“All Of The Bad Times Are Overwhelmed By The Positives”: Tenacity And Determination At West Point And In The Air Force

Ed Jones grew up in Bowling Green, Kentucky, with his parents and two sisters. As a boy he played baseball and tennis, not focusing on his academics until 9th grade. He attended the Georgia Military Academy for the last two years of high school. When he came to West Point, his most vivid memory of R-Day was dropping his typewriter when he was told to “Drop your bags!” He thought Beast Summer was miserable and Plebe year was tough. As a Cadet, he did, however, lead Company I-2 to an intramural championship in tennis, and he was commended as being “most valuable.” Frank Borman was one of his instructors, and he impressed him so much that he chose to commission into the Air Force upon graduation, branching Finance and Accounting. During his time in the Air Force, he served at March Air Base in California, Glasgow Air Base in Montana, and Aviano Air Base in Italy. While stationed in Italy, he learned Italian, a language he has continued to study. After leaving the Air Force in 1967, he earned an MBA at Harvard and began a career in finance and real estate. He continues to give back to West Point and served on the Association of Graduates Finance Committee from 2015 to 2020. Reflecting on his service and his West Point experiences, he notes that the bad times were overwhelmed by the positive ones. He is proud of being a graduate and appreciates the friends he has made.