Whitfield County native, Fox News contributor ‘Joey’ Jones to speak at Dalton chamber banquet

Published 12:08 am Sunday, October 13, 2019

Johnny “Joey” Jones, a Whitfield County native and a Fox News contributor, gives the keynote address at the Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce banquet on Tuesday, Nov. 12, at the Dalton Convention Center.

The evening begins at 6 p.m. with a one-hour reception with dinner and a program following. The evening includes recognition of the Diplomat of the Year, Small Business Person of the Year and the Chairman’s Award. Chairman of the Board Kevin Brunson (FirstBank) will pass the gavel to incoming Chair Tom Bundros (Dalton Utilities). Tickets are available by contacting the chamber at (706) 278-7373 or at www.daltonchamber.org. Tickets for chamber members are $75 each or a table of 10 for $750. The cost to non-members is $90 each or a table of 10 for $950. The reservation deadline is Monday, Oct. 28.

Jones is is a retired United States Marine. His eight-year career in the Marines has brought him to the forefront of advocacy for active duty and veteran wounded warriors. Jones’ military career was brought to an end after he was severely injured in August 2010.

He was assigned to the U.S.S. Rushmore for sea service in 2006 then served in combat in 2007 and 2008 in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq. In 2010, Jones deployed to Helmand Province of Afghanistan to disarm the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) used by the Taliban. While in Afghanistan, he disarmed more than 85 IEDs and disposed of several thousands of pounds of unknown bulk explosives. Jones’ deployment was abruptly ended when he stepped on an IED while conducting Explosive Ordnance Disposal procedures. He recovered from his injuries at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center at Bethesda, Maryland.

During his recovery, Jones started a peer visit program which allowed him and other wounded warriors to visit with, encourage and mentor more recently wounded warriors in the in-patient wards. This gained Jones the attention of many in Washington, D.C., and provided opportunities for him to speak on behalf of the immediate physical and emotional support needed for the country’s most severely wounded heroes. Jones was invited to have dinner with the president of the United States for this achievement.

After completing the immediate stages of his recovery, Jones began attending classes at University of Maryland University College and working as the first enlisted Congressional Fellow for the House Veterans Affairs Committee. There, Jones shared his experiences with the Congressional committee members, staff and various interest groups to better serve wounded warriors. Jones’ deployment and recovery experiences were featured on “CBS Evening News” and ABC’s “Nightline.”

He retired from the Marine Corps in October 2012 and graduated from Georgetown University in 2014. He has been awarded the Purple Heart, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with combat Valor Device, Combat Action Ribbon and Outstanding Military Community Service Medal along with various campaign and unit awards.

Jones and his wife, Meg, are both graduates of Southeast Whitfield High School. They have two children and reside in Sharpsburg.