 Staff Officer and as G5 US Army Pacific. His next assignments were with the 1st Airborne Battle Group, 327th Infantry 1957-1960, and as Executive Officer, Deputy Commander and Group Commander, Fort Campbell, Ky.

In 1960, Jones was assigned as an Infantry Unit Advisor to the Turkish Third Army. In 1961, he was selected to attend the US Army War College; upon completion he was assigned to Special Warfare Directorate, Office of the Chief of Staff for Operations, Department of the Army at the Pentagon 1962-1964, then to the Joints Chiefs of Staff J3, actively engaged in planning and operations of the Vietnam Conflict. Initially assigned to USAEUR Heidelberg In August 1966, Jones assumed command of the 10th Special Forces Group (ABN) Bad Toelz, Germany. Upon return of the Group to the US in September 1968, he traveled to Vietnam to serve as Deputy Director, Phoenix Directorate, COORDS, HQ MACV until June 3, 1970. He then departed to be Chief of Staff and Deputy Installation Commander, Fort Lewis, Wash.

Colonel Jones' awards and decorations include: Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Legion of Merit with two clusters, Bronze Star with cluster, Joint Service Commendation Medal with two clusters, Purple Heart with cluster, Army Commendation Medal with Metal Pendant, Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Presidential Unit Citation 1st and 2d Awards (Navy), Belgian Fourraguere, French Croix De Guerre with Palm, Netherlands Orange Lanyard, Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Vietnamese Police Medal of Honor 1st Class, Vietnamese Rural Revolutionary Development Medal, and various other Service Medals. He received the Combat Infantry Badge with Star, the Master Parachute Badge and a Glider Badge. Jones was awarded the Departments of Army General Staff Identification and Joint Chiefs of Staff
Identification Badges.

After retirement from active duty in 1973, Colonel Jones resided in Clarksville, where he continued his public service through many military and community pursuits. He was granted and assigned the distinction of being the original Honorary Colonel of the 502nd Infantry Regiment, a Distinguished Member of the 502nd Infantry Regiment and a Distinguished Member of the 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division.

Jones was past President and Chairman of the Board for the 101st Airborne Division Association; Chairman of the Board for the 32d Infantry Regimental Association; and a Member of The Chosin Few, survivors of the Chosin Reservoir action. In 1997, a building at Fort Drum, N.Y. was named for Colonel Jones by the 1st Battalion, 32d Infantry Regiment to recognize his leadership in bringing the Battalion's last remnants out of Chosin Reservoir.

Colonel Jones was named by Rotary International as a Paul Harris Fellow. He was a past Worthy Patron of Eastern Star; 32d Degree Mason for more than 50 years, a Sojourner and a Knights Templar. Jones was named by the 101st Airborne Division Association as The Airborne Man of the Year when he was president of the Association. He received the ultimate honor of being named The Airborne Man of the Year from The Static Line, an organization of all airborne associations comprising many tens of thousands of warriors.

Colonel Jones was a co-incorporator and Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Fort Campbell Historical Foundation, which is building the Wings of Liberty Military Museum at Fort Campbell.