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Grave marker for Homer H.
Jones in Section 5C Site 94 of the Western Carolina State Veterans
Cemetery, Black Mountain (Buncombe county), North Carolina.
Homer graduated from The Citadel with an AB degree
and was commissioned 2nd Lt, Inf, AUS on 30 May 1942.
2/Lt Jones was
assigned to and joined with Company A on 27 October 1942. He
briefly rook command of the company for two days in December of that
same year. On
January 12, 1943 he was elevated to 1st Lt and 4 days later was
transferred to Company B.
Lt Jones was wounded in action in Normandy on 6 June
but apparently remained on duty. He was hit again on 4 July
1944 during the action on Hill 95. He had been shot through
the neck and lay paralyzed. Sgt Roland Fecteau reportedly stuck his
fingers in holes on both sides of Jones' neck. Jones pleaded with
Fecteau saying, "I don't want to live as a paralytic. Let me bleed
to death."
Fecteau refused to obey his officer's command, and persisted in
preventing more loss of blood while waiting for the medics. Jones
was evacuated to a field hospital and it turned out that the
paralysis was only temporary.
By September of 1944
he had returned to duty and was assigned to Service Company for five
days. Homer
remained in the Army following the end of hostilities. On 29
March1958 he was promoted to Captain and then to Major on 8 April
1959. He put on the Silver Oak Leaf rank insignia of a
Lieutenant Colonel on 24 June 1963 and later retired at that grade.
His military decorations included the Silver Star,
Bronze Star Medal with OLC, Purple Heart with 2 OLC. Joint Service
Commendation Medal and the Army Commendation Medal. |
