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VFW national chief of staff speaker at Pearl Harbor commemoration

By Frances Borsodi Zajac fzajac@heraldstandard.Com 2 min read
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The national chief of staff of the Veterans of Foreign Wars will serve as the main speaker for a commemoration of the 74th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the event that brought the United States into World War II.

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8543 will welcome Allen Q. Jones to the ceremony it is hosting at 10 a.m. on Dec. 7 at the post home, located at 1235 W. Penn Boulevard in North Union Township.

Jones, who resides in Dunbar Township with his wife, Nancy, was elected to the position of national chief of staff on July 22 in Pittsburgh at the national convention for the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States.

Jones served in the Army from 1943-45 during World War II as a tank driver in the European Theater of Operation. He received the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.

Jones joined the Veterans of Foreign Wars in 1945 at Post 47 in Uniontown. He currently maintains his life membership at Post 21 in Connellsville. Jones previously served as state commander for Pennsylvania, was on the VFW National Home for Children Trustees board as president from 1994-95, and served on the National Council of Administration from 1999 to 2001.

Jones attended Waynesburg University, earning a bachelor’s degree in education. He retired as a school teacher from the Connellsville Area School District.

Jones is a member of the American Legion, AMVETS, Pennsylvania Association of School Retirees and Great Bethel Baptist Church in Uniontown.

Carl Stockton, Post 8543 commander, said the commemoration will include the Vietnam Veterans Inc. having a 21-gun salute and outdoor flag ceremony with the post band playing music. Other participants include Albert Gallatin Junior ROTC and Laurel Highlands Junior ROTC. Public officials have been invited.

The post has hosted a commemoration almost annually for the past 25 to 30 years.

“It’s very important,” said Stockton of remembering the anniversary. “We lost a lot of lives. You don’t want to forget.”

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