Tec5 William Columbus Jones, Jr. (WWII)

Remembering Tec5 William Columbus "Singing Willie" Jones, Jr. (Fairmont)

December 3, 1913 - May 26, 1945

----

Tec5 William Columbus Jones (service number 35742122) was born on December 3, 1913 in Tuggles, Virginia, the son of  Willie Columbus Jones and Sadie Everett (Taylor). At the time of William's birth, Willie was a farmer and Sadie, a college graduate, was a teacher.

Between William's birth and 1920, their family moved to the coal mining town of Wilcoe, McDowell County (now part of Gary), where Willie worked as a miner (1920 Census). By 1927, they had moved to  Fairmont, WV, where they would spend the rest of their lives. They lived several places in Fairmont- 632 Spring Street (1927- 1939 City Directories), 108 Baltimore Street (1940 Census), and 724 1/2 Walnut Avenue (Draft Card). Willie supported their family by working as a janitor in office buildings and schools, while Sadie worked as a teacher (1930 Census) and later a housekeeper (1940 Census).

William graduated from the historic Dunbar High School in Fairmont, WV, as well as West Virginia State College (now West Virginia State University). Upon graduation from West Virginia State, William returned home. He worked as an auto mechanic (1940 Census) and as a shoe repairer (Draft Card). He was also known as "Singing Willie" to listeners of the Fairmont radio station WMMN ("Cpl. Willie Jones Dies From Burns," The Fairmont Times). 

Military Service:

Tec5 William Columbus Jones entered the draft on October 16, 1940. He was working for Costanzo Gabriel at 106 Adams Street's "Quick Shoe Repair" as a shoe repairer. William was 5'9" and 165lbs, with brown eyes, black hair, and dark brown skin. 

He enlisted in the Army on October 30, 1942, entering the Army Quartermaster Corps in December of 1942. According to a June 5, 1945 article in The Fairmont Times, he served in North Africa, Italy, France, and Germany with 4379th Quartermaster Truck Company, 284th Quartermaster Truck Battalion, Company 2 (IDPF). 

Unfortunately, he suffered second and third-degree burns on May 21, 1945 in France ("Cpl. Willie"). , and succumbed to his wounds on May 26, 1945 at the 195th General Hospital in Mourmelon-le-Grand, France (IDPF). A letter to the government from his mother, Sadie, is enclosed in his Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF) and indicates that his injuries were from a gasoline explosion.

Note: One article lists May 20 as the day of injury, the other says May 21. I used the May 21 date, as it is also on his West Virginia Veterans Memorial application.

Legacy and Survivors:

Initially interred at the United States Military Cemetery in Champigneul, France, Tec5 William Columbus Jones, Jr. was interred in his final resting place at the Epinal American Cemetery in 1948.

"Singing Willie" was survived by his parents, Sadie and Willie. He is honored at the West Virginia Veterans Memorial in Charleston, WV. 

Sources and More Information:

  • American Battle Monuments Commission: William C. Jones Jr.
  • Fairmont, WV City Directories: 1927, 1929, 1933, 1935, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1943 (Accessed through Ancestry)
  • Findagrave Profile: Tec5 William Columbus Jones Jr.
  • IDPF: William Columbus Jones, Jr. (Accessed with help from the St. Louis branch of the National Archives)
  • Marion County Remembers Facebook Page: Remembering Tec5 William Columbus Jones, Jr.
  • US Army Enlistment Records: William C. Jones, Jr. (Accessed through Ancestry)
  • US Census Records: 1920 Census, 1930 Census, 1940 Census (Accessed through Ancestry)
  • U.S. Draft Cards: William Columbus Jones, Jr., William Columbus Jones, Sr.
  • Virginia Birth Certificate: Willie Columbus Jones (Accessed through Ancestry)
  • West Virginia Memory Project: William C Jones, Jr
Newspaper articles, in Chronological Order:
  • PFC. Jones Has Important Job in North Africa. The West Virginian. 27 June 1944. Accessed with help from the West Virginia Regional History Center.
  • Cpl. Willie Jones Dies From Burns. The Fairmont Times. 5 June 1945. Accessed with help from the West Virginia Regional History Center.
  • Mother Heres [SIC] From Chaplain. The Sunday Times-West Virginian. 12 August 1945. Accessed with help from the West Virginia Regional History Center.

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