About

Author Mel R. Jones

Mel R. Jones’s diverse military career included serving several years as an enlisted soldier in the U.S. Army. Later he became an artillery officer and a public information specialist attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. His public affairs duties included serving as press aide and speech writer for the Secretary of the Army.

Jones’s other notable assignments included two tours of duty in Vietnam, the first of which in 1962-1963, as an advisor, he created and edited the MAAG/MACV (Military Assistance Advisory Group / Military Assistance Command, Vietnam) Observer, the first official U.S. Armed Forces Publication in Southeast Asia.

A second Vietnam tour in 1969-1970 as public affairs officer for the 1st Air Calvary Division, required Jones to accompany his unit into Cambodia, where he established a press center in a hostile area of operation and provided support to international media as spokesperson for the spearhead division.

As the first public affairs officer for all recruiters during the startup for the Volunteer Army, Jones authored the U.S. Army Recruiting Command’s Public Affairs Handbook for Commanders and PAOs. He was inducted into the U.S. Army Public Affairs Hall of Fame in 2001. During his Army career he earned the Air Medal, Bronze Star and Legion of Merit among other awards.

After his Army career, Jones worked as public relations director for several firms including the Experimental Aircraft Association. Later he established his own public relations firm. He graduated from Florida Southern College with a B.A. degree in international relations and a minor in journalism and later earned two masters degrees, the first in international relations at Boston University and the second in mass communications at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Jones’s published works include a book of poetry and two non-fiction books as well as numerous magazine and newspaper articles. The late Mel R. Jones is survived by his wife, Marian, his children Beth, Grace, Mark and Matthew, seven grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

Other Titles by Mel R. Jones

Other titles written by Mel R. Jones include a book of poetry entitled, In the Eye of the Storm, 1965, a non-fiction book Above and Beyond: Eight Great American Aerobatic Champions, Tab Books, Inc., 1984, and co-author of A Silent Siren Song, the Aitken Brothers Hollywood Odyssey 1905–1926 with father-in-law Al P. Nelson, Cooper Square Press (an imprint of Rowman Littlefield Publishing Group), New York, 2000. The co-authors of A Silent Siren Song won a Distinguished Service to History Award of Merit from the Wisconsin Historical Society in June 2001. An inspirational article, “Candle in the Dark”, based on Jones’ first tour of duty in Vietnam, was published in This Week magazine in December 26, 1965.

Jones also wrote numerous magazine and newspaper articles, including magazines such as Proceedings, Amphibious Warfare Review, Sea Power, Army, Guardsman, Infantry, Armor, Aviation Week & Space Technology, Family (Army, Navy, Air Force Times), TWA Ambassador, The Flying A, Catholic Digest, Wisconsin Trails and others. In addition, he wrote a museum guide, Putting Wings on Dreams for the Experimental Aircraft Association.