Hugh D. Jones was born on May 22, 1922 to Eddry Harbin Jones and Finnie Jones in Avalon, Georgia, and moved to the area in the late 1920's. He attended Warren G. Harding High School, graduating on the 5th of June, 1941, and joined the war effort in 1943. Following World War II Hugh held various jobs, including chauffer, steel worker, sanitations worker, and finally a welder at Reactive Metals Inc. He married Marjorie Farrish in September of 1952 (later divorced) and had seven children, Karen Saunders (December 5, 1951), Melanie Darlene (May 31, 1954), Gary Thomas (born July 30, 1955, died at the age of 5), Hugh Dorsey, Jr. (April 12, 1957), Charmaine LaVonne (July 20, 1958), Aaron Todd (July 24, 1960) and Brett LaMar (September 20, 1963, died 2008). He served as a deacon at the Eastside Church of Christ, and was a member of the Ohio Legion Post 0888 and the U.S.W.A. Local 3155. Hugh died on October 11, 2001 in Warren, Ohio and was buried in Oakwood Cemetery with a twenty one gun salute.
Mr. Jones was stationed in France and Germany, and served as a driver in the Red Ball Express, a famed truck convoy system that supplied the Allied forces in Europe after D-Day. He is listed as one of the "21 of 30 Colored Selectees Taken Into Army Friday"ť in the January 2, 1943 Tribune Chronicle. He earned four Bronze Stars and a Victory Medal, and completed his service with the rank of Corporal.
