Photo By Sgt. Jared Simmons | The 1st Infantry Division Commanding General's Mounted Color Guard leads a memorial...... read more read more
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As U.S. Army Col. Ricardo Jones, the 1st Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade Commander, looked upon a memorial he might as well have been looking in a mirror.
Adorning the Army’s modern take on the uniform of America’s greatest generation, Jones reflected with a mixture of melancholy and hope.
The memorial was created to recognize Pfc. Willy F. James Jr., a recipient of the Medal of Honor who was killed in action in the midst of saving his platoon leader’s life while under intense enemy fire. Although this happened in the early months of 1945, it was a long 51 years until the United States government finally affirmed that James, along with six other African Americans, had been unjustly denied their Medals of Honor.
Jones attended the memorial ceremony as a 1st Infantry Division representative to show support for the event. Although James was not a 1st Inf. Div. Soldier, he demonstrated many of the great qualities that Big Red One Soldiers are expected to uphold, according to Jones.
“In the 1st Infantry Division we have a thing called the [Big Red One Charge],” Jones said. “B stands for brave, R for responsible and O for on point for the nation. I truly believe Pfc. James was brave, responsible and on point for the nation.”
As Jones witnessed James’ Medal of Honor being enshrined in the Black Archives of Mid-America, he interfaced flawlessly with everyone else around him. Onlookers might have dismissed it as a social aptitude that was inherent to all senior Army officers, but anyone speaking to Jones would quickly come to realize there was a much more to it.
Jones, much like James before him, was a native of Kansas City, Mo. Although Jones may not have had to face the same level of discrimination of James’ era, he still had no shortage of difficulties.
“Growing up in KC was a struggle- especially financially,” Jones said. “I had to learn how to be a man quicker than I should have. I had to support my mother working from the age of 15.”
Like many other children in urban America, Jones was born into a poor family with little in the way of opportunity. From a young age, however, he knew he wanted to get out of the situation he had been born into.
“Living where I did in Kansas City really forced me to think about a way out,” he said. “It forced me to dream, to establish goals. I knew it was not the kind of place I wanted to stay in.”
Jones’ first encounter with death and violence was not a result of the military, but rather from growing up in Kansas City.
“When I was there, Kansas City was one of the top 10 murder capitals of the world,” Jones said. “I was surrounded by gang violence and drugs.”
As a young man, Jones said it was easy to fall to peer pressure, especially without a father figure to help teach him what was right.
It was watching his mother struggle that was the defining moment for Jones. He knew he wanted to do something to help her while simultaneously serving others in the community as well.
“My why has always been centered around providing a better life for me, my mother and others,” Jones said.
While Jones was a sophomore in Northeast High School, he had the opportunity to see Gen. Colin Powell speak at a convention in the city.
“From that moment I knew there was no doubt I wanted to join and be just like General Colin Powell,” Jones said.
Enlisting right out of high school in 1998, Jones shipped to training as an automated logistics specialist. After training he went to college and commissioned as an active-duty officer from Lincoln University. “The Army has taught me servant-leadership and discipline,” Jones explained, “Besides marrying my beautiful bride and having kids, I can think of no greater joy than serving my nation and being a part of something bigger than myself.”
For Jones, bittersweet best described how he felt about finally moving on from the city.
“Getting out of the city left me with mixed emotions,” Jones reflected, “Even though I was free, there were still many others back home that I wanted to get out too.”
Though Jones still has friends and family in the environment he left, his success served as a positive example for others. His brother enlisted in the Army after him and ultimately reached the rank of major before moving on. One of Jones’ nieces also attended Lincoln University and will soon graduate.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Jones inspired his mother to pursue and acquire a technical trade and further her education, one of her life-long dreams.
Jones stands as a beacon of hope to his home community. He is living proof that anyone can achieve success if they are willing to put the work in. In spite of all the odds being stacked against him, Jones persevered to overcome all obstacles and become the best he could be in the Army.
As long as Soldiers like Willy James and Ricardo Jones fight for what they believe in, there will always be hope for people in desperate situations. Just as James served his nation with honor and distinction despite coming from a rough place and serving a country which did not seem at the time to care about him, so too did Jones overcome the cards he was dealt in order to serve his nation and community.
As for those still living in the environments that Jones was in many years ago, he has a message;
“Dream big and start dreaming early. Surround yourself with men and women who are on the trajectory that you want to be on,” Jones said. “The foundation of your escape is centered in education, faith and hard work. Every setback is a lesson learned if you are willing to be open minded. You must be willing to change things about yourself in order to become the best that you can be.”
| Date Taken: | 04.20.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 04.25.2023 18:51 |
| Story ID: | 443027 |
| Location: | KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, US |
| Hometown: | KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, US |
| Web Views: | 277 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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