Neal C. Jones, Jr., Signalman 1c, born October
2, 1923, Hartshorne, OK. Enlisted in the USN on August 2, 1941, Long
Beach, CA, with basic training at San Diego, CA. Assigned to the USS
West Virginia in October 1941. After she was sunk, December 7, 1941,
by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor, he was transferred to the USS Minneapolis
(CA-36) on December 15, 1941. He earned 17 Battle Stars on the
"Minnie" which started with the Marshall-Gilbert raids and ended
with the Okinawa-Gunto Occupation. "Minnie" suffered heavy
damage in the Battle of Tassafaronga, November 30, 1942, at
Guadalcanal. He remained on board the "Minnie" until June
1945, when he was transferred to NOB Terminal Island, CA, for shore duty. He earned the ACM, APCM w/3 Silver and 2 Bronze
Stars, WWIIVM, Pearl Harbor Commemorative Medal, Philippine Liberation w/2
Start, Philippine PUC and the Good Conduct Ribbon. He was discharged
October 15, 1945, as SM1c from NOB Terminal Island, CA. Jones retired from McDonnell Douglas Astronautics
Co. in 1988. He and his wife Rosemary (Dufrense) make their home in
Long Beach, CA. they have three children and two
grandchildren.
Reprinted with permission from Turner
Publishing.
Photo of Neal Jones and Mike Mullins in Hawaii in December, 2001.
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