Wiley Thomas Jones
About Wiley
Veteran, Senior Master Sergeant (November 5, 1943 – September 23, 2024)
My big brother Wiley joined the United States Air Force after graduating from Gumberry High School in Northampton County, North Carolina in 1962. He retired 20 years later having achieved the rank of Senior Master Sergeant. How he inspired me, in his own words…
I went from a farm boy in rural Northampton County to a Senior Master Sergeant responsible for repair and maintenance of the jet engines on airplanes used to transport the President and Vice President of the United States and foreign dignitaries. I remember being a part of the ground crew when we launched Air Force One on its last mission with President Richard Nixon, in 1974. It was historically significant because somewhere over Kansas the call sign was changed from Air Force One to SAM Seven Thousand. Gerald Ford had become President of the United States. Air Force One is only used for the President. During the Carter presidency, I had the distinction to lead a team to Ecuador to recover an aircraft that was transporting First Lady Roslyn Carter.
Even with all of that, my proudest moments were when my dad remarked to his friend, “This is my son. He is a sergeant that works on the president’s airplane.”
An unsung hero in U.S. history.
Flag Location
Flag
A-K 9
Sponsor
Anna R. Jones, Sister
Location
Honor Field A
