Martin Luther Jones II, 77, of Madison, WV passed away Thursday, April 23, 2020.
He was born November 7, 1942 in Madison, WV, son of the late Norman Lee and Nettie Pearl Jones.
He was a veteran of the United States Army and a lifetime member of the Daniel Boone VFW Post 5578 Madison, West Virginia. He was a retired truck driver.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 56 years, Shirley Darlene Jones; son, David M. Jones (Shirley)of Rochester, WA; daughter, Teresa L. Boyd (Kenneth) of Madison, WV; brother, Joel Jay Jones (Janet) of Virginia, and Norman Lewis Jones (Nancy) of Princeton, WV; one granddaughter, Jennifer Henry (Mark Mitchell) of Charleston, WV; and three great-grandchildren, Jace, Jackie and Willow.
Marty, as his friends and family called him, entered into the Army in 1962 as an RTO (Radio Telephone Operator). He remained in the Army for 12 years including one year (1965-1966) in active duty in Vietnam.
He was a proud member of the 101st Airborne and performed hundreds of jumps while on active duty and during training. Upon his graduation from jump school, he was the honor graduate of his class and was very proud of this accomplishment.
Upon his return from Vietnam, he was assigned to the 82nd Airborne at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Due to numerous medical problems brought on from Agent Orange, he was required to leave his jump status and was transferred to the 12th Support Group at Fort Bragg as a Supply Sgt.
He served in several different capacities throughout his career and gained his discharge while in Germany. He returned from Germany to his home in Madison, West Virginia where he lived his entire life.
After his discharge from the Army, he worked for 12 years as an underground coal miner at Ferrell Mine at Pond Fork, West Virginia. He was a member of the UMWA. After leaving the coal mines, he obtained his license to drive an 18 wheeler truck and spent the next several years driving cross country. He enjoyed getting to see the country but did not like being away from his home and family. Due to health reasons, he retired from truck driving in 1999.
Marty was a semi active member of the VFW Post 5578 in Madison. He assisted with record keeping for the various food drives sponsored by the VFW post. He particularly enjoyed participating in the Christmas basket giveaways to needy families in our community.
A graveside service will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 28 at Boone Memorial Park, Madison, WV with Leon Hunter officiating. Military graveside rites will be performed by Daniel Boone VFW Post 5578, Madison, West Virginia.
Handley Funeral Home in Danville is assisting the family.