COL. H. Jones (Ret.) Usaf

JONES, FRED H.Fred. H. Jones, Lt Col USAF (ret) died August 16, 2012. Born in Houston, TX, 12/6/17 to Mary Belle Howell and C. Gordon Jones. Brothers, Gordon, Blandin, and David Howell Jones and sisters, Mary Frances Reid, Dorothy Galindo, and Edyth Preussner preceded him in death. He is survived by Dorothy Ann, his wife of 63 years; son, Bob Jones and wife Elena, grandchildren Jeff Tabet and Celena Jaquez, and great-grandchildren Miguel Rubalcaba and Gabriella Jaquez; and daughter Penny White, husband Rick, and grandchildren Liz and Charlie White; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. In 1941 at the end of his junior year at Rice Institute, Fred joined Aviation Cadets. He received Navigator Wings and 2nd Lt. bars in the US Army Air Corps on 6/4/43. He flew replacement B-24s and B-25s to the South Pacific. He later flew mail outbound and wounded inbound from the South Pacific. In 1946, he transferred to the USAF Reserve. He joined Brannif Airways and was sent to Brownsville, TX, where he met his wife Dorothy Ann. He was recalled to duty in the US Air Force at Scott AB on 7/1/1948. Fred and Dorothy Ann married in Dallas, TX, on 10/9/48. He transferred to the 92nd Bomb Wing 327 Bomb Squadron and flew 25 B-29 bombing flights over Korea. He flew 3,000+ hours in B-36s and B-52s from 1950-1957. He was a logistics planner at the SAC Underground Command Post at Offutt AFB 1957-1960. Fred received a BGE degree from the University of Omaha on 1/3/57. He attended the AF Institute of Technology Advanced Logistics School 1960-61, and then joined the 17th Air Force at Ramstein AB, Germany, 1961-64. He was Commander and Professor of Aerospace Studies at the AFROTC detachment at NMSU in Las Cruces, NM, 1964-68. He served as a logistics officer with the 7th Air Force at Ton Son Nuitt AB in Saigon, Vietnam, 1968-69. Fred retired from the Pentagon on 11/1/70 as a Master Navigator with 6005 flying hours. His 15 awards include the Bronze Star, Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, Commendation Medal, Outstanding Unit Citation, Asiatic Pacific Medal with 4 Battle Stars, the UN Korean Medal with 2 Battle Stars, and the Vietnam Medal with 2 Battle Stars. He earned a MBA from NMSU on 1/5/73. He was instructor in Management and Marketing at NMSU in Las Cruces and the College of the Southwest in Hobbs, NM, full time and part time. He was a member of Rotary, SCORE, St. Andrews Vestry in Las Cruces, the Step Study Meeting in Las Cruces, and Seniors Seeking Serenity in Albuquerque. A Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, August 23 at 4:00 PM at French - University Chapel, 1111 University Blvd. NE, Albuquerque. Burial with full military honors will take place on Friday, August 24 at 1:30 PM at Santa Fe National Cemetery . The Jones family would like to extend a special thank you to the caregivers at The Woodmark. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, please make donations to Hospice of New Mexico, 4015 Carlisle NE, 87107.