Henry Owen Jones, the 9th of 10 children of Charles Arthur Jones, Sr., a native of London, England, and Eugenie Emma Genik, a native of Lucha, Ukraine, was born in Santa Barbara, California. He grew up on the walnut ranch of his parents on North Fairview Avenue, Goleta and attended Goleta Union School, La Cumbre Jr. High and Santa Barbara High School graduating in 1938. His enlistment record indicates he had one year of college, no doubt spent at the SB State College on the Riviera.
While working in San Diego in April 1942, he enlisted in in the Army Air Corps cadets and trained in Texas earning his "wings" In 1943 he learned to fly the B-17s, and then it was learning to fly B-24s in Boise, Idaho. In late 1943 he flew the B-24 from Topeka, Kansas to England where in early 1944 he became a B-24 bomber pilot for the 702nd Squadron 445th Group based in Norfolk, England. He piloted 34 missions over Europe receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross and an Air Medal with six clusters, ETO. Henry narrowly escaped death several times, and he always said it was a miracle that he and his four other siblings in uniform during the war all returned home safely.
After his military service, he came back to Santa Barbara and worked at Southern California Edison Company as a lineman and appliance repair. He enjoyed the outdoors, camping, back-packing, flying and traveling.
While working in San Diego in April 1942, he enlisted in in the Army Air Corps cadets and trained in Texas earning his "wings" In 1943 he learned to fly the B-17s, and then it was learning to fly B-24s in Boise, Idaho. In late 1943 he flew the B-24 from Topeka, Kansas to England where in early 1944 he became a B-24 bomber pilot for the 702nd Squadron 445th Group based in Norfolk, England. He piloted 34 missions over Europe receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross and an Air Medal with six clusters, ETO. Henry narrowly escaped death several times, and he always said it was a miracle that he and his four other siblings in uniform during the war all returned home safely.
After his military service, he came back to Santa Barbara and worked at Southern California Edison Company as a lineman and appliance repair. He enjoyed the outdoors, camping, back-packing, flying and traveling.
Henry Owen Jones, the 9th of 10 children of Charles Arthur Jones, Sr., a native of London, England, and Eugenie Emma Genik, a native of Lucha, Ukraine, was born in Santa Barbara, California. He grew up on the walnut ranch of his parents on North Fairview Avenue, Goleta and attended Goleta Union School, La Cumbre Jr. High and Santa Barbara High School graduating in 1938. His enlistment record indicates he had one year of college, no doubt spent at the SB State College on the Riviera.
While working in San Diego in April 1942, he enlisted in in the Army Air Corps cadets and trained in Texas earning his "wings" In 1943 he learned to fly the B-17s, and then it was learning to fly B-24s in Boise, Idaho. In late 1943 he flew the B-24 from Topeka, Kansas to England where in early 1944 he became a B-24 bomber pilot for the 702nd Squadron 445th Group based in Norfolk, England. He piloted 34 missions over Europe receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross and an Air Medal with six clusters, ETO. Henry narrowly escaped death several times, and he always said it was a miracle that he and his four other siblings in uniform during the war all returned home safely.
After his military service, he came back to Santa Barbara and worked at Southern California Edison Company as a lineman and appliance repair. He enjoyed the outdoors, camping, back-packing, flying and traveling.
While working in San Diego in April 1942, he enlisted in in the Army Air Corps cadets and trained in Texas earning his "wings" In 1943 he learned to fly the B-17s, and then it was learning to fly B-24s in Boise, Idaho. In late 1943 he flew the B-24 from Topeka, Kansas to England where in early 1944 he became a B-24 bomber pilot for the 702nd Squadron 445th Group based in Norfolk, England. He piloted 34 missions over Europe receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross and an Air Medal with six clusters, ETO. Henry narrowly escaped death several times, and he always said it was a miracle that he and his four other siblings in uniform during the war all returned home safely.
After his military service, he came back to Santa Barbara and worked at Southern California Edison Company as a lineman and appliance repair. He enjoyed the outdoors, camping, back-packing, flying and traveling.
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