1st Lt W.R. “Bill” Jones

Our Hometown Heroes

W.R. “Bill” Jones

Played Football on Spalding High Georgia Champion Team

He was an outstanding athlete at Spalding High School. In fact, W. R. “Bill” Jones was center on the Spalding High School Wolfpack Georgia State Championship football team. Leadership was nothing new for Jones. Born in 1926, Jones became a First Lt. in the U.S. Army-Air Corps. He flew numerous missions as a B-26 Marauder pilot.

The 22-year-old pilot was killed in action in Germany on February 14, 1945. He had been overseas flying missions since June, 1944. His mother and father, Mr. and Mrs. George Jones, who lived at 721 McLaurin Street, were notified of their son’s tragic death. First Lt. Jones is buried in overseas in the American Cemetery in Margraten, Netherlands.

Although Jones did not come home alive, a community now honors the World War II, Hometown Hero. An individual plaque will be installed in Historic Downtown Griffin. The plaque is proudly sponsored by United Bank.