[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 106 (Monday, June 24, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H5042]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





     HONORING THE LIFE OF PRIVATE FIRST CLASS WILLIAM HOOVER JONES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Butterfield) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, at World Tabernacle Church 
in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, I had one of the highest honors in my 
life, to speak at the funeral service for Private First Class William 
Hoover Jones who served in the Korean war.
  He went missing on 26 November 1950. His remains were recently 
returned to U.S. soil by the North Koreans. The funeral service was 
handled by H.D. Pope Funeral Home, and he will be interred at Arlington 
National Cemetery on August 22 of this year with full military rites.
  Mr. Speaker, with your permission, I will read into the Record my 
remarks from the funeral:
  ``As Representative for North Carolina's First Congressional 
District, please allow me to extend official condolences to this family 
on behalf of the President and Congress of the United States of 
America.
  ``PFC William Hoover Jones gave his young life on the battlefield on 
foreign soil in defense of our country as part of the historic 24th 
Infantry Regiment, a Black Army regiment first organized in 1869 
following the Civil War.
  ``Private First Class Jones fought on the front line for the Republic 
of South Korea during the Korean war.
  ``For his service, Private First Class Jones was promoted to private 
first class and posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat 
Infantryman Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the National Defense 
Service Medal, the Republic of Korean Presidential Unit Citation, and 
the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.
  ``This Nation is indebted to PFC Jones for his service to our country 
and for offering the highest sacrifice for freedom. His life.
  ``PFC Jones was born in Nash County in 1931 at the beginning of the 
Great Depression. Life in Nash County during that period was Third 
World. Not only did African Americans suffer from second-class 
citizenship, but they suffered from extreme poverty. Undoubtedly, 
William Hoover Jones wanted a better life.
  ``On 31 May 1950, at the tender age of 18, Hoover enlisted to serve 
for 3 years in the Army, recognizing that he would be deployed to Korea 
to engage in a deadly war. I am confident that he volunteered not only 
to defend our Nation and our Nation's interests, but to seek a better 
future for himself.
  ``The record reflects that Private Jones was poorly trained as an 
infantryman. History reveals that most Black soldiers of that era were 
poorly trained. Though his training was incomplete, Private Jones was 
deployed to Korea, placed in an all-Black unit, Company E, 2nd 
Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment of the 25th Infantry Division. 
President Truman had ordered that unit integrated in 1948, but as of 
1950, integration in the unit had not occurred.
  ``The Black soldiers of the 24th Infantry fought valiantly, but the 
North Koreans and the Chinese were too fierce and greatly outnumbered 
our soldiers.
  ``The only African American officer serving the 24th Infantry was 
Lieutenant Leon Gilbert of York, Pennsylvania. Lieutenant Gilbert led 
his soldiers into fierce battles with the enemy near the 38th parallel. 
On 1 September 1950, recognizing that the 24th Infantry was literally 
on a suicide mission, Lieutenant Gilbert ordered his soldiers off of a 
deadly hill. The division's commanding officer directed Lieutenant 
Gilbert to return his soldiers to the fight, but he refused.
  ``Gilbert was court-martialed for his refusal. He was given a death 
sentence. After widespread outrage from Black Americans, President 
Harry Truman commuted the sentence to 20 years of imprisonment. He 
served 5 of those 20 years.
  ``Because of these events, the 24th Infantry Regiment was disbanded, 
but the division was desperately in need of infantry soldiers. 
Therefore, the 24th Infantry was reactivated and forced back to the 
front line. It was there that PFC Jones went missing on 26 November 
1950 at the age of 19 years old.
  ``He was recovered by the North Koreans, and his remains have been 
secreted for the past 68 years. They were returned to American soil 
just a few weeks ago. That is the record of PFC Jones and the story of 
the 24th Infantry Regiment in the Korean war.
  ``PFC Jones represents a generation of young African American men who 
stood for this country when this country didn't stand for them.
  ``I thank the Department of Defense for its efforts in recovering and 
transporting these remains and enabling this ceremony as we salute an 
American hero.
  ``Finally, I pray solace will be found in knowing that a loved-one's 
remains are home. His soul is in Heaven, and he died on the battlefield 
with integrity. God bless each of the members of his family.''
  Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to honor and recognize 
the life and work of Private First Class William Hoover Jones.

                          ____________________