Col. Jerry W. Jones was inducted into the Arkansas Tech University U.S. Army ROTC Hall of Honor during a Homecoming Saturday ceremony in the Doc Bryan Student Services Center Rotunda on Nov. 4.
A native of Mansfield, Jones graduated from Arkansas Tech with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and completed the Arkansas Tech U.S. Army ROTC program in 1970. He served 30 years as an active duty military intelligence officer, including four-and-a-half years of foreign service in Vietnam, Operation Desert Storm, Balkan stabilization and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
As a civilian, Jones gave 22 years of service to the military intelligence community through his work at the U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence at Fort Huachuca in Arizona.
“It is a distinct honor to be amongst this group of people,” said Jones as he looked at the plaques recognizing previous ATU U.S. Army ROTC Hall of Honor inductees. “I know several of them. They were either cadets when I was a senior or graduated soon thereafter. It’s interesting for me to come back to campus. The only thing I really recognized was Feltner’s Whatta-Burger.”
Jones went on to offer advice to the current ATU U.S. Army ROTC cadets who attended the ceremony.
“You have got a lot in front of you,” said Jones. “I encourage you to pay attention to what you are doing today because there will come a day when you will go, ‘I remember that.’ If you don’t remember everything, you’ll at least know the book you can go to for the information. You have a great career in front of you. Don’t hesitate to reach out to some of us old people to offer any counsel that you might need.”
Jones’ military honors include the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Army Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Army Achievement Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Joint Meritorious Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal with one bronze star, Armed Forces Expeditionary Service Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal with two bronze stars, NATO Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal and Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross unit citation with palm.
The ATU U.S. Army ROTC Hall of Honor was established in 2017. A list of past inductees and information about nominating individuals for induction is available at www.atu.edu/rotc/alumni.php. Plaques representing each inductee are available for viewing in the Doc Bryan Student Services Center Rotunda.
Learn more about the ATU U.S. Army ROTC program at www.atu.edu/rotc.
