Local WWII veteran George Jones dies at 93
NEW YORK (WABC) -- A World War II veteran from the Tri-State area who valiantly served his country despite suffering racism in the Army has died.
Brigade General George Jones died this week. He was 93 years old.
Jones enlisted in the Army in 1939 when he was 16 years old. He fought in WWII and the Korean War.
In May 2015, he spoke with Eyewitness News reporter Michelle Charlesworth about the way he and his comrades were treated.
He said he was spit on and treated poorly -- and commanders would just turn their heads.
"The system did not allow, did not want black officers in command of black troops in combat," Jones said in the interview. "If I'm afraid of you, I'd be out of my mind to give you a gun, wouldn't I?"
Jones was proud of his service, proud of his more than 70 years of marriage to his wife and proud of his character.
"Considering the accolades and the respect that my peers and friends had given me, I don't see it any other way. I must have been doing something right," Jones said.
Watch the 2015 story with Jones here:
