David M. Jones | |
|---|---|
.jpg) David M. Jones in 1938 | |
| Born | December 18, 1913 Marshfield, Oregon |
| Died | November 25, 2008 (aged 94) Tucson, Arizona |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service |  United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1936–1973 |
| Rank |  Major general |
| Unit | 17th Bombardment Group ("Doolittle Raiders") |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | |
David M. Jones (December 18, 1913 – November 25, 2008) served with distinction as a pilot and general officer, first with the U.S. Army Air Corps (he entered pilot training in June 1937) and later with the United States Army Air Forces and, after September 18, 1947, the United States Air Force. His record during World War II includes being one of the Doolittle Raiders whose exploits in April 1942 were dramatized in the film Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo. He then flew combat missions over North Africa, where he was shot down. He was a German prisoner of war for two and a half years, helping with the April 1944 mass escape at Stalag Luft III,[1] and was the inspiration for Steve McQueen's fictional character, USAAF Captain Virgil Hilts, which was dramatized in the 1963 movie The Great Escape.
In his last assignment with the Air Force, Jones was the commander of the Air Force Eastern Test Range headquartered at Patrick AFB, Florida. He held concurrent responsibility for Cape Kennedy Air Force Station, renamed as Cape Canaveral Air Force Station during his tenure, and the Malabar Transmitter Annex in Florida. He also served as the Department of Defense Manager for Manned Space Flight Support Operations during his final active duty assignment, retiring from the Air Force in 1973.