Hilary Pollard Jones, Jr. (14 November 1863 – 1 January 1938) was an officer in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

during the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (cloc ...

and

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. During the early 1920s, he served as Commander in Chief,

United States Fleet The United States Fleet was an organization in the United States Navy from 1922 until after World War II. The acronym CINCUS, pronounced "sink us", was used for Commander in Chief, United States Fleet. This was replaced by COMINCH in December 1941 ...

Early life and career

Jones was born in

Hanover County, Virginia Hanover County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 109,979. Its county seat is Hanover Courthouse. Hanover County is a part of the Greater Richmond Region. History Located in the wester ...

on 14 November 1863. His father was Hilary Pollard Jones, Sr. (1833–1913), who was a Colonel of artillery in the

Army of Northern Virginia The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was also the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most oft ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. Jones graduated from the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

in 1884. As a young

Ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

, Hilary Jones was commended for his bravery and skill in helping to save ''Nipsic'' from sinking during the great

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...

hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...

of 1889.
"Six War Vessels Sunk . . " (H.P.Jones is listed as one of the Ensigns in the Officer Roster) During the Spanish–American War Jones served on USS Dorothea (1898), ''Dorothea'' on patrol duty off

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

. In the next years he sailed in various ships of the fleet, rising to command the battleship ''Rhode Island'' in 1912. In 1913 he assumed command of the

Washington Navy Yard The Washington Navy Yard (WNY) is the former shipyard and Weapon, ordnance plant of the United States Navy in Southeast, Washington, D.C., Southeast Washington, D.C. It is the oldest shore establishment of the U.S. Navy. The Yard currently serv ...

World War I and post-war years

During

Jones commanded patrol units and later a division of the Transport Force. He received the Distinguished Service Medal for his outstanding service. Following the war Admiral Jones had important commands at sea, culminating in 1922 in the post of Commander in Chief,

. In 1923 he left this duty to join the

Navy General Board The General Board of the United States Navy was an advisory body of the United States Navy, somewhat akin to a naval general staff and somewhat not. The General Board was established by general order 544, issued on March 13, 1900 by Secretary ...

Retirement

Admiral Jones retired in 1927 but served as naval advisor at the

Geneva Disarmament Conference The Conference for the Reduction and Limitation of Armaments, generally known as the Geneva Conference or World Disarmament Conference, was an international conference of states held in Geneva, Switzerland, between February 1932 and November 1934 ...

, and then the

London Naval Conference 1930 The London Naval Treaty, officially the Treaty for the Limitation and Reduction of Naval Armament, was an agreement between the United Kingdom, Japan, France, Italy, and the United States that was signed on 22 April 1930. Seeking to address is ...

. He was a prominent member of the Virginia Society of the Society of the Cincinnati, representing Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall, and served as its president from 1924 to 1926. Admiral Jones died 1 January 1938.

Namesake

The destroyer USS ''Hilary P. Jones'' was named for him.

References

External links

ANC Explorer
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Hilary Pollard, Jr. United States Navy admirals United States Naval Academy alumni American military personnel of the Spanish–American War United States Navy personnel of World War I 1863 births 1938 deaths People from Hanover County, Virginia Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal