#VeteranOfTheDay William Jones

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Air Force World War II Veteran William Jones.

William was drafted into the war in 1943, when he was just 19 years old. He was soon deployed to Italy where he served as an ordnance worker, transporting and loading bombs onto B-24 planes.

He spent 17 months in Italy before returning to Texas, to await orders for his second tour to Japan. Fortunately, the war ended before it came. In an interview with his hometown newspaper, East Oregonian, William recalled being “excited the war was over.”

William was recently awarded with five medals, including a Good Conduct Medal and a Presidential Unit Citation. After the war ended, he had forgotten to apply for his medals but his family pursued it on his behalf. They held a surprise celebration for the 92 year-old Veteran as he proudly received his medals.

William passed away on February 2, 2017.

We honor his service.

Nominate a Veteran for #VeteranOfTheDay

Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? You’re in luck! VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.

It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. All it takes is an email to newmedia@va.gov with as much of the information as you can put together with some good photos. Visit our blog post about nominating for how to create the best submission.

Graphic By Kierra Willis: Kierra Willis is a Graphic Communication Major at the University of Maryland University College. She currently has an AAS in Graphic Design and Visual Communications.