This Military Service Page was created/owned by
SSgt Robert Bruce McClelland, Jr.
to remember
Jones, David Mudgett, Maj Gen USAF(Ret).
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Contact Info
Home Town Marshfield, Oregon
Last Address Tucson, Arizona
Date of Passing Nov 25, 2008
Location of Interment Arlington National Cemetery (VLM) - Arlington, Virginia
He was the pilot in crew #5 on the Doolittle Raid.
His DFC (1st of 2) citation: Awarded for actions during World War II
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Captain (Air Corps) David M. Jones (ASN: 0-22482), United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary achievement as Pilot of a B-25 Bomber of the 1st Special Aviation Project (Doolittle Raider Force), while participating in a highly destructive raid on the Japanese mainland on 18 April 1942. Captain Jones with 79 other officers and enlisted men volunteered for this mission knowing full well that the chances of survival were extremely remote, and executed his part in it with great skill and daring. This achievement reflects high credit on himself and the military service.
Division: Doolittle Tokyo Raider Force Crew #5 (Plane #40-2283, target Tokyo): 95th Bomb Sq. L-R: Lt. Eugene F. McGurl, navigator; Capt. David M. Jones, pilot; Lt. Denver V. Truelove, bombardier; Lt. Ross R. Wilder, copilot; Sgt. Joseph W. Manske, flight engineer/gunner. (U.S. Air Force photo)
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal to Major General David M. Jones (ASN: 0-22482), United States Air Force, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished service in a position of great responsibility to the Government of the United States as Commander, Air Force Eastern Test Range and Department of Defense Manager for Manned Space Flight Support Operations, Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, from 4 May 1967 to 30 April 1973. In this important assignment, the forceful leadership, and the outstanding and dedicated efforts of General Jones were significantly displayed in his strong grasp and exestuation of complex technical operations essential to successful conduct of Air Force space flight launches, Air Force and Navy strategic missile testing, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration manned and unmanned space exploration. The singularly distinctive accomplishments of General Jones culminate a long and distinguished career in the service of his country and reflect the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.
The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the military aviation arm of the United States of America between 1926 and 1941. The statutory administrative forerunner of the United States Air Force, it was renamed from the earlier United States Army Air Service on 2 July 1926 and part of the larger United States Army. The Air Corps was the immediate predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), established on 20 June 1941. Although discontinued as an administrative echelon during World War II, the Air Corps (AC) remained as one of the combat arms of the Army until 1947, when it was legally abolished by legislation establishing the Department of the Air Force.
The Air Corps was renamed by the United States Congress largely as a compromise between the advocates of a separate air arm and those of the traditionalist Army high command who viewed the aviation arm as an auxiliary branch to support the ground forces. Although its members worked to promote the concept of air power and an autonomous air force between the years between the world wars, its primary purpose by Army policy remained support of ground forces rather than independent operations.
On 1 March 1935, still struggling with the issue of a separate air arm, the Army activated the General Headquarters Air Force for centralized control of aviation combat units within the continental United States, separate from but coordinate with the Air Corps. The separation of the Air Corps from control of its combat units caused problems of unity of command that became more acute as the Air Corps enlarged in preparation for World War II. This was resolved by the creation of the Army Air Forces (AAF), making both organizations subordinate to the new higher echelon.
The Air Corps ceased to have an administrative structure after 9 March 1942, but as "the permanent statutory organization of the air arm, and the principal component of the Army Air Forces," the overwhelming majority of personnel assigned to the AAF were members of the Air Corps.