Norval Jones

Norval Jones (October 10, 1926 – February 12, 2008) was an American WW II Sailor who with 27 other men with the average age of 72 years, made history in the winter of 2000 and 2001 when they sailed a WWII LST across the Atlantic from the island of Crete, Greece to Mobile, Alabama to restore as a living museum.

Biography
Born in Orion Township, Michigan, Norval enlisted in the United States Navy on his 17th birthday, October 10, 1943, but since he had to wait for his mother to sign the enlistment papers for him, he didn’t officially enter the service until February 8, 1944. He took his basic training at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station in Chicago, Illinois and then went to basic engineering school. Norval continued on to Diesel School in Richmond, Virginia and finally was trained in amphibious operations in Norfolk, Virginia before being shipped out to the Pacific Theater aboard the LST 828 as a mechanic (Motor Mac). Norval missed the invasion of Iwo Jima due to a collision the LST 828 had with an American destroyer requiring his ship to dry dock for several weeks; however, Norval did see action in the Pacific as well as took part in the invasion of Okinawa in the spring of 1945. During an ammunition run, Norval fractured his leg in a typhoon encountered by the Pacific fleet and was sent to Pearl Harbor for rehabilitation. During his recovery, the war ended and Norval was discharged in November 1947. Norval then spent the next five years in the Naval Reserve and was discharged in November 1952 with the rank of MoMM 2/C. Norval and 27 other men with the average age of 72 years, made history in the winter of 2000 and 2001 when they sailed a WWII LST across the Atlantic from the island of Crete, Greece to Mobile, Alabama to restore as a living museum. Due to his extensive medical training as an Emergency Medical Technician with his local fire department and retiring as a Captain after 35 years, Norval was designated a Master Chief Emergency Medical Tech for the LST recovery. Norval is a member of the Gold Crew which consists of those men that sailed the ship home. Norval died on February 12, 2008, seven years after his historic voyage.