SULLIVAN S ISLAND Warren Bailey Jones, Senior, of Sullivan s Island, entered into eternal life on Friday, September 24, 2004. The family invites extended family and friends to gather, Wednesday, September 29, 2004, at 2 o clock at the McAlister-Smith Funeral Home, 1520 Rifle Range Road, Mt. Pleasant. A memorial service will follow at 3 o clock after which the family will receive visitors at home to celebrate his life. Bailey was born August 19, 1938, in Swift Creek, North Carolina, the son of the late Joseph Thomas Jones and Reba Mae Warren Williams. He spent his childhood enjoying the lowcountry in Port Royal, Beaufort, Sullivan s Island and Charleston. A Chicora High School alumni, he received his B. S. and M.A.T. degrees from The Citadel (Class of 1964) where he was a member of the First Battalion Staff and The Citadel Sport Parachute Team. A patriot and a hero, Lieutenant Colonel Jones military career spanned over 44 years, including both active duty and reserve service in the United States Army, the United States Air Force, and the United States Marine Corps Reserve. During his tours of duty in Vietnam, he was awarded the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Air Medal for Valor with 54 oak leaf clusters, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with palm, among other medals and awards. As a helicopter gunship pilot, he served with distinction in the Cobra platoon of the 114th Aviation Company in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam, 1965-1966. He returned to Vietnam in 1968 for a second tour. In other service, he commanded Troop A, 14th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fulda, Germany, and Headquarters Company, Third Infantry Division Support Command in Wurzburg, Germany, during the Cold War. He served as a Tactical Officer at The Citadel from 1970-1972 and was a graduate of the US Army War College. After active duty, he joined the United States Army Reserve then continued service as a military aviator with the Department of Defense, providing maintenance and service support to several attack helicopter units at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He retired as a Supervisory Helicopter Pilot, US Army Master Aviator and Lt. Colonel in 1998. In recognition of his decades-long contribution to US Army Aviation, he was inducted into the Order of St. Michael. He is also the author of the book Year of the Snake, a recounting of his service in Cobra Platoon. Throughout his life, Bailey enjoyed many adventures such as sky-diving, piloting both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, off-shore fishing on the Miss May, hunting and scuba diving as a PADI instructor. During his retirement, his skills as a wood worker produced many pieces of hand-made furniture and carvings, which he lovingly shared with his friends and family, a lasting tribute to his big-hearted and generous spirit. He positively impacted many lives around the world, and he will be cherished forever. In addition to his parents, Bailey is preceded in death by his step-father Cecil W. Williams. He is survived by May, his wife of nearly 40 years, of Sullivan s Island; his son, Warren B Jones, Jr. and his wife, Leslie, of Peachtree City, GA; his daughter, Dr. Caroline Jones Williams and her husband, Craig, of Neeses; and his son, Thomas Arthur Jones of Manhattan Beach, CA; his sister, Sylvia Dominick and her husband, Dale, of Prosperity; his stepsister, Polly Holt of Beaufort; five grandsons: Thomas Arthur Jones, II, Henry Victor Hunsucker, Edward Gray Hammett Jones, Edward Bailey Hunsucker, and James Somerville Jones, numerous nieces, nephews and other relatives. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospice of Charleston, Inc., 3870 Leeds Avenue, Suite 101, North Charleston, SC 29405, to The Citadel Foundation Academic Endowment Gift Fund, 171 Moultrie Street, Charleston, S 29409-6230, or to the 114th Aviation Company Association, PO Box 27583, San Antonio, TX 78227-0583.
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