Henry Will Jones was born in Lanier County, Georgia to Henry Hampton Jones and Evelyn Elizabeth Howell, as the 2nd of 3 children, on April 7th, 1917. After graduating from Lanier High in 1934, Jones continued his education at Georgia Military College (1935) and Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. At ABAC, he played the guard position for the basketball team for Coach Orion Mitchell on the 1937 state junior college champions. Jones also played on the 1936 football team, which was the last football team ABAC ever fielded after all the uniforms and equipment were destroyed in a fire after the season. He also played on the 1937 baseball team. He received the prestigious “B” for football and basketball.
Following his time at ABAC, Henry attended The University of Georgia, where he graduated in 1940. With his bachelor of science diploma in his hand, Jones accepted a position as the first vocational-agriculture teacher at Dexter High School on July 1, 1940. The school, in need of a coach for their six-man football team, asked Jones to be the head football coach. On Sunday, Jones attended the Dexter Baptist Church, where he taught the Intermediate Boys Sunday School classes. When he needed to rest and eat a fine meal, he boarded with Mr. and Mrs. W.G. Smith.
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On December 7th, 1941, America was plunged into the War that Henry had likely been hearing much about in his time at Dexter High School. Henry was standing on the precipice of what would have been a peaceful and fulfilling life as a teacher, where he likely would have eventually settled down with a wife and had children. However, Henry heard his nation’s call and he answered in just a few short months. On April 7, 1942, Henry enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve (USMC) and reported to Quantico, Virginia, and on August 25, 1942 he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant. During October 1942 he was assigned to New River, North Carolina training with the Paramarines. Before he was transferred to San Diego, California, Jones spent a few days with his family and friends back in Georgia. In December 1942, Henry Will was shipped from the West Coast to the killing area of the South Pacific.
Henry was finally assigned to C Company, 1st Paramarine Battalion as a new company officer after training and was sent with them overseas. Lt. Jones was stationed at New Caledonia until September 1943, during which time he rose through ranks to become the Commanding Officer of B Company, 1st Para Battalion. He landed on Guadalcanal in September and in October, led B Company into combat on Vella La Vella and then Bougainville.
It was on Bougainville that Lieutenant Jones was slightly wounded in the abdomen, but refused to be evacuated. Henry Will remained in Bougainville until January 12, 1944, when his paratrooper detachment was sent home to be organized into the 26th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division. As the war progressed, paratroopers were no longer needed. Jones and his buddies were retrained to be regular infantry fighting Marines. Captain Jones landed with his outfit in San Diego on February 7, 1944. Ten days later, he was back home in Lakeland on a well-earned leave.
The following day, Lt. Jones acknowledged his promotion to become Captain Jones. Before his return to the Marines, Captain Jones drove to Dexter for one last visit. Captain Henry Will Jones returned to the West Coast and was assigned the Fifth Marine Division, which was stationed at Camp Pendleton, near San Diego, California. The captain was given the chance to remain in the country for an indefinite time to participate in the training of recruits. Since he wasn't married and had no children, Henry decided to go into combat and let someone with a wife and kids stay in San Diego and train new Marines.
Captain Jones was subsequently placed in command of I Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment just before the 1st Marine Division was to make their next landing at Peleliu. Captain Jones and I company fought under the command of Major Edward H. Hurst. On the division's right flank, Orange 3, 3/7 had to cross directly in front of a commanding defensive fortification flanking the beach as had Marines in the flanking position on the Point. Fortunately, it was not as close as the Point position and did not inflict such heavy damage. Nevertheless, its enfilading fire, together with some natural obstructions on the beach caused Company K, 3/7, to land left of its planned landing beach, onto the right half of Beach Orange 2, 3/5's beach. In addition to being out of position, and out of contact with the company to its right, Company K, 3/7, became intermingled with Company K, 3/5, a condition fraught with confusion and delay. Major Hurst necessarily spent time regrouping his separated battalion, using as a coordinating line a large anti-tank ditch astride his line of advance.
His eastward advance then resumed, somewhat delayed by his efforts to regroup. In the beachhead's southern sector, the landing of Gormley's 1/7 was delayed somewhat by its earlier losses in LVTs. That telling effect of early opposition would be felt throughout the remainder of the day. Most of Gormley's battalion landed on the correct (Orange 3) beach, but a few of his troops were driven leftward by the still-enfilading fire from the south flank of the beach, and landed on ORANGE 2, in the 5th Marines' zone of action. Gormley's battalion was brought fully together behind 3/7 however, and as Hurst's leading 3/7 was able to advance east, Gormley's 1/7 attacked southeast and south, against prepared positions. Hanneken's battle against heavy opposition from both the east and south developed approximately as planned. Suddenly, in mid-afternoon, the opposition grew much heavier. Hurst's 3/7 ran into a blockhouse, long on the Marines' map, which had been reported destroyed by pre-landing naval gunfire. As a similar situation later met on Puller's inland advance, the blockhouse showed little evidence of ever having been visited by heavy fire. Preparations to attack and reduce this blockhouse further delayed the 7th Marines' advance, and the commanding general fretted further about the loss of momentum. After the Marines eventually swept the airfield, the 7th moved directly east and swung south to cut off the bottom part of the island, securing the southern flank. The 7th then moved north to help reinforce the battle-weary 5th Marines in the Umurbrogols. By mid-October, most of the island had been secured and the remaining Marine elements of the 7th and 5th Marines had surrounded the last holdouts in the Umorbrogol Pocket.
At 0630 on October 18, 1944, the battle-weary Marines of Lima Company formed into a ragged line, crossed the West Road, and advanced slowly into a coral badlands area of southern Peleliu. A troublesome group of Japanese snipers moved into the area the previous day and reoccupied caves in the western face of Hill 210 where they fired on Company E, 1st Medical Battalion, and caused the evacuation of some mortar units. Under the leadership of Captain Henry W. Jones, who had taken over this command of L Company only a short time before, following the death of Captain Shanley, the company was now committed to the lines and given the mission originally assigned to I Company of eliminating the Japanese infiltrators. L Company had moved out so fast the previous night that it was not fully supplied to reduce the Japanese snipers. This day would earn L Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines the distinction of being the last 1st Division unit to see action on Peleliu. They were to be relieved by a fresh Army unit in the morning. The men were haggard, but jubilant at the prospect of rest, baths, sleep, and hot food.
To neutralize the burdensome caves, Captain Jones devised a plan that called for 2 heavy machine gun squads to set up on a coral rise and provide supporting fire so the mortar section could move in with explosives. The remaining platoons were to wait until the machine gun fire pinned down the Japanese and then move into a gully and furnish direct rifle fire on the cave openings. Once the machine guns were put into place, they commenced firing. The blast of the 30-cal. armor-piercing rounds signaled the start of the attack and the riflemen moved into the gully in front of the caves and laid their covering fire down. Twenty-three-year-old Cpl. Dominick Garofano, who led the mortar section, received the call on the portable radio from Captain Jones to move his men in with the explosives. As the mortarmen turned demolitionists, started to move through the Company's lines with their 10-pound haversacks of C-4 explosives, hot tracers snapped dangerously close overhead. It was very obvious that the machine gun fire was too low and, to place the explosives into the caves, his men would have to risk throwing them right into the machine gun firing paths.
Unhesitatingly, Cpl. Garofano pulled his men back. Captain Jones directed the section to withdraw to the starting position, just behind the machine guns. After directing the covering fire higher, the team started all over again. By this time, the Japanese return fire started to increase causing some casualties. The company was pinned down and every time someone tried to move they received enemy fire. Then, around 1100, the radio monotoned orders to Cpl. Garofano to move his section back in. Garofano radioed back to Captain Jones that if he could move into the area with the rest of the company without getting killed they would also be pinned down. The skipper, trying to carry out his orders, was furious. "Get your men in there now, that's an order!", he bellowed. That was an order Cpl. Garofano chose to ignore it. He was responsible for the mortar section and did not want them killed out there where the rest of the company was being fired on. He did not doubt that the refusal to carry out the direct order would make him a prime candidate for a court-martial after the mission was completed. Pfe. Jeff Drury, a 23-year-old gunner from the 3" mortar squad known to his friends as "Gator" because he was from the southern swampland of Louisiana, was helping out one of the rifle platoons and involved in the firefight. When squad leader "Tex" Shawn found out about this, he ran off to help Jeff, disregarding Cpl. Garofano's orders to stay with the guns, He pulled several wounded out before an enemy sniper ended his life. One wounded Marine lay helpless in the open on the hot coral and it became obvious that a tank was needed to provide cover so the company and wounded could get out.
At 1115 Captain Jones reports to Major Hurst, the battalion commander, that progress is slow in mopping up the caves. A half-hour later Captain Jones requests a tank from Division. The company has already sustained two killed and five wounded. 1st Lt. Gilbert Lindloff’s First Platoon of Company A, 710th Tank Battalion was in a bivouac at the Marine Motor Park just north of the airfield when Captain Meyer, Commander of A Company, received the request that a tank was needed to help support L Company's attack near the southern ridges opposite West Road. Captain Meyers ordered Lt. Lindloff to dispatch one tank to Major Hunter Hurst's Third Battalion but not to go himself. Lindloff sent what is often reported as the tank “Honey Suckle Rose” but based on historical evidence from photos, he actually sent the tank “Flying Home” which was crewed by T/4 Otto Hesselbarth, Cpl Michael Valentino, Pfc. George Lopes, and Pfc Howard Dahms.
The following are multiple accounts of the incident of “Flying Home” and Captain Jones’ eventual demise.
According to the 81st Infantry Division’s official report on the incident:
“L" co was sent to relieve "I" Co at 0630 and perform the mission originally assigned "I" Co which had moved out so fast the night previous that it was not fully supplied. "I" Co returned to the landing team assembly area at about 0800. At 1115 "L" co reported the enemy in considerably greater strength than had been anticipated in that area and a tank was sent to support their attack on twelve cave positions which had been located. At 1350 the tank struck a land mine or other buried explosive and was blown up, killing, in addition to members of the crew, Captain Jones, the company commander who was directing the tank's fire on an enemy cave position.”
According to Private Amedeo Grassia (3rd Platoon, L/3/7) He was lying prone on a slight hill and firing his M1 with his friend, Pvt Frank Mezzacapa, who was "no more than six few feet away". The tank was entering to his right in the gully shooting at a cave when it struck the land mine some 25 to 30 feet away. The cave they were firing at was est. to be around 100-200 yards away. He witnessed an explosion and heard the loud "boom" as the tank was heading toward the cave. Tank just smoked and doesn't recall too many details because he was not paying attention during the firefight.
According to a Corporal from 3/7 who was on the same tank before being relieved by Captain Jones:
“The next day we started up the gully again but had to fall back because of machine gun fire. I was asked by someone if I knew where the firing was coming from. I said I believe I do. Then I was instructed to get in the tank to point the location out to the tank commander. He pulled the tank up the gully and off to the right was a ken lone tree trunk on top of the ridge I still remember I told him what I thought might be the location of the gun, on the ridge just below the tree trunk, he fired two rounds into the area and then we backed out the same way we went in. Capt Jones was waiting for us. The tank commander told him we did not see anything. Capt. Jones asked me to get out of the tank as he had an idea where they were at. I got out and started down the road out of the gully when there was an explosion and I hit the deck. I looked back and saw the tank burning and two men crawling away on the ground. I then saw some people coming by with a stretcher, I got up and went with them. We picked up one of the men. He was badly burned. I can still see the fire and smoke coming from his belt at the waist. He raised his arm and it was black and red with skin peeling off. After we got him on the stretcher one of the carriers fell and I thought he was shot but he tripped over the loose stones. We continued to the road where the medics took over. That evening the tank was still burning. I was called to the Company Command Post where someone questioned me as to what I saw and what I did.”
According to Al Lomeli of 3/7:
“The commanding officer of the platoon ordered us to Purple Beach. We were ordered to give cover fire for the company who would attack the caves from the top of the hill. All of a sudden, there was a loud BOOOOM! As the tank maneuvered, it hit an airplane bomb buried in the dirt. The Japanese had used it to make a land mine. It was the oddest thing because as I watched, the tank went straight up and then straight back down in the same spot. Then, as guys ran over to help, the snipers opened up. The guys in the tank yelled out to us, 'Don't come out! The guys hit don't need any help. The rest of us aren't hurt too bad! As quickly as we could, we got the guys out. Also, it's necessary in a war zone to move as fast as possible to salvage any useful parts. We all wished that had not happened. It was a sour note in my mind to have that when I was about to leave Peleliu. But when I finally boarded the ship, how sweet it was. I can still remember the feeling."
When the tank that Captain Jones was sitting on struck a buried aerial bomb-turned-IED, he was flung from the top of the tank and killed instantly. The one initial survivor who had catastrophic burns was likely PFC Howard Dahms. Initially, he was brought back to the hospital. The men of the 710th went to see him, and many thought he was going to live, but the doctors pulled them aside and mentioned that they couldn't get any IV started because his skin was so badly burned. Dahms succumbed to his injuries a short time later. The tank remained in its upright position and burned for a while after.
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During the remainder of the afternoon L Company received heavy enemy fire. Pvt. Jeff Drury was shot by a sniper in the right leg, just below the knee. He was evacuated and placed in a hospital bed next to Howard Dahms, shortly before he died. The company withdrew across the West Road where they set up a line. Another mortarman took a bullet in his knee as they were changing positions and eventually lost his leg. Cpl. Garofano was taking cover behind a jeep when a bullet ricocheted beneath the vehicle and struck the sole of his shoe. 37mm guns were brought up to knock out the enemy positions but resistance remained in the area at dark. The tank burned well into the night and ordnance was heard exploding inside the wreckage. The Japanese continued to harass the Marines with small arms and mortar fire. A few enemy soldiers came out of their caves and attacked the lines but did not break through. The day's action cost L Company four killed, including Captain Jones, and 9 wounded. In addition, four tank crew members were killed. Lt. Podemski took temporary command of L Company.
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The next morning, shortly after daylight, the remnants of L Company could see an Army outfit marching toward them in three columns, as if in a close-order drill. This was C Company from the Army's 154th Engineer Battalion that was attached to the 1° Battalion, 323 Infantry Regiment. As the column approached, several Marines of L Company started to shout a warning at them to disperse but they were too far away to be heard. The Marines then started to wave their arms wildly to get their attention but it only caused the Army unit to wave back in response. Then the Japanese shells started to fall and they got the idea and quickly dispersed. They halted about 100 yards away from L Company and took over the lines. After a quick meeting between officers, it was decided the relief would start at one end of the lines and move toward the right. L Company would, in turn, move to their right and off the lines that were set across the West Road. As the mortar section of L Company moved out of the line, Cpl. Garofano and his men ran in single file as fast as they could across an open area between the West Road and the air support facilities. As they ran between some tent rows, Cpl. Garofano noticed one surprised airman who was shaving outside the entrance to his tent. "Hey, what's going on?" he shouted. No one cared to answer him as the Marines ran by. His answer came a few seconds later as the blast of Japanese mortar shells fell nearby. The enemy shells followed the Marines through the camp and past the Division headquarters that were set up in the Japanese Administration building. One shell landed right in front of the division flagpole! The relief was completed by 1000 and artillery was moved into position to assist the engineers in their efforts to mop up the enemy resistance.
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Later on, Cpl. Garofano and his men joked about the poor souls who thought they were safe behind the lines and ended up taking incoming fire. Everyone had a funny story to tell about the amazed comments they received running through the campsite. They could only imagine what those guys must have thought about a bunch of ragged, dirty, and wild-eyed Marines as they ran past without comment! The Company reverted to Regimental control in preparation for departing Peleliu. Three days later, the battalion was at sea, headed away from Peleliu forever. Behind them, Captain Jones lay in the sands of Peleliu's still-expanding cemetery, the last Marine infantry officer to be killed during the battle.
In honor of Jones’ actions, the Secretary of the
Navy posthumously awarded the Silver Star Medal to Jones' family and his remains were subsequently reinterred at Marietta National Cemetery in Marietta, Georgia. On March 24, 1997, the State of Georgia honored Captain Henry Will Jones with the naming of a bridge in his home county of Lanier. On Sept. 15, 2000, a memorial plaque embossed with the names of the crewmen was dedicated at the site by the veterans of the 710th, which also named Captain Jones. Henry Will Jones from Lakeland was also inducted posthumously as a member of the 2013 class of the ABAC Athletics Hall of Fame at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College for his accolades in athletics as well as his legacy of service.
Captain Jones’ service has been well remembered, preserved, and honored by his family that remains in Lanier, Georgia, especially his nephew and namesake, Henry Jones, without whom this article would not have been possible. His dedication to the memory of his uncle is a perfect reflection of the character and morals that have obviously been foundational to the past and present generations of his family. In addition, thanks is due to Seth Erazmus, whose Grandfather was apart of the 710th Tank Battalion on Peleliu who was supposed to be on the tank that was blown-up on September 18th, for his invaluable research, context, and photos he contributed. And finally, Thank you to Eric Mailander for his massive contribution to the written narrative of this incident as well as his continued efforts to preserve these memories over the past decades, the countless interviews he provided, and historical context that made such a detailed account of this instance possible.
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