Clinton Leonard Jones quit flying after the war but remained in touch with his comrades through his membership in the Daedalians. Before he retired in 1960, he was secretary-treasurer of F. F. Smith and Co., a large seed firm in Sacramento, where he had lived since 1923. He died, age 73, in a convalescent hospital following a lengthy illness.
He was survived by a son and a daughter.
Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)
The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Clinton Jones, Second Lieutenant (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Landres-et-St. Georges, France, October 30, 1918. Lieutenant Jones, while attacking four enemy planes (Fokker type), was in turn attacked from above and obliged to dive through a formation of 15 planes (Fokker type). His plane was riddled with bullets, but he managed to destroy one of the enemy machines.
General Orders No. 66, W.D., 1919
Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) Oak Leaf Cluster
The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Clinton Jones, Second Lieutenant (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near St. Mihiel, France, October 18, 1918. Second Lieutenant Jones was a member of a patrol which succeeded in hedging in a fast enemy bi-place plane. Approaching the enemy plane, Lieutenant Jones signaled the enemy to give up and land. The reply was a burst of machinegun fire, which cut his wind shield and set fire to his plane. He then closed in and shot the German pilot and sent the plane crashing to the ground. He landed in his own plane and extinguished the flames.
