Morton McDonald Jones, Jr., 91, passed away on Friday, February 19, 2010 in Austin. He was born on August 9, 1918 in Asheville, North Carolina to Lieutenant Morton McD. Jones, USA Cavalry and Elizabeth Webb Long Jones. The oldest of four sons, General Jones was reared a Cavalry “Brat” and lived on many Army posts from the Texas border to the Philippine Islands. Mac was a dedicated Boy Scout and was proud to have obtained the rank of Eagle Scout in 1936. While going to high school in the Philippines, he met his future wife, Billie Marie Maxey. His life-long dream was to obtain entrance to the United States Military Academy at West Point. He returned to the United States as a work-away on a freighter to attend the West Point Preparatory School at Fort McPherson, Georgia.
General Jones entered West Point in July, 1937 as a Congressional appointee from his home state of North Carolina. He was an average student at the Academy, graduating in the middle of the class in June of 1941. He engaged in many sports for fun and thoroughly enjoyed the red comforter and played lots of bridge. After graduation leave in 1941, General Jones joined the 2nd Cavalry Division, just in time to participate in the Louisiana maneuvers. He managed to ride over 600 miles on horseback. At the end of maneuvers, he attended the 6th Basic Horse and Mechanized Course at the Cavalry School in Fort Riley, Kansas. He then reported to the 6th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. In 1943, General Jones joined the 15th Cavalry Group and fought with the unit throughout World War II, rising to Executive Officer of the 17th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron. Post World War II commands included CO of the 710th Tank Battalion (1953-54), Fort Campbell, Kentucky; CO of the 71st Ordnance Group (1964-65), Korea; and CG of the U.S. Army Support Command (1967-68), Saigon, Viet Nam.
In addition to attending the Cavalry School, he graduated from the Advance Course, the Armor School, Airborne School, Command and General Staff College, Armed Forces Staff College, and the National War College. He also attended the University of Virginia where he earned a Masters Degree in Nuclear Physics.
Other assignments were with the Cavalry School (1942-43); the G-3 Sections of the Seventh and Third Armies in Europe (1945-47); Instructor, Command, and Staff Department, the Armor School (1948-50); JUSMAG-Philippines (1950-53); Chief of the Blast and Shock Division of the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project (1956-60); Director of Research and Engineering, the Tank Automotive Command (1960-63); Project Manager of General Purpose Vehicles, AMC (1965-67); and Vice Director of the Defense Communications Planning Group (1968-70).
General Jones has earned the Basic Parachutist Badge, the Legion of Merit (2OLC), the Bronze Star w/V Device (2 OLC), the Air Medal (1 OLC), and the French Croix De Guerre w/Silver Star.
The real highlight of Mac’s life was when he married his high school sweetheart, Billie on December of 1941 with five dollars in his pocket and five dollars in the Broadway National Bank. She had to pay for the wedding expenses and never let him forget it. Over the years, Mac and Billie had four wonderful children, Mac III, Candy, Bill, and Sally—in that order. They were blessed with two granddaughters, Kate and Emelie.
After retirement in the spring of 1970, General Jones and Billie moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma where Mac became Vice President for Marketing with LaBarge Electronics and subsequently was the Business Manager for a group of eight dentists. In search of a warmer climate, Mac and Billie eventually moved to Austin, Texas. They enjoyed full retirement by traveling extensively throughout the United States, visiting friends and family members, and attending numerous reunions until her death on Thanksgiving, 1999. Mac continued to travel as body and soul permitted.
He was a life member of the Association of the United States Army, The Retired Officers Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the U.S. Horse Cavalry Association to name but a few.
The family will receive friends from 9:00 A.M. to 10:00 A.M., Friday, February 26, 2010 at Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral Home with a Celebration of Life Service to follow at 10:00 A.M. in the Chapel, Pastor Lynette Detjens officiating. Inurnment will follow the services at Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Memorial Park Nature Garden with Full Military Honors rendered by the U.S. Army.
In lieu for flowers, the family would like contributions made in Mac’s memory to a favorite charity of choice or your local Hospice Care.
The family would like to extend heartfelt thanks to the nurses and therapists from First Divine Home Health, his home caregivers from Home Instead Senior Care, and the staff from Angel Heart Hospice for all of their love, wonderful care, and compassion given to Mac and our family.
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