Staff Sergeant Harry C. Jones

More than a week ago, I was at a local inn where I was introduced to the Sysco rep (food service suppliers).  We started talking and she was thrilled to hear I had been a Marine historian and that I'm still helping Marines (and others) from the Korean War.  It seems, her father was a Marine and a Korean War vet.  She told me a little about him and when we parted, I did some digging and what lies below is what I wrote her that evening.  Please take a moment and hear about Staff Sergeant Harry Clinton "Chuck" Jones, as I relayed it to her in an email.

"Your dad was in some of the fiercest fights in the early years of Korea. He landed at Pusan on 2 August 1950 and went immediately into battle.  The North Koreans nearly had the war over by the time your Dad arrived... they disembarked the ship and went to the fight to stop the advance of the North Koreans.

On 11 September 1950, the Marines were put on ships and sent around to Inchon and made a surprise amphibious landing there on 15 September, getting in behind the North Korean Army and really taking the fight to them! The Marines then fought there way into recapturing the South Korean capital Seoul. 

Almost continuous fighting since he landed on 2 August! On 2 November he embarked in a train and got off at Hamhung Korea. The US forces and our allies were now on the offensive to push the North Koreans back across the border; it seemed to go so well that MacArthur drove the forces to push the enemy all the way to the Chinese border.  

The Marines got to Changin (Chosin) Reservoir and were hit by the Chinese (we didn't know they joined the fight). The weather was bitter, the fighting was terrible and the Marines had to fight their way back to Hamhung, every step of the way getting hit by the Chinese.  

He arrived at Hamhung on 12 December 1950, and embarked on the USS GENERAL RANDALL which evacuated them to Pusan. 

Your father was awarded the Bronze Star by the Commanding General of the 8th US Army (head guy in Korea) on 23 December 1950. I copied the page and it's attached showing his award being recorded. His OMPF should have a copy of the citation and recommendation, giving you the details of what he did to earn it.

 

He was in battle again in 1951, and finally went back to the US in March 1951.

He was stationed at Quantico for several years, then to Camp Lejeune with the 8th Communication Battalion, and then to Hawaii with 3d Battalion, 12th Marines (artillery unit) in 1956.

He was promoted to Corporal in Jan 1952, and to Sergeant in Summer 1953. 

If you want to read what the unit itself said they were doing in Korea,  you can see their record online at https://www.koreanwar.org/html/units/usmc/5mareg_2.htm

Because I can only see til 1958, I can't see when he leaves the Corps, but I hope this helps you understand who he was a little more.  It was an honor to get to know him through you and the records online.  He sounds like he was a great guy."