WWII veteran’s remains return home to Wichita, will be laid to rest Saturday

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – The remains of a World War II veteran are now home.

Staff Sergeant Wesley “Bub” Leon Jones, 22, was killed in action on Aug. 1, 1943, when his B-24 Bomber was hit by enemy fire.

His remains had been amongst the “unknowns” at an American cemetery in Belgium until earlier this year when his body was identified using modern forensic techniques.

His remains were repatriated on Thursday in order to be laid to rest next to his parents, Aral and Sherman Jones.

His funeral services are scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, at 2 p.m. at Wichita Park Cemetary. A viewing will be held beforehand from 9-11 a.m. at Hillside Funeral Home West.

Wesley was born in 1921 in Lockwood, Missouri. Before the age of 2, he moved to Wichita, Kansas. He graduated from Wichita North High School before entering the military to serve in WWII.

He would go on to train in the Air Corps and became a tail gunner on a B-24D Liberator Bomber.

Wesley was based in the desert of Libya, where he and members of the 9th Air Force flew missions over Italy. During his service, he received the moniker “Suck ‘Em in Jonesy.”

On Aug. 18, 1943, Aral received a telegram reporting that he was missing in action.

Aral and Sherman were presented with Wesley’s awards after his passing. On July 4, 1944, Aral and Sherman were presented with a distinguished flying cross with one oak leaf cluster and the air medal with four oak leaf clusters. On Oct. 8, 1944, Aral received a letter informing her that Welsy was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously.

According to Dignity Memorial, Wesley had a story that would be printed in local newspapers and national magazines in the 1940s. Click here to find out more.