Thomas Jones was born in 1947 in Lynnville, Indiana. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on November 3, 1966, and completed basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, in January 1967. Pvt Jones next attended Advanced Individual Training as a light vehicle driver at Fort Dix, New Jersey, from January to February 1967, followed by service as a light vehicle driver with Company B, Experimentation Support Group at the U.S. Army Combat Development Command Experimentation Center at Fort Ord, California, from February to December 1967. His next assignment was as a light vehicle driver with the 86th Transportation Company in South Vietnam from January 1968 until he was captured and taken as a Prisoner of War on August 25, 1968. After spending 130 days in captivity, SP4 Jones was released by his captors on January 1, 1969. He was briefly hospitalized to recover from his injuries at Fort Knox, and left active duty and received an honorable discharge from the Army on January 20, 1969.

The Soldier's Creed:

I am an American Soldier.

I am a warrior and a member of a team.

I serve the people of the United States, and live the Army Values.

I will always place the mission first.

I will never accept defeat.

I will never quit.

I will never leave a fallen comrade.

I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills.

I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.

I am an expert and I am a professional.

I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy, the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.

I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.

I am an American Soldier.