Thomas Jefferson Jones was born July 29, 1894, son of Calvin and Mazie Jones. He lived in Scottsville, NC, at the time of his enlistment in the United States Marine Corps. Thomas was a member of the USMC for thirty years, retiring in 1946 with a rank of MGySgt. MGySgt Jones was one of the first six Marines to be designated to the rank of MGySgt when it was incorporated into the USMC rank structure, in World War II. He was a Double Distinguished, Distinguished Rifle Marksman (1920) and Distinguished Pistol Marksman (1934).

MGySgt Jones either won or placed in the following NRA-USMC shooting matches:

• The “Dogs of War” National Team Trophy (1921/22/25/35/36/37/40)
• The Campbell Match (1919/21)
• The Bancroft Match (1921)
• The Bailey Match (1921)
• The Libbey Trophy Match (1921)
• The AEF Roumanian (1921/23/35)
• The San Diego Trophy (1922/35)
• The Members Match (1922)
• The Marine Corps Match (1922)
• The Hyden Team Match (1922)
• The United Service Match (1922)
• The Turner Match (1925)
• The Neider Match (1925)
• The United Service Match (1925)
• The Haines Trophy (1927)
• The Fourth Marines Cup Match (1931)
• The Marine Cup Match (1931)
• The Kansom Cup Match (1931)
• The Far East Pistol Team Competition (1934)
• The San Diego Trophy 1935 (2x) Individual Rifle Match (3x)
• The Enlisted Men’s Cup (1935/38)
• The Hayden Match (1935)
• The National Individual Rifle Match (1935)
• The Hennrick Trophy Match (1935/38/39) Note: The match required each man to fire twenty rounds from 1,000 yards without a telescopic sight. The 1938 team fired a perfect score. October Issue of the American Rifleman called it “one of the greatest feats in shooting history.”
• The AEF Roumanian (1935)
• The National Trophy Rifle Team Match (1935/36)
• The San Diego “Bear” Trophy (1936/37)
• The Baranov’s Trophy (1936)
• The Hank Adam’s Trophy (1936)
• The Hamilton Trophy (1936)
• The Leech Cup Match (1936)
• The President’s 100 (1936)
• The National Individual Rifle Match (1936)
• The National individual Pistol Match (1936)
• The NRA Re-entry Rifle Match (1936)
• The Enlisted Men’s Trophy Team Match (1937)
• The National Trophy Individual Rifle Match (1937)
• The National Rifle Team Match (1935/36/37/38/39)
• The Leech Cup (1939)
• The Appreciation Cup (1939)
• The Lee O. Wright Memorial Grand Aggregate was composed of his total score in the Navy Cup, Leech Cup, Coast Guard Trophy, Marine Corps Cup, Wimbledon Cup and Presidents Match (1939)
• The President’s Cup, (1939) Comprised of 2,032 competitors.

Among the records set by MGySgt Jones were:

• 1919 Campbell Match record 133 bullseyes at 300 yards
• 1921 Libby Trophy Match record for 66 bullseyes at 1100 yards

Following his retirement, the “T.J. Jones Small Unit Trophy” was established for outstanding marksmanship during requalification at Camp Mathews, CA.  The Marine Military Academy General H.M. Smith Foundation, inducted MGySgt Jones into the Smith Foundation in 2010.

Tom Bartlett wrote in the Dec. 1985 edition of Leatherneck Magazine:
“Tom retired from the Marine Corps after serving his country for over 30 years. His wife, Jean, served as a woman Marine during WW2.
”Tom became a Distinguished Rifle Marksman in 1920. He became Distinguished with the Pistol (Double Distinguished) in 1934. He was a member of the West Coast team that won the San Diego Trophy in 1922 and again in 1924. ‘That was a big thing’ Tom explained, ‘In addition to the prestige, Marine members of the team received $10 apiece, and that was big money, back then.’ He was also a member of the 1935, 1936 and 1937 National Trophy Rifle Team that won the coveted “Dogs of War” trophy. ‘I got a lot of memories,’ he admitted, ‘I can’t even remember what all those medals and doodads are about anymore. But no matter, hell, it was fun,’ said Jones.”