Jones

Edgar “Eddie” Harlow Jones, 77, of Pittsburg, died in Tyler hospital on Easter Sunday, April 21, 2019 due to complications of COPD.

Eddie is survived by his son, J Harlow Jones; granddaughter, Shelby Anne Jones of Pittsburg; and granddaughter, Jayden Haley Jones of Shreveport, La.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Barbara Jones, and his wife of 47 years, Marion Jo Decker Jones.

Jones was born November 15, 1941 in Longview, Texas. He graduated Pine Tree High School in 1960 and attended Kilgore College and Texas Tech University. He was a great mechanic and a gifted inventor. He loved working in Texas Utilities’ coal-fired and nuclear power plants where he invented mechanical devices to make operations safer, and to extend equipment life. He lived on Lake Bob Sandlin and enjoyed untold hours trotline fishing for giant catfish.

That’s the sunshine and smiles part of Eddie’s life story, but it is far from being a full depiction. Drafted for military service in 1966, he was selected for Officer Candidate School following Basic Training, and he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army before being sent to Vietnam. Much of Eddie’s life came from the actual experiences of face-to-face fighting with enemy soldiers who had been heavily drugged and sent on suicide charges.

Eddie was deemed a “war hero” by his government. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Special Recognition for Valor on the Battlefield. Some of the folks back home were not so welcoming to their returning warriors. The first prospective employer Eddie interviewed with looked at his application and said, “Oh, I see you are one of those ‘baby killers.’”

Eddie lived the rest of his remaining 49 years with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He could not sleep in his wife’s bed lest the nightmares caused him to attack her as if defending his own life. The claustrophobia grew worse and worse over time. The sudden onset panic attacks became the worst part of his everyday life. This once strong man always felt he had zero control over his next moment. That was his PTSD hell. That is the price Eddie Jones paid to serve his fellow Americans.

Graveside services are scheduled at 2 p.m. Saturday June 1, 2019 at Ebenezer Cemetery located approximately 5 miles East of Pittsburg off FM 557 with Rev. Mike Kessler officiating.