Forest M. Jones
F.C.1c

USN
USS West Virginia
1940-1945

Forest M. Jones, Lieutenant Commander, born Aug. 28, 1914, Big Cabin, OK. He enlisted in the USN in October 1934 and was assigned to the USS Minneapolis. Advanced to FCl/c and transferred to the USS West Virginia in 1940. Assisted in operation of 5" A A Btry. during Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Transferred to the USS Enterprise and returned to the West Virginia after the battle of Midway. He participated in modernization of the ship and training of a new crew. In all the battles and invasions in the Pacific, the West Virginia was the only major ship to be a survivor of Pearl Harbor and in Tokyo Bay when the peace treaty was signed. He subsequently served aboard the USS Talladega and the USS Henrico.

Other duty stations included Western Pacific Training Command, Reserve Fleet, Bremerton, WA, Long Beach Naval Shipyard and Ammunition Depots at Bremerton, WA, and Crane, IN.

Memorable Experiences: Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor; Battle of Midway; Invasion of the Philippines, Iwo Jima and Okinawa; Battle of Surigao Straits; entry into Tokyo Bay for signing of surrender terms; being the senior person aboard during the Pearl Harbor attack and when presented with the flag when the ship was decommissioned in 1946. He retired in 1960 with rank of LCDR.

He received 11 medals and awards plus the Philippine Legion of Honor. After military retirement, he was employed 29 years at Aerojet Solid Propulsion in (Sacramento) and five years as a consultant. Currently residing in Citrus Heights, CA.  Married Catherine Price and they have two children and two grandchildren.

Reprinted with permission from Turner Publishing

 


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