Alan W. Jones | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Alan W. Jones, pictured here as a major general commanding the 106th Infantry Division in 1944. Center of Military History, United States Army. | |
| Born | (1894-10-06)6 October 1894 Goldendale, Washington, United States |
| Died | 22 January 1969(1969-01-22) (aged 74) Washington D.C., United States |
| Place of burial | Arlington National Cemetery,Virginia, United States |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1917−1945 |
| Rank |  Major General |
| Unit |  Infantry Branch |
| Commands | 106th Infantry Division |
| Battles / wars | World War I World War II |
| Awards | Purple Heart Legion of Honour (France) Croix de Guerre (France) |
| Spouse(s) | Alys O. Pickering (m. 1917-1969, his death) |
| Children | 2 |
Major GeneralAlan Walter Jones (October 6, 1894 − January 22, 1969) was a career officer in theUnited States Army. He is best known for his command of the106th Infantry Division duringWorld War II.
Alan Walter Jones Sr. was born inGoldendale, Washington[1][2] on October 6, 1894,[1][3] a son of Jessie M. Jones and Milton S Jones.[4] He was raised inWalla Walla, Washington, and attendedWhitman College[5] and theUniversity of Washington.[6] Jones was working as a laborer for theUnion Pacific Railroad inSeattle in 1917 when he applied for a commission in theUnited States Army.[1]
Jones' application was approved in October 1917, six months after theAmerican entry into World War I, and he was commissioned asecond lieutenant ofInfantry and assigned to the43rd Infantry Regiment.[6][7] After completing his in processing atFort Leavenworth,Kansas, Jones joined his regiment atFort Douglas,Utah.[6][7] DuringWorld War I, Jones was promoted tofirst lieutenant and then temporarycaptain, and served at posts includingCamp Pike,Arkansas andPensacola, Florida.[8] After the war, Jones reverted to his permanent rank of first lieutenant and continued his army career.[8]
Jones was a 1925 graduate of theInfantry Officer Course.[3] In 1930 he completed the Infantry Officer Advanced Course.[3] He was then selected for attendance at theField Artillery Officer Advanced Course, from which he graduated in 1931.[3] Jones graduated from theUnited States Army Command and General Staff College in 1936. Chosen for further professional education at theUnited States Army War College, Jones began attending in 1937 and graduated in 1938.[3]
In 1920, Jones was promoted to permanent captain.[8] He continued to serve in Infantry assignments, including an early 1920s posting to thePhilippines with the45th Infantry Regiment.[8] In the late 1920s, Jones served on the staff of the Army Infantry School atFort Benning,Georgia[9] and in 1929 he was assigned toCamp Perry,Ohio as a faculty member for a newly organized program of marksmanship instruction which preceded an annual military shooting competition.[10]
In the early 1930s, Jones served with the12th Infantry Regiment atFort Washington, Maryland, followed by an assignment to the staff of the Army's Chief of Infantry.[11] He was promoted tomajor in 1934, and served with the7th Infantry Regiment atVancouver Barracks,Washington.[11] In 1938, Jones was posted to the19th Infantry Regiment atSchofield Barracks,Hawaii, and he was promoted tolieutenant colonel on July 1, 1940, while the United States was preparing forWorld War II.[8][12]
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Jones was ordered to the Army staff at theWar Department in 1941, and was assigned to the office of the deputy chief of staff for operations and training, G-3.[11] On December 24, 1941, shortly after theJapaneseattack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequentGerman declaration of war against the United States, he was promoted to the temporary rank ofcolonel.[13][12] Jones was assigned to the staff of theArmy Ground Forces headquarters in April 1942, and on June 24 he received promotion to the temporary rank ofbrigadier general.[14][12] After becoming ageneral officer, Jones took over fromCharles W. Ryder as assistant division commander (ADC) of the90th Infantry Division, commanded by Major GeneralHenry Terrell Jr. Jones served in this position until January 1943.[14]
In January 1943, Jones was assigned to command the106th Infantry Division during its organization and training atFort Jackson,South Carolina.[15] He was promoted to temporarymajor general on March 16.[15][12] The 106th Division trained at Fort Jackson and participated in theSecond Army's 1943 and 1944Tennessee Maneuvers.[15] In March 1944, the 106th Infantry Division moved toCamp Atterbury,Indiana, where many of its soldiers received new assignments as replacements for soldiers killed and wounded in combat and postings to units of theArmy Service Forces.[15] Newly assigned soldiers were not as experienced and trained as their predecessors.[16] In October 1944, the division moved toMassachusetts, where it embarked for transport to Europe.[17] The division arrived inBelgium in early December and was immediately transferred to the front lines nearSt. Vith and theArdennes forest, where it relieved the2nd Infantry Division on December 12.[18]
Four days after the 106th Infantry Division took its place on the front lines, the German army began the offensive that became known as theBattle of the Bulge.[19] Jones' inexperienced division initially performed well, but quickly became combat ineffective, with two of its three regiments, the 422nd and 423rd Infantry, encircled and cut off near Schönberg inEupen-Malmedy, which ultimately resulted in their surrender to the Germans.[20]
During the fighting, Jones was agitated and apprehensive over the impending loss of the two regiments, one of which included his son, who was a captain in the 423rd Infantry.[21] At one point he sardonically observed that he had set a record for "losing a division quicker than any commander in the US Army."[22] Major GeneralMatthew Ridgway, Jones's superior officer as commander ofXVIII Airborne Corps, grew frustrated with the situation and ordered Jones to be relieved of command, intending to give Brigadier GeneralBruce C. Clarke effective command in St. Vith.[23][24] However Jones suffered a heart attack later that evening and was medically evacuated on December 22, which turned command over to his deputy, Brigadier GeneralHerbert T. Perrin.[23][24] As a face-saving measure, Jones was then assigned as deputy to Ridgway.[25] In March 1945, Jones was taking part in offensive operations betweenBonn andCologne when a German bomb landed near him and he sustained head wounds that required him to be hospitalized.[26] Jones remained on active duty as a major general until he retired for medical reasons in October 1945.[3][12]
After retiring, Jones lived inWashington, DC.[2] He was active in the 106th Infantry Division's veterans association and was a member of theArmy and Navy Club and the Corinthian Yacht Club.[2]
Jones was diagnosed with cancer in 1968.[27] His condition steadily worsened and in December he was moved toWalter Reed Hospital for treatment.[2] He died there on January 22, 1969.[2] His funeral took place at theFort Myer,Virginia post chapel on January 27 and was attended by several 106th Infantry Division veterans, including his former division artillery commander and chief of staff.[28] Jones was buried atArlington National Cemetery.[28]
Jones was a recipient of thePurple Heart for hisWorld War II service.[3] In addition, he received theLegion of Honor and theCroix de Guerre from France.[2]
In 1917, Jones married Alys O. Pickering (1899–1998) ofPrescott, Washington.[4] They were the parents of two children, Colonel Alan W. Jones Jr. (1921–2014), a career Army officer and Hallie (1924–2008), the wife ofU.S. Marine Corps Colonel Ewald A. Vom Orde.[2]
| Military offices | ||
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| Preceded by Newly activated organization | Commanding General 106th Infantry Division 1943–1944 | Succeeded by |
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| National | |
