William F. Kelly

Buck's War William F. Kelly

Buck Jones was a high school student and athlete consumed with the patriotic desire to join the military to help defeat the enemy in World War II. Upon graduation in 1942 from Mineola High School on Long Island he enlisted in the marines. When his patrol plane was shot down over the Pacific, the family was notified that the entire crew was missing in action and presumed dead. One person refused to accept that determination as final. Buck's mother, Lena, told him before he left home that he would survive the war and return home safely. She continued to pray that he would live and not for an instant did her faith waver. Buck, using his intelligence and following an inner voice, not only survived on an island in the Pacific but dealt a severe blow to the Japanese war effort. He returned home to a few surprises.