We Remember: CW4 Larry K. Jones

Backstory, CW4 Larry K. Jones, Grief Helpers

July 23, 2020

CW4 Larry Jones 1949-1983

Over the years people have expressed concern about causing sadness if they mention the loss of a loved one. I assure them that those grieving have not forgotten their loved one died. Instead, hearing the name and memories about those departed means they lived and are remembered. And that is a great gift.Last week a dear high school friend asked how I was feeling about the approaching 37th anniversary of the death of my husband, Larry Jones, on July 10, 1983. In the first few years, the pain was gruesome. Even though I moved on with my life—pursued an education, a career, buried our son, Levi, who died five years later, and raised our daughter, Kizzie Marie—the yearly anniversary of Larry’s death on July 10th remained a difficult time. It was almost as if my body, my psyche, and my soul went on automatic pilot.

The last week of Larry’s life replayed in my mind day by day. The last 4th of July fireworks at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. My daughter, Kizzie Marie’s, 8th birthday party. Larry finishing building the rabbit hutch and repairing the chicken coop, then stacking the remaining wood cut for the upcoming winter. Larry packing for the mission and driving away in his silver Ford pickup, the driveway gravel crunching underneath his tires. The Sunday evening phone call in time to chat with the children before bedtime and answer my question about the wheelbarrow. We said our goodbyes and “love yous.” I washed the dishes and secured the chickens in their coop for the night. By the next morning he was gone.

Larry’s Promotion to CW4 May 1983

Larry in his Dress Blues for a Special Event

I am grateful for the life I have been able to live over the past 37 years. If one thing was missing, it was that my new life and friends, co-workers, and neighbors never knew Larry. Larry, the someone who was so significant in the formation of my adulthood and was the father of my children. Few people remain who knew him. Some have passed and I have lost contact with many others. I felt an emptiness, a chasm, when I would mention Larry to those who never had the chance to know him.

Memorial in front of Jones Hangar (seen in background)

A few years ago, it was a great surprise and delight when I was notified that Larry’s unit, the Night Stalkers, 160th Aviation Battalion, Ft. Campbell, Kentucky, recognized Larry, and his sacrifice. A Chinook (CH-47) Helicopter Hangar was named the Jones Hangar in his honor. My daughter, Kizzie Marie (left, above), and I (right, above) visited.

This year, 2020, a college scholarship (for a student who also lost her Night Stalker parent) was named the CW4 Larry K. Jones Memorial Scholarship in memory of Larry. Larry is not just a statistic or a name on a Memorial Wall, he is still a part of the unit’s everyday routine.

There are so many ways Larry is not forgotten. Annually, since 1983, I receive a handwritten card from the Protestant Women of the Chapel on the anniversary of Larry’s helicopter crash; my daughter receives a birthday card every July; and we are always invited to change-of-command and other special functions even though we live too far away to attend. I am also thankful to Anne Style Anderson, another 160th Gold Star Wife who has reached out to me each year by tagging me on the Facebook postings from the unit’s annual memorial service.

I was stunned when this year, for the first time, I saw Larry’s photo from his promotion to CW4 come up on Instagram and Twitter, thanks to Operation Hawkeye! A tremendous outpouring of support in reactions and comments followed.

Night Stalkers 160th Memorial Wall with Flags Chinook CH-47

Recently, Josie Tuttle-Trimnal, a daughter who lost her father the same year Larry died, became the President of the Families of Fallen Night Stalkers (FFoFN) and has exchanged emails and Facebook posts to assure my daughter and me that we are still part of the fold. As Josie reminded me of the unit’s motto: “Night Stalkers Don’t Quit; Night Stalkers Don’t Forget.”

My daughter, Kizzie Marie, and I are fortunate to have the support and acknowledgement from the 160th. The faithful efforts of the Night Stalkers demonstrate remembrance in action. They bring to mind the comfort I feel from the poignant Litany of Remembrance written by Rabbis Sylvan Kamens and Jack Riemer, often used for memorial gatherings:

In the rising of the sun and its going down,
we remember them.
In the blowing of the wind and in the chill of winter
we remember them.
In the opening of buds and in the rebirth of spring,
we remember them.
In the blueness of the sky and the warmth of summer,
we remember them.
In the rustling of the leaves and in the beauty of autumn,
we remember them.
In the beginning of the year and when it ends,
we remember them.
When we are weary and in need of strength,
we remember them.
When we are lost and sick at heart,
we remember them.
When we have joys we yearn to share,
we remember them.
So long as we live, they too shall live, for they are now a part of us,
as we remember them.

Larry, your life and sacrifice have not been forgotten. We remember.

In Memoriam
Chief Warrant Officer Four Larry K. Jones
6 January 1949–10 July 1983

Chief Warrant Officer Four Larry K. Jones was born on 6 January 1949 in Nevada City, California, and was raised in Redding, California, graduating from Shasta High School. He served in the Army with distinction for over 15 years in Vietnam, Korea, Germany, and many stateside assignments. He was promoted to CW4 in May 1983 and was the unit Standardization Pilot since March 1983. CW4 Jones was a professional aviator that always thought highly of everyone he met. He flew everyone to their limit but considered their professional development. He understood the risk and challenges that awaited him and faced those adversities head-on. He was not one to shy away from his responsibilities and duties.
The accident that claimed his life on a CH-47 Chinook, #845, occurred on 10 July 1983 on South Fox Island, Michigan, located at the northern tip of Lake Michigan. CW4 Jones and the crew were planning and developing new doctrine, tactics, and techniques that have made the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) what it is today.

CW4 Jones is survived by his wife, Kizzie Elizabeth; his son, Levi; and his daughter, Kizzie Marie. Building #7272 on GEN Brown Compound at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, is dedicated in his honor as Jones Hangar.

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Comments

Judith Works
July 11, 2025
I’m happy that you have had joys to help compensate for sorrows. Life is so hard much too often and we need to keep looking for new projects, new events, new friends all the while never forgetting those we have lost.
Reply
1. Kizzie
  July 11, 2025
  Wise and kind words spoken by one who has walked the path. Thank you for connecting.
  Reply
Lindsay Butler
July 11, 2025
Dear Kizzie, I knew something had happened to the father of your children, but never the whole story. Thank you for sharing it with so much detail and candor. We all have “back stories,” and it gives me courage and comfort to hear yours. I loved seeing you in June at the art festival. Let’s doing something like that again. Until soon, hugs to you and Thom.
Reply
1. Kizzie
  July 11, 2025
  How kind of you Lindsay to reach out and to share how you experienced my story.
  Yes! I loved connecting this year at the Edmonds Arts Festival followed by lunch. Looking forward to our next adventure!
  Reply