Rank: Specialist 4
Unit: Headquarters & Headquarters Troop, 3rd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
MOS: 05C – Radio Teletype Operator
Awards: Bronze Star Medal with Valor Device, Purple Heart Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Unit awards: Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm device
Enlisted by: Regular
Date of birth: 31-Jan-1949
Hometown: Diboll, Texas
Marital status: Never Married
Campaign: Vietnam Conflict
Entered service: 1-Aug-1968
Start of tour: 17-Apr-1969
Incident date: 26-Nov-1969
Date of casualty: 27-Nov-1969
Age at death: 20
Cause of death: Hostile, died of wounds. Grenade. Multiple fragmentation wounds. Individual died as a result of wounds received while at a night defensive position when the area came under attack by a hostile force. He was admitted to a military medical facility and later expired. / At night defensive position (NDP). Engaged hostile force in firefight. Admitted to 24th Evacuation Hospital on 26 Nov 1969 at 0850 hrs, placed on Very Serious Injured (VSI) list on 26 Nov 1969 at 1100 hrs, and later expired. Incident occurred on 26 Nov 1969 at 0400 hrs.
Four Blackhorse troopers died as a result of this incident:
SP4 Jon Anthony Allen
SP4 Johnny Carl Jones
SSG Arthur John Rambo
SP4 Barry Frank Scott
Location of fatality: Binh Long, South Vietnam, XT 545 846
Place of interment: Forest Haven Cemetery, Diboll, Texas, USA
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BRONZE STAR MEDAL
WITH VALOR DEVICE
POSTHUMOUS
SPECIALIST FOUR JOHNNY CARL JONES
25 NOVEMBER 1969
HEADQUARTERS AND HEADQUARTERS TROOP, 3rd SQUADRON
11TH ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT
Specialist Four Jones distinguished himself by heroism in connection with ground operations against a hostile force on 25 November 1969 while serving as a radio operator with Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3d Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, in the Republic of Vietnam. On this date Specialist Jones was at a command post when it suddenly came under an intense barrage of small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire. The impacting grenades hit several vehicles loaded with ammunition and caused numerous secondary explosions. Despite the incoming rounds, Specialist Jones ran back and forth throughout the area, distributing helmets, flak jackets and weapons to his comrades. While he was guiding wounded men to a position of relative safety, he was fatally injured by an exploding artillery round. Specialist Four Jones’ actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.
Headquarters, II Field Force Vietnam General Orders No. 4799 (19 December 1969)