Mr. Jones' Navy service led to a 41-year career with the Department of Defense. For awhile, he was chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Barry Goldwater Jr. Then, he was appointed to a position in the Nixon administration and ran Nixon's re-election campaign in New Hampshire in 1972. After a brief stint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, he worked as an advance man for President Ford from 1975 to 1977. A highlight of that was being with Ford at America's Bicentennial celebration in New York Harbor.
After that, he held a series of government jobs, retiring in 1996.
He and his wife decided to move back to Wilmington in 1997. In September, he heard a radio news story about plans to tear down the USO building on South Second Street. Besides the historical value of the building, it was one of 14 World War II buildings in Wilmington. The building also had family connections. His father had been on the dedication committee for the building and his sister met her future husband there.
He and a group got the Wilmington City Council to save the building in 2000 and its new incarnation as the Hannah Block Historic USO was dedicted July 4, 2008. Right now, Wilbur Jones is working with U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre to promote House Bill 2712 which would establish a yearly "American World War II City" with Wilmington being the first one.
The Kind of Person Every City Needs. --GreGen
The USS North Carolina (BB-55) My all-time favorite warship. As an elementary school student in North Carolina, I donated nickels and dimes to save this ship back in the early sixties.
No comments:
Post a Comment