Joseph J. Jones Diary

[Pete1052]

Click here for the online war diary of Joseph J. Jones, who served as an enlisted man in the AEF from 1917 to 1919.

Two errors are apparent in the introduction to Jones' diary: the identity of the unit to which Jones was assigned and the time at which hostilities on the Western Front ceased. Jones served in the 165th Infantry Regiment of the 42nd "Rainbow" U.S. Infantry Division. The 165th Infantry was also known as the "Fighting 69th," its previous designation as a New York state regiment. The introduction to the diary also makes the statement that the war was winding down in 1919; apparently whoever wrote it was unaware that fighting stopped on November 11, 1918.

In spite of those two errors there is no reason to doubt the authenticity of Jones' diary. The 165th Infantry/"Fighting 69th" is a famous unit that has traditionally been an ethnically Irish organization. During the Great War it was commanded by Medal of Honor recipient William J. Donovan, who during World War II was in charge of the Office of Strategic Services, the predecessor of the CIA.