Memorial

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Pvt Edward L. Jones volunteered for the Army of the United States at Fort Thomas, Kentucky on 15 December 1942.

Pvt Jones was one of the 17 passengers, all members of G Company of the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment on board of a C-47A with serialnumber 42-24077 of the 77th Squadron of the 435th Troop Carrier Group. On the first day of Operation Overlord, their designated destination was Dropzone "C", north of Hiesville, France.

The airplane was shot down by flak and exploded in the air, killing all 17 passengers and the entire crew of four men.

A monument near the church of Picauville and a plaque at the crash site remembers the crash.

Shortly before the invasion, Pvt Jones wrote the following letter to one of his sisters: "Honey, if anything happens to me - if I should get killed over here, don't have me brought back to the U.S.A. ... I want to stay over here anyhow. But don't be afraid, I don't think anything will happen. I just got through cleaning my rifle and knives and I can dig a fox hole so deep that my sergeant told me if I dug another foot deeper he would mark me A.W.O.L."

Pvt Jones was first buried at the Temporary American Military Cemetery of Blosville, France on 16 June 1944. His remains were disinterred on 4 February 1948 and was given his final resting place at Ardennes Cemetery on 4 May 1950.