Honoring A Hero: The Heartwarming Homecoming Of Navy Veteran

Navy veteran Buck Jones has been battling respiratory failure and was recently admitted to the hospital with pneumonia, where his prognosis was not very good.

“When he first went in, aside from all the attention, we didn’t think he would be at home,” said Jones’ son, Alan Jones.

After being placed in hospice care, family members arranged for a pinning ceremony.

“I think the chaplain at the VA came in and talked about the ceremony,” Alan Jones said.

Concerned that no one would attend his pinning, Mr. Buck Jones was surprised when over 30 veterans came to salute him and thank him for his service.

“It was overwhelming. I was so proud to be a vet myself,” said Buck Jones.

After a three-week stay in the hospital, Mr. Jones is now home.

“He’s a fighter for a little bit longer,” Alan Jones said.

A long-time fan of News 9, Mr. Jones has a favorite among the anchors.

“I like David Payne, for one thing,” Buck Jones said.

With a quick phone call, David Payne reached out.

“This is David Payne. How are you?” he said during the call.

After the conversation, it was time for the real celebration.

“I’m a car freak, an old car freak,” Buck Jones said.

His granddaughter, Ashley, shared how he had long expressed a desire for a classic car.

“Grandpa kept saying, you know, I really want a ’56 Chevy hardtop, and I was like, okay, I can get you a little Hot Wheels one for the time being,” Ashley said.

Being a classic car enthusiast, Buck Jones had one idea: for classic cars to come see him. Through the power of Facebook, the plan quickly took shape.

“I made a Facebook post, and the next thing I know, it’s being shared to car clubs across the state, to Tinker Air Force Base, and to national military groups,” Ashley said.

As the cars drove by in support of the Navy veteran, Buck Jones was once again overwhelmed by the outpouring of love.

“I’m going to be smiling and proud—proud that people would do that for me,” Buck Jones said.

The support of the military community was on full display.

“If it wasn’t for people like us and others, we wouldn’t have a country,” Buck Jones added.