The cockpit was choking with smoke as Colonel William A. Jones III forced his A-1H Skyraider through another low pass near Dong Hoi, North Vietnam. Anti-aircraft fire raked the valley, and his aircraft had already taken a direct hit, but he pressed on, searching for the downed American pilot who had parachuted into enemy territory.
When he finally spotted the survivor, enemy guns opened up from the high ground. Jones knew that unless those weapons were silenced, no rescue attempt would succeed.
He dove straight into the fire.
Moments later, flames engulfed his cockpit, and his ejection system failed. Badly burned and with his radio fading, Jones faced a choice: bail out over hostile ground or fight to keep the crippled Skyraider in the air.
He chose the latter, flying home to deliver the only information that could save another man’s life.
To understand how he found the will to make that decision, it helps to look back at where his story began.
Early Life and Military Career
William Atkinson Jones III was born in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1922. He attended the University of Virginia, graduating in 1942, just as the United States was fully engaged in World War II. Like many of his generation, he stepped forward to serve. He earned his pilot wings and was soon flying bombers over Europe. Even after the war ended, Jones chose to stay in uniform, building a career in the Air Force that mixed leadership with academic achievement.
He later completed a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Denver, showing a commitment to education alongside his military responsibilities.
Return to Combat
By the late 1960s, Jones had returned to combat duty during the Vietnam War.
On September 1, 1968, he was the on-scene commander for a mission to rescue an American pilot shot down about 20 miles northwest of Dong Hoi. His flight of Skyraiders was tasked with suppressing enemy fire and clearing the way for helicopters to bring the pilot out alive.
Flying low across the valley, Jones drew heavy fire as he tried to pinpoint the survivor’s location. One explosion filled his cockpit with smoke, but he kept searching. When he finally saw the pilot near a rocky formation, he realized enemy guns nearby had the site covered.
Attacking with rockets and cannon fire, he exposed himself to intense fire while relaying the survivor’s position by radio. On his second pass, his Skyraider was struck again, this time igniting the cockpit.
Jones attempted to eject, but his seat failed. With flames burning across his body and his radios damaged, he could hear other pilots urging him to bail out. He refused.
Instead, he climbed away from the fight and turned toward his home base. His battered aircraft somehow held together as he brought it down safely. Severely injured, he still passed on the exact coordinates of the downed pilot before accepting medical treatment.
Thanks to his determination, that pilot was rescued later the same day.
Medal of Honor
For his actions, Colonel Jones was awarded the Medal of Honor. The recognition captured not only his courage on that single mission but also his dedication to his fellow airmen.
Below is an excerpt from Jones’ Medal of Honor citation:
“[…] Completely disregarding his injuries, he elected to fly his crippled aircraft back to his base and pass on essential information for the rescue rather than bail out.”
Sadly, Jones would not live to receive the medal himself. In November 1969, less than a year after the mission, Jones was killed in an aircraft accident.
According to a Virginia-based newspaper, The Bee, Jones was piloting his personal aircraft, a single-engine Piper Pacer, when it struck power lines near Woodbridge Airport in Virginia. Investigators believed he may have suffered a medical issue midair, but a final cause was never determined. He was 47.
On August 6, 1970, President Richard Nixon presented the Medal of Honor to Jones’ widow at the White House.
The ceremony included his entire family. His youngest daughter, Mary Lee, gave the president a copy of Maxims for Men-at-Arms: A Collection of Quotations by the Great and the Humble, a book Jones had written. The first copy of the book had been delivered to him the day before his fatal crash.
Legacy
Colonel William A. Jones III was laid to rest at St. John’s Church Cemetery in his hometown, beside his father and grandfather. Over the years, several military facilities have been named in his honor, including a state-of-the-art Air Force building at Joint Base Andrews that opened in 2011.
His life was described by the West Point Association of Graduates as that of “a true patriot,” marked by courage, integrity, dedication, and diligence. Remembered as a leader who risked everything to save others, Jones’ story stands as a lasting example of service above self and devotion to country.
