James L. Jones, Sr.

Major James Logan Jones, Sr. was an officer in the United States Marine Corps and is considered to be a copatron of amphibious reconnaissance in the Fleet Marine Force. He pioneered the United States first amphib recon units, the Observer Group and the FMF Amphib Recon companies during World War II.

Jones was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, the son of Irene Catherine and Charles Vernon Jones. His grandfather founded The Jones Store. He had a brother, William K. Jones . James Jones graduated from Shattuck Military School, Faribault, Minnesota, in 1930, and various law schools. He joined the International Harvester Company working as a sales representative. By 1937, he was sent to Africa where he furnished various agencies and contractors with specifications and data on motor trucks and tractors. He traveled extensively in northern and western Africa, from Dakar in Senegal, to the Province of Southwest Africa, and later to Casablanca, Morocco, to cover the area from Gibraltar to the mouth of the Congo River. During this time, he learned to speak several languages.

Source: Wikipedia