Poland man recalls lying to enlist after WWII

POLAND

James Earl Jones altered his birth certificate and lied about his age so he could enlist in the Marine Corps in 1946 at 15, about a year after World War II ended.

Jones, 85, who lived on Falls Avenue in Youngstown at the time of his enlistment, admitted with a grin that he joined the military because he was “having a little trouble with school.”

“I wasn’t in serious trouble or facing jail. I just didn’t like school, so I stopped going. My parents were pretty disgusted with me,” remembered Jones, an only child.

“Actually, I planned to enlist in the Navy, but it was full. The Marine Corps recruiter was there, so I went that direction,” Jones said.

Jones, who worked in intelligence units, was discharged from his first enlistment in 1949. But he remained on reserve status and was called back to active duty during the Korean War, though he was never stationed in Korea.

Read more of his story in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.