Hiram "Doc" Jones
{{short description|American minister and military chaplain (born 1937)}}
{{use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Hiram L. Jones
| image = Hiram Doc Jones.JPG
| alt = A portrait photo of a Caucasoid man in military uniform and spectacles; he is facing the camera, though looking just to its left.
| caption = US Air Force photo of Jones
| birth_name = Hiram Lee Jones
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1937|11|07|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Madisonville, Texas, US
| other_names = "Doc"
| education = {{unbulleted list|B.S., Sam Houston State U.|M.Div., Perkins Theological}}
| occupation = Chaplain
| module = {{Infobox military person |embed=yes
| branch = United States Air Force
| branch_label = Branch
| serviceyears = 1969–1999
| serviceyears_label = Years
| rank = Brigadier general
| awards = {{unbulleted list|AF Distinguished Svc. Medal|Legion of Merit}}
}}
| module2 = {{Infobox clergy |child=yes
| religion = Christianity
| church = United Methodist
| title = Elder
}}
}}
Hiram Lee "Doc" Jones (born 7 November 1937) is an American United Methodist leader and retired US Air Force chaplain.__NOTOC__
Personal life
In Madisonville, Texas, on 7 November 1937, Hiram Lee Jones was born to Ada ({{nee|Standley}}; born {{birth based on age as of date|42|1940|04|noage=yes|slash=yes}}) and Dan L. Jones (born {{birth based on age as of date|48|1940|04|noage=yes|slash=yes}}). By the 1940 United States Census, Jones had two siblings: brother Jim Dand (born {{birth based on age as of date|13|1940|04|noage=yes|slash=yes}}) and sister Doris Marie (born {{birth based on age as of date|10|1940|04|noage=yes|slash=yes}}), and the family lived on a farm in rural Madison County, Texas.
Jones graduated from Madisonville High School. He later earned a Bachelor of Science from Sam Houston State University in 1959, and was ordained in the United Methodist Church in 1963. Jones received a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) from Perkins School of Theology, and after spending six years serving civilian parishes, he joined the United States Air Force in 1969. Wiley College awarded Jones an honorary Doctor of Divinity in 1974. By January 1997, Jones was an ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church. After his retirement, Jones and his wife moved to Greater Houston in 1999.
US Air Force
| class="wikitable floatleft sortable" |
| Date
! Insignia & rank |
|---|
| {{date table sorting|1970|06|17|format=dmy}}
| data-sort-value=3 | File:US-O3 insignia.svg{{spaces}}Captain |
| {{date table sorting|1979|05|01|format=dmy}}
| data-sort-value=4 | File:US-O4 insignia.svg{{spaces}}Major |
| {{date table sorting|1984|01|01|format=dmy}}
| data-sort-value=5 | File:US-O5 insignia.svg{{spaces}}Lieutenant colonel |
| {{date table sorting|1989|05|01|format=dmy}}
| data-sort-value=6 | File:US-O6 insignia.svg{{spaces}}Colonel |
| {{date table sorting|1997|08|01|format=dmy}}
| data-sort-value=7 | File:US-O7 insignia.svg{{spaces}}Brigadier general |
After joining in 1969, Jones spent that May through July 1985 as a Protestant chaplain at Kincheloe, Andrews, Kalkar Kaserne, Bergstrom, and Maxwell Air Force Bases. From July 1985 – July 1991, Jones served in the office of the command chaplain for Pacific Air Forces (at Hickam Air Force Base) and Air Training Command (at Randolph Air Force Base). After a two-year stint as the senior chaplain at Bolling Air Force Base, Jones was the command chaplain for United States Air Forces in Europe (at Ramstein Air Base) and Air Combat Command (at Langley Air Force Base) from June 1993 – June 1997.
In June 1997, Jones was made the Deputy Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force and assigned to Washington, D.C. In that capacity at the turn of the 21st century, when USA Today made news reporting on Wiccan airmen at a South Carolina Air Force base, Deputy Chief Jones told the investigating US senator—Strom Thurmond—that, "if you can tell us what religion America's religious freedom doesn't cover, we won't let them practice it."
Jones retired from the Air Force on 1 December 1999. Among the awards and decorations earned by General Jones were an Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, a Legion of Merit, eight Meritorious Service Medals, an Air Force Commendation Medal, three Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards, two Air Force Organizational Excellence Awards, and a National Defense Service Medal.
References
{{reflist |refs=
{{cite census |title=Sixteenth Census of the United States |year=1940 |location=Madison County, Texas |page=6A |line=30 |enumdist=157-12}}
{{cite press release |last1=Peek |first1=Susan |date=1997-01-06 |title=United Methodist chaplain promoted to Air Force Brigadier General |url=https://archive.wfn.org/1997/01/msg00014.html |url-status=live |type=Press release |language=en |location=Nashville, Tennessee |publisher=Worldwide Faith News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304022603/https://archive.wfn.org/1997/01/msg00014.html |archive-date=2016-03-04 |access-date=2020-03-07}}
{{cite web |url=https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/106593/chaplain-brig-gen-hiram-l-doc-jones/ |title=CHAPLAIN (BRIG. GEN.) HIRAM L. "DOC" JONES |date=September 1998 |publisher=United States Air Force |language=en |access-date=2020-03-06 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170910041150/https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/106593/chaplain-brig-gen-hiram-l-doc-jones/ |archive-date=2017-09-10}}
{{cite news |last1=Flake |first1=Nancy |date=2002-08-07 |title=Retired general giving sermons instead of orders |url=https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/article/Retired-general-giving-sermons-instead-of-orders-9934980.php |url-status=live |work=Houston Chronicle |language=en |publisher=Jack Sweeney |issn=1074-7109 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202114535/https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/article/Retired-general-giving-sermons-instead-of-orders-9934980.php |archive-date=2017-02-02 |access-date=2020-03-06}}
{{cite web |url=https://www.shsu.edu/dept/office-of-alumni-relations/awards/distinguished/people/Jones%202014.html |title=Hiram L. Jones |publisher=Sam Houston State University |language=en |access-date=2020-03-07 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200307173535/https://www.shsu.edu/dept/office-of-alumni-relations/awards/distinguished/people/Jones%202014.html |archive-date=2020-03-07}}
Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997. Texas: Texas Department of State Health Services. Microfiche.
}}
External links
- {{Commons category-inline|Hiram Lee Jones}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Hiram L.}}
Category:20th-century American Methodist ministers
Category:American United Methodist clergy
Category:Deputy chiefs of Chaplains of the United States Air Force
Category:military personnel from Texas
Category:people from Madisonville, Texas
Category:Perkins School of Theology alumni
Category:recipients of the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal