Purple Heart awarded posthumously to Vietnam-era AF dentist

Col. Darren McDew (right), 43rd Airlift Wing commander, shows Gloria Scott and Buster Jones the Air Force citation honoring Capt. James R. Jones with a Purple Heart in Mount Airy, N.C. Oct. 22 (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Stacia Zachary)

By Senior Airman Stacia Zachary
43rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs

MOUNT AIRY, N.C. -- Four decades of petitioning came to an end Saturday giving closure to a grieving family.

In a posthumous Purple Heart ceremony Oct. 22 here, the late Capt. (Dr.) James R. Jones' father and widow received the long-awaited honor from Col. Darren McDew, 43rd Airlift Wing commander, on behalf of the Air Force.

Jones was a dental surgeon who was killed in Vietnam June 17, 1967, when the plane he was traveling on crashed during takeoff. He had been on a mission to visit other small military compounds to offer his dental services to both service members and allies.

"He voluntarily put himself in harm's way on a consultation visit to An Khe (Vietnam)," said the colonel. "He risked himself and his family's future to benefit others. He disregarded personal safety to provide care to his comrades-in-arms."

The honor comes on the heels of a long fight for the recognition. The Jones family had been petitioning the government and the Air Force for years. Before the death of Myrtle Jones, the decedent's mother, an anonymous person acquired a Purple Heart by unknown means and presented it to her. This allowed her to die in peace knowing her son was finally granted the recognition he deserved.

The reason the medal took so long to be awarded to Jones was his death did not directly meet all guidelines. While he did not die in combat, the captain did die in a combat zone.

On Oct. 22, the public honoring of Jones was received by many of Mount Airy's finest, including Mayor Jack Loftis.

"While this honor may have been long awaited, it seems fitting that it comes at a time when so many people can share in the recognition of James," said the mayor.

In many ways, the ceremony honored not only the heroic death of one of Mount Airy's residents, but also the determination of his widow, Gloria Scott, and family - especially the voracity in which his father pursued the recognition.

"I knew this day would come," said the late-captain's father, Buster Jones, who celebrated the posthumous Purple Heart presentation and his 92nd birthday on the same day. "I knew I couldn't rest until I got my son that Purple Heart. Now, I can rest knowing I finished the job his mother and I set out to accomplish. My work is done. My last wish has finally been granted. This is the most wonderful day for me."

It seems Mr. Jones did finally receive the peace he needed to move on. On the afternoon of Oct. 24, while chopping wood outside his Mount Airy residence, he suffered a massive heart attack. By all accounts of the man, Mr. Jones lived each day to the fullest.

"The loss of Buster Jones reminds us of how precious life is," said the colonel. "During the short time I spent with Mr. Jones, it is clear that he was a man of integrity, honor and commitment and was devoted to bettering his community. Mr. Jones was loved and respected, and his life touched many. Though his community has lost a great neighbor, his legacy will live on."

The story of Captain Jones continues to touch many people because of the values he was raised with -- values that are embraced by the Air Force in which he served honorably.

"Though I never had the opportunity to meet [Captain Jones], the principles he stood for live on today in every Airman," said McDew. "When he took the oath to defend his country, he pledged to 'well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office' he was about to enter -- words that were instilled into his character by his parents.

"James represented the very best of our Air Force," he said. "He knew his sacrifice would ensure the protection of his loved ones and fellow Americans thousands of miles away. The same holds true today. Airmen are on the frontlines in Afghanistan and Iraq assuring freedom for those who were once oppressed."