Fifty Years of Wars
The February 1969 edition of the Legion Airs Post Paper featured a photo and article titled "In The Jones Tradition."

The article read, "Three generations of the Jones family, representing four wars, gathered recently to attend an annual Memorial Mass at Holy Cross Church, for Maurice G. Jones who was killed in WWII.

By John Sr.
(Note: Joe Jr. served in WWII in Patton's 3rd Army, 5th Division (known as the Red Diamond Division).
The only story my brother Joe ever told me about the war was when they were on the front lines. His unit was in a local farmhouse and the German army unit was only a few hundred yards away, across a field. They were stuck there for some time with neither side attempting an offensive move. For want of something to do, Joe went into the basement and found some window glass, putty, a glass cutter,and zinc brads (used to hold the window pane in place). He took the glass upstairs and repaired one of the many broken windows.
(Note: It was a cold and snowy January). When he finished, he stepped back to view his work and POW, a German sharpshooter from across the field shot out the window. Joe repaired it three more times and each time the German sharpshooter shot it out again.
Apparently, he too was bored and looking for something to do. The point is that the sharpshooter NEVER shot at Joe, and Joe was sure he had ample opportunity to do so.

By John Sr
I never got overseas. I spent all my time in training. They used to remark that the only way I would go overseas was if some country invaded us.
When I was separated from the service, I arrived home at supper time. As I entered the house through the front door everybody jumped up from the table and shouted, "HE'S HOME" and then all I heard was "OH IT'S ONLY JOHN".... apparently they were awaiting the return of Joseph.

By Eugene
The recent Band of Brothers mini-series on HBO has been very moving for me. It brings to life many of the stories my father (Joe Jr.) shared with me when I was a child.
Episode 5, when the unit was taking a small town, was particularly significant. That was very similar to the types of battles he fought in - door to door combat.

Dad was a lead scout in his platoon and during one such firefight he recalled being on the front steps of a house as machine gun bullets whizzed just over his head from within. He tossed in a grenade and the bullets stopped. That is how he humbly recounted that heroic act.

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