Jones, Mallory Carpenter, Jr., 2005 June 07

This is a Living History interview with Mallory C. “Mike” Jones, Jr., conducted by Marilyn Somers on June 7, 2005 at Mr. Jones’s home in Macon, Georgia. The subject of this interview is his life and his early memories of his parents and grandparents.

Mr. Jones was born on March 20, 1925, in Atlanta, Georgia. His grandfather was the vice-president and treasurer for the J.M. High Company. Mr. Jones’s grandfather founded the Ansley Park Golf Club. Mr. Jones’s father was in the Army, so Mr. Jones moved many times as a child. He learned how to play golf while his father was serving two tours of duty in Panama. He started high school in Louisiana before moving to Atlanta. In Atlanta, he attended Tech High school and graduated from North Fulton High School. After graduation, he began studying at Emory University, but he quit school to join the Navy. He received his training as a corpsman at Camp Pendleton, California. After his training, he was shipped overseas to Camp Catlin, Hawaii, where he was assigned to the Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion. His battalion’s duty was to land on the beaches of islands and gather as much information as possible before the planned invasion the next day. Mr. Jones’s Battalion first reconnoitered the islands of Saipan and Tinian. Next, they went to Iwo Jima, where the Marine Corps suffered the most casualties. Even though he was a corpsman, Mr. Jones had to engage the enemy in battle. He was present at the flag-raising ceremony at Iwo Jima. After the Iwo Jima campaign, Mr. Jones’s battalion went to Okinawa, located in the Ryukyu chain of islands. There, the battalion performed thirty-three night reconnaissance missions. After his missions in Okinawa, Mr. Jones returned to Camp Catlin. From there, he was reassigned to San Francisco, California, and given a leave. Upon his return, he was sent to Jacksonville, Florida, to be discharged. Mr. Jones married his wife on August 8, 1946. When she became pregnant, he quit school again and went to work with Consolidated Textile Fibers. He then worked for Southland Ice Company until 1968, when he moved to Macon, Georgia. In 1968, he bought half the stock of the Georgia Beer Company, with who he remained for twenty-one years. Mr. Jones’s has two sons and three grandchildren. He went back to Hawaii for the 50th Anniversary of the end of World War II. Mr. Jones has tried unsuccessfully to contact any surviving men with whom he served in the war. While in Macon, Mr. Jones became involved with the Cherry Blossom Festival. He donates to many local charities.