Army Staff Sgt. Raymond E. Jones Jr.
Death: Apr 09, 2004
of Gainesville Fla.; assigned to 1st Battalion 7th Field Artillery 1st Infantry Division Schweinfurt Germany; killed April 9 when a rocket-propelled grenade struck him while on patrol in Bayji Iraq. Father remembers Gainesville soldier killed in Iraq Associated Press GAINESVILLE Fla. — A soldier from Gainesville killed in Iraq believed in the military and “tried to do everything right” his father said. Army Staff Sgt. Raymond Edison Jones Jr.31 was killed near Bayji Iraq on April 9 in a rocket-propelled grenade attack. He had been assigned to the Army’s 1st Battalion 7th Field Artillery 1st Infantry Division in Schweinfurt Germany. “He was making a career out of it” said Raymond Edison Jones Sr. who lives in Miami. He said his son will be buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. Born in Carson City Nev. Jones joined the Army in 1991 while a student at the University of Florida his father said. The soldier’s father said he is against the U.S. policy in Iraq. “I wish they’d pull the rest of the kids out of there” he said. Jones’ mother Olga lives in Costa Rica with two of his three brothers. Another brother lives in Orlando. Jones’ wife lives in Germany and he has one daughter from a previous marriage the father said.