CARY P. JONES, ENS, USN
Cary Jones '81
Lucky Bag
From the 1981 Lucky Bag:
Cary P. Jones
This All-American girl - blond, blue eyes, freckles - with the enthusiasm to be a cheerleader for three years, the athletic prowess to be a gymnast, swimmer and track star (anyone who survived Major Dunham that 1st year is a star in my book!), the talent and co-ordination (not to mention finesse) to carry off the lead in the musical, and mostly, the patience to live with me for four years, can only be Cary.
Plebe year went by pretty quick, what with falling in love with a certain javelin thrower (Who'll always be pretty high on her list), making national television at Army hanging from trees . . . remember Jane Paul Jones? Youngster year Cary showed extraordinary ,leadership as section leader when a prof fried her whole class for disrespect to the section leader-even her! Actually Cary's a natural leader, with a supply of initiative and responsibility that never runs short. The next year found her busy with stripes, cakes and men! Lola gets what she wants and she wants to fly. Best of luck in P-cola.
Cary P. Jones
This All-American girl - blond, blue eyes, freckles - with the enthusiasm to be a cheerleader for three years, the athletic prowess to be a gymnast, swimmer and track star (anyone who survived Major Dunham that 1st year is a star in my book!), the talent and co-ordination (not to mention finesse) to carry off the lead in the musical, and mostly, the patience to live with me for four years, can only be Cary.
Plebe year went by pretty quick, what with falling in love with a certain javelin thrower (Who'll always be pretty high on her list), making national television at Army hanging from trees . . . remember Jane Paul Jones? Youngster year Cary showed extraordinary ,leadership as section leader when a prof fried her whole class for disrespect to the section leader-even her! Actually Cary's a natural leader, with a supply of initiative and responsibility that never runs short. The next year found her busy with stripes, cakes and men! Lola gets what she wants and she wants to fly. Best of luck in P-cola.
Loss
Cary was lost on July 8, 1982 when the aircraft she was aboard collided with another near Corpus Christi, Texas.
Other Information
From The New York Times on July 11, 1982:
CORPUS CHRISTI, Tex., July 10— One of six persons killed in the collision of two training planes Thursday is believed to be the first female Navy aviator killed in a plane crash, a Naval Air Station spokesman said Friday.
The woman was identified as Ens. Cary P. Jones of Gainesville, Va. The other victims were identified as Lieut. Thomas A. Vonnegut of Honolulu; Ens. Joseph F. West Jr. of Graham; Lieut. Comdr. Curtis Raymond Barkdull of Warner Robins, Ga.; Ens. Robert Bernard Barnett Jr. of Lauderhill, Fla., and Ens. Jeffrey Allan Edwards of Raleigh, N.C.
From the September 1982 issue of Shipmate:
Ens. Cary Page Jones USN was killed in a training plane accident on 8 July 1982 when two T-44A aircraft collided over Cabaniss Field, a naval aviation training facility near Corpus Christi, Texas. Five other officers were killed in the accident as well. Ens. Jones is believed to be the first Naval Academy female graduate and the first female Navy aviator killed in a plane crash. Memorial services were held at the Naval Academy Chapel on 13 July with Chaplains Charles L. Greenwood '50, Roger W. Pierce and Barry C Black officiating, and interment was in Arlington National Cemetery.
Reporting to the Naval Academy with a presidential appointment, Ens. Jones came from a Navy background. Both her maternal grandfather, William L. Maxson of the Class of 1921 and her paternal grandfather, George Lorraine Jones Jr., of the Class of 1927, were Academy graduates, and her father, LCol. David B. Jones USAF (Ret.) was a member of the Class of 1953.
Upon graduation with the Class of 1981, Ens. Jones chose naval aviation as her specialty and had successfully completed primary training at Pensacola. Within two months of receiving her naval wings, she was posthumously designated naval aviator on 10 July, and she aspired to eventually go to test pilot school and then to become an astronaut.
As a midshipman Ens. Jones was known as an active, exuberant and energetic member of the Class of 1981. She was a battalion subcommander in her first class year, was a cheerleader for three years, took an overload in mathematics in order to pursue her master's degree after graduation, and had leading roles in the musicals Damn Yankee and Fiddler on the Roof as a Masquerader. Among the hundreds of midshipmen, friends and acquaintances attending her services at the Academy Chapel were her Classmates, Ens. Wendy B. Lawrence USN, Ens. Mary A. Brigden USN, both of whom participated in the funeral service, and Ens. Dennis Sawyer USN, her class president. She was a life member of the Naval Academy Alumni Association.
She is survived by her parents, LCol. (USAF Ret.) and Mrs. David B. Jones ... a sister, Lorrie, a naval lieutenant stationed in San Diego; and a brother, David.
Photographs
From the Lucky Bag
Remembrances
From Find A Grave:
1981 graduate of US Naval Academy, daughter and granddaughter of graduates Davey Jones '53 (below) and William L Maxson '21 l #141269801, inventor of the in-flight meal that became commercialized as the "TV dinner."
She was a lovely young woman and a regular at her father's classmates' tailgate parties, and loved by us all. As a cheerleader she greeted us in the stands at our 25th reunion in 1978. Cary was killed in a midair collision during a night training flight, the first female Naval Aviator to die in the line of duty, an unenviable distinction, but as much in service to her country as in battle. Her Naval Aviator's gold wings were carried into space by astronaut Sally Ride on her first orbital mission.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch carried a lengthy recollection of Cary's Academy days from her parents' viewpoint a few weeks after her death.
From Run To Honor on September 30, 2024:
I was in her T-44 class in Corpus Christi. We were 10 minutes behind them, headed toward Cabanis field for some landing pattern practice when we saw the black smoke. She was beautiful, highly intelligent and motivated. I often think of her and the others that we lost that day many years ago. May they rest in peace. Larry Long
Cary is one of 14 members of the Class of 1981 on Virtual Memorial Hall.
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
