JONES, MURPHY NEAL

Name: Murphy Neal Jones
Rank/Branch: United States Air Force/O3
Unit: 612 TFS
Date of Birth: 03 January 1938 Baton Rouge LA
Home City of Record: Baton Rouge LA
Date of Loss: 29 June 1966
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 210350 North  1055348 East
Status (in 1973): Returnee
Category:
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F105 #0460
Missions: 3
Other Personnel in Incident:
Refno: 0377

Source: Compiled by P.O.W. NETWORK from one or more of the following: raw
data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA
families, published sources, interviews.

REMARKS: 730212 RELEASED BY DRV

SOURCE: WE CAME HOME  copyright 1977
Captain and Mrs. Frederic A Wyatt (USNR Ret), Barbara Powers Wyatt, Editor
P.O.W. Publications, 10250 Moorpark St., Toluca Lake, CA 91602
Text is reproduced as found in the original publication (including date and
spelling errors).

MURPHY NEAL JONES
Major - United States Air Force
Shot Down: June 29, 1966
Released: February 12, 1973

I was born in Baton Rouge, Louisana, 3 January 1938. I attended Baton Rouge
High School (Class of '56) where I played football and baseball. I attended
Tulane University on a football scholarship. I graduated with a B.A. degree.
I also received my commission in the United States Air Force through the
AFROTC at this time. I married the former Glenda Jean Blythe in March 1957,
and we now have a son, Murphy Neal, Jr. (13) and a daughter, Darla Ann, age
10.

I attended primary pilot training (Class 62-A) at Graham Air Base, Florida,
and basic pilot training at Reese Air Force Base, Texas. I then attended
combat crew training in the F-100 at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, and then
at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. I was assigned to the 612 TFS at England
Air Force Base, Louisana.

I was stationed at Itazuke Air Base and Yokota Air Base from December 1963
to June 1966. I was flying out of Takhli Air Base, Thailand on my third
combat tour to Southeast Asia when I was shot down on 29 June 1966 in an
F-105D. My target was the POL storage area on the outskirts of Hanoi. I was
wounded in the leg by flak when my aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire
near the target. I received a compression fracture of the back and a badly
broken left arm when I ejected at a very low altitude. I was immediately
captured by about 25 North Vietnamese. Shortly after capture,  I was
subjected to inhumane treatment during interrogation. That same night, I was
forced to ride through the streets of Hanoi on a truck. There were times
when I wanted to die to end this ordeal, but my faith in God, my country, my
family and the American people gave me the strength to endure it. I
considered myself very patriotic when I was captured, but the patriotism I
felt at that time is only a fraction of what I feel now. There is no denying
that we have some problems in our country, but it is still by far the
greatest country in the world.

From what I have seen and what I have experienced in North Vietnam, it is my
sincere belief that those brave men who did not return did not die in vain.
God bless all of you for everything you have done for us and God bless our
wonderful country.

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Murphy Jones retired from the United States Air Force as a Colonel. He and
his wife Glenda reside in Louisiana.

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