{{Short description|US Army major general}} {{Use American English|date=December 2025}} {{Infobox military person |name = Alan W. Jones |image = Alan W. Jones (US Army major general).jpg |caption = '''Alan W. Jones''', pictured here as a major general commanding the 106th Infantry Division in 1944. Center of Military History, United States Army. |birth_date = {{birth date|1894|10|06|df=y}} |death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|1969|01|22|1894|10|06}} |birth_place = Goldendale, Washington, United States |death_place = Washington D.C., United States |burial_place = Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, United States |burial_label = Place of burial |allegiance = {{flag|United States}} |branch = {{army|United States}} |service_years = 1917−1945 |service_number = |rank = 25px Major General |unit = 25px Infantry Branch |commands = 106th Infantry Division |battles = World War I<br/>World War II |spouse = Alys O. Pickering (m. 1917-1969, his death) |children = 2 |awards = Purple Heart<br/>Legion of Honour (France)<br/>Croix de Guerre (France) }} Major General '''Alan Walter Jones''' (October 6, 1894 − January 22, 1969) was a career officer in the United States Army. He is best known for his command of the 106th Infantry Division during World War II.
==Early life== Alan Walter Jones Sr. was born in Goldendale, Washington{{sfn|"U.S. World War I Draft Registration Cards"}}{{sfn|"Our Division Commander"|page=2}} on October 6, 1894,{{sfn|"U.S. World War I Draft Registration Cards"}}{{sfn|''Official Army and Air Force Register'' (1948)|page=2273}} a son of Jessie M. Jones and Milton S Jones.{{sfn|"Washington state Marriage Records"}} He was raised in Walla Walla, Washington, and attended Whitman College{{sfn|"Alan W. Jones is Promoted"|page=2}} and the University of Washington.{{sfn|''Generals of the Ardennes''|page=275}} Jones was working as a laborer for the Union Pacific Railroad in Seattle in 1917 when he applied for a commission in the United States Army.{{sfn|"U.S. World War I Draft Registration Cards"}}
Jones' application was approved in October 1917, six months after the American entry into World War I, and he was commissioned a second lieutenant of Infantry and assigned to the 43rd Infantry Regiment.{{sfn|''Generals of the Ardennes''|page=275}}{{sfn|"4 Lieutenants are Assigned to 43rd"|page=2}} After completing his in processing at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Jones joined his regiment at Fort Douglas, Utah.{{sfn|''Generals of the Ardennes''|page=275}}{{sfn|"4 Lieutenants are Assigned to 43rd"|page=2}} During World War I, Jones was promoted to first lieutenant and then temporary captain, and served at posts including Camp Pike, Arkansas and Pensacola, Florida.{{sfn|''Generals of the Ardennes''|page=276}} After the war, Jones reverted to his permanent rank of first lieutenant and continued his army career.{{sfn|''Generals of the Ardennes''|page=276}}
==Military education== Jones was a 1925 graduate of the Infantry Officer Course.{{sfn|''Official Army and Air Force Register'' (1948)|page=2273}} In 1930 he completed the Infantry Officer Advanced Course.{{sfn|''Official Army and Air Force Register'' (1948)|page=2273}} He was then selected for attendance at the Field Artillery Officer Advanced Course, from which he graduated in 1931.{{sfn|''Official Army and Air Force Register'' (1948)|page=2273}} Jones graduated from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in 1936. Chosen for further professional education at the United States Army War College, Jones began attending in 1937 and graduated in 1938.{{sfn|''Official Army and Air Force Register'' (1948)|page=2273}}
==Post-World War I== In 1920, Jones was promoted to permanent captain.{{sfn|''Generals of the Ardennes''|page=276}} He continued to serve in Infantry assignments, including an early 1920s posting to the Philippines with the 45th Infantry Regiment.{{sfn|''Generals of the Ardennes''|page=276}} In the late 1920s, Jones served on the staff of the Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia{{sfn|"Jefferson Barracks: Capt. and Mrs. Alan W. Jones"|page=8}} and in 1929 he was assigned to Camp Perry, Ohio as a faculty member for a newly organized program of marksmanship instruction which preceded an annual military shooting competition.{{sfn|"Camp Perry Rifle Range Opens Aug. 26"|page=2}}
In the early 1930s, Jones served with the 12th Infantry Regiment at Fort Washington, Maryland, followed by an assignment to the staff of the Army's Chief of Infantry.{{sfn|''Generals of the Ardennes''|page=277}} He was promoted to major in 1934, and served with the 7th Infantry Regiment at Vancouver Barracks, Washington.{{sfn|''Generals of the Ardennes''|page=277}} In 1938, Jones was posted to the 19th Infantry Regiment at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, and he was promoted to lieutenant colonel on July 1, 1940, while the United States was preparing for World War II.{{sfn|''Generals of the Ardennes''|page=276}}<ref name="Generals of World War II">{{cite web|url=https://generals.dk/general/Jones/Alan_Walter/USA.html|title=Biography of Major General Alan Walter Jones (1894−1969), USA|website=generals.dk}}</ref>
==World War II== thumb|left|'''Alan W. Jones''' while serving as commander of the 106th Infantry Division. From ''Generals of the Ardennes: American Leadership in the Battle of the Bulge''.
Jones was ordered to the Army staff at the War Department in 1941, and was assigned to the office of the deputy chief of staff for operations and training, G-3.{{sfn|''Generals of the Ardennes''|page=277}} On December 24, 1941, shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent German declaration of war against the United States, he was promoted to the temporary rank of colonel.{{sfn|''Generals of the Ardennes''|page=277-278}}<ref name="Generals of World War II"/> Jones was assigned to the staff of the Army Ground Forces headquarters in April 1942, and on June 24 he received promotion to the temporary rank of brigadier general.{{sfn|''Generals of the Ardennes''|page=278}}<ref name="Generals of World War II"/> After becoming a general officer, Jones took over from Charles W. Ryder as assistant division commander (ADC) of the 90th Infantry Division, commanded by Major General Henry Terrell Jr. Jones served in this position until January 1943.{{sfn|''Generals of the Ardennes''|page=278}}
===106th Infantry Division=== In January 1943, Jones was assigned to command the 106th Infantry Division during its organization and training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.{{sfn|''Generals of the Ardennes''|page=279}} He was promoted to temporary major general on March 16.{{sfn|''Generals of the Ardennes''|page=279}}<ref name="Generals of World War II"/> The 106th Division trained at Fort Jackson and participated in the Second Army's 1943 and 1944 Tennessee Maneuvers.{{sfn|''Generals of the Ardennes''|page=279}} In March 1944, the 106th Infantry Division moved to Camp Atterbury, Indiana, where many of its soldiers received new assignments as replacements for soldiers killed and wounded in combat and postings to units of the Army Service Forces.{{sfn|''Generals of the Ardennes''|page=279}} Newly assigned soldiers were not as experienced and trained as their predecessors.{{sfn|''Generals of the Ardennes''|pages=279-280}} In October 1944, the division moved to Massachusetts, where it embarked for transport to Europe.{{sfn|''Generals of the Ardennes''|page=280}} The division arrived in Belgium in early December and was immediately transferred to the front lines near St. Vith and the Ardennes forest, where it relieved the 2nd Infantry Division on December 12.{{sfn|''Generals of the Ardennes''|pages=280-281, 291}}
Four days after the 106th Infantry Division took its place on the front lines, the German army began the offensive that became known as the Battle of the Bulge.{{sfn|''Generals of the Ardennes''|page=293}} Jones' inexperienced division initially performed well, but quickly became combat ineffective, with two of its three regiments, the 422nd and 423rd Infantry, encircled and cut off near Schönberg in Eupen-Malmedy, which ultimately resulted in their surrender to the Germans.{{sfn|''Generals of the Ardennes''|pages=xv, 347}}
During the fighting, Jones was agitated and apprehensive over the impending loss of the two regiments, one of which included his son, who was a captain in the 423rd Infantry.{{sfn|''Generals of the Ardennes''|pages=299}} At one point he sardonically observed that he had set a record for "losing a division quicker than any commander in the US Army." {{sfn|''Generals of the Ardennes''|pages=300}} Major General Matthew Ridgway, Jones's superior officer as commander of XVIII Airborne Corps, grew frustrated with the situation and ordered Jones to be relieved of command, intending to give Brigadier General Bruce C. Clarke effective command in St. Vith.{{sfn|''Generals of the Ardennes''|pages=311, 317}}{{sfn|"Order of Battle"}} However Jones suffered a heart attack later that evening and was medically evacuated on December 22, which turned command over to his deputy, Brigadier General Herbert T. Perrin.{{sfn|''Generals of the Ardennes''|pages=311, 317}}{{sfn|"Order of Battle"}} As a face-saving measure, Jones was then assigned as deputy to Ridgway.{{sfn|''Generals of the Ardennes''|page=311}} In March 1945, Jones was taking part in offensive operations between Bonn and Cologne when a German bomb landed near him and he sustained head wounds that required him to be hospitalized.{{sfn|"106th 'Pours it on' Nazi Forces"}} Jones remained on active duty as a major general until he retired for medical reasons in October 1945.{{sfn|''Official Army and Air Force Register'' (1948)|page=2273}}<ref name="Generals of World War II"/>
==Post-World War II== After retiring, Jones lived in Washington, DC.{{sfn|"Our Division Commander"|page=2}} He was active in the 106th Infantry Division's veterans association and was a member of the Army and Navy Club and the Corinthian Yacht Club.{{sfn|"Our Division Commander"|page=2}}
==Death and burial== Jones was diagnosed with cancer in 1968.{{sfn|"Our Division Commander"|page=4}} His condition steadily worsened and in December he was moved to Walter Reed Hospital for treatment.{{sfn|"Our Division Commander"|page=2}} He died there on January 22, 1969.{{sfn|"Our Division Commander"|page=2}} His funeral took place at the Fort Myer, Virginia post chapel on January 27 and was attended by several 106th Infantry Division veterans, including his former division artillery commander.{{sfn|"Our Division Commander"|page=3}} Jones was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.{{sfn|"Our Division Commander"|page=3}}
==Awards== Jones was a recipient of the Purple Heart for his World War II service.{{sfn|''Official Army and Air Force Register'' (1948)|page=2273}} In addition, he received the Legion of Honor and the Croix de Guerre from France.{{sfn|"Our Division Commander"|page=2}}
==Family== In 1917, Jones married Alys O. Pickering (1899–1998) of Prescott, Washington.{{sfn|"Washington state Marriage Records"}} They were the parents of two children, Colonel Alan W. Jones Jr. (1921–2014), a career Army officer and Hallie (1924–2008), the wife of U.S. Marine Corps Colonel Ewald A. Vom Orde.{{sfn|"Our Division Commander"|page=2}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==Sources== ===Books=== *{{cite book |last=Morelock |first=J. D. |date=1994 |title=Generals of the Ardennes: American Leadership in the Battle of the Bulge |url=https://archive.org/details/generalsofardenn00wash/page/n7 |location=Washington, DC |publisher=National Defense University Press |isbn=978-0-16-042069-6 |via=Internet Archive |ref={{sfnRef|''Generals of the Ardennes''}}}} *{{cite book |last=U.S. Army Adjutant General |date=1948 |title=Official Army and Air Force Register |volume=II |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015035069635&view=2up&seq=866&size=175 |location=Washington, DC |publisher=US Government Printing Office |via=HathiTrust |ref={{sfnRef|''Official Army and Air Force Register'' (1948)}}}}
===Internet=== *{{cite web |url=https://history.army.mil/documents/ETO-OB/106ID-ETO.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080109033737/http://www.history.army.mil/documents/eto-ob/106ID-ETO.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 9, 2008 |title=Order of Battle, 106th Infantry Division |last=Center of Military History |website=Order of Battle of the US Army - WWII - ETO |publisher=U.S. Army |location=Washington, DC |access-date=November 8, 2019 |ref={{sfnRef|"Order of Battle"}}}} *{{cite web |url=https://www.ancestry.com/ |title=U.S. World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, Entry for Alan Walter Jones |last=U.S. Department of War |date=June 5, 1917 |website=Ancestry.com |publisher=Ancestry.com LLC |location=Lehi, UT |url-access=subscription |access-date=November 9, 2019 |ref={{sfnRef|"U.S. World War I Draft Registration Cards"}}}} *{{cite web |url=https://www.ancestry.com/ |title=Washington state Marriage Records 1854-2013, Entry for Alan Walter Jones and Alys O. Pickering |last=Spokane County (WA) Auditor |date=June 9, 1917 |website=Ancestry.com |publisher=Ancestry.com LLC |location=Lehi, UT |url-access=subscription |access-date=November 9, 2019 |ref={{sfnRef|"Washington state Marriage Records"}}}}
===Magazines=== *{{cite magazine |last=Fritz |first=John R. |date=October 1, 1969 |title=Major General Alan W. Jones, Ret., Our Division Commander, Passes Away |url=http://www.106thinfdivassn.org/index/html/v25n2.htm |magazine=The Cub |publisher=106th Infantry Division Veterans Association |location=Elyria, OH |ref={{sfnRef|"Our Division Commander"}}}}
===Newspapers=== *{{cite news |date=July 23, 1917 |title=4 Lieutenants are Assigned to 43rd |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/91317200/4-lieutenants/ |work=Salt Lake Telegram |location=Salt Lake City, UT |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"4 Lieutenants are Assigned to 43rd"}}}} *{{cite news |date=August 28, 1918 |title=Alan W. Jones is Promoted |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/91317314/jones-promoted/ |work=The Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, WA |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"Alan W. Jones is Promoted"}}}} *{{cite news |date=June 10, 1928 |title=Jefferson Barracks: Capt. and Mrs. Alan W. Jones |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/91317397/capt-jones/ |work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |location=St. Louis, MO |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"Jefferson Barracks: Capt. and Mrs. Alan W. Jones"}}}} *{{cite news |date=August 24, 1929 |title=Camp Perry Rifle Range Opens Aug. 26 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/91317490/perry-rifle/ |work=Rutland Daily Herald |location=Rutland, VT |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"Camp Perry Rifle Range Opens Aug. 26"}}}} *{{cite news |date=March 17, 1945 |title=106th 'Pours it on' Nazi Forces |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/91317598/106th-pours/ |work=The Republic |location=Columbus, IN |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"106th 'Pours it on' Nazi Forces"}}}}
==External links== *[https://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/#/arlington-national/search/results/1/CgVqb25lcxIEYWxhbg--/ Arlington National Cemetery] *{{cite book |last=Dupuy |first=R. Ernest |date=1949 |title=St. Vith: Lion In The Way; The 106th Infantry Division In World War II |url=https://archive.org/details/StVithLionInTheWay/page/n7 |location=Washington, DC |publisher=Infantry Journal, Inc. |via=Internet Archive}} *[https://generals.dk/general/Jones/Alan_Walter/USA.html Generals of World War II]
{{s-start}} {{s-mil}} {{s-bef|before=Newly activated organization}} {{s-ttl|title=Commanding General 106th Infantry Division|years=1943–1944}} {{s-aft|after=Herbert T. Perrin}} {{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Alan W.}} Category:1894 births Category:1969 deaths Category:Military personnel from Washington (state) Category:People from Goldendale, Washington Category:United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni Category:United States Army War College alumni Category:United States Army personnel of World War I Category:American recipients of the Legion of Honour Category:American recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France) Category:Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Category:United States Army generals of World War II Category:United States Army generals Category:Deaths from cancer in the United States Category:Military personnel from Walla Walla, Washington