Lance Corporal Derek W Jones, Farewell and God Speed

Lance Corporal Derek W. Jones

Lance Corporal Derek W Jones was with the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force based in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. He joined the Marines in 2003 and had served eight months in Afghanistan. Last month, he left for Iraq for a second tour. On October 8, he, and two other Marines, died from injuries suffered when a roadside bomb exploded while he was on patrol in the Al Anbar province.

Derek was from Salem, Oregon, and a graduate of Sprague High School. He played football and racketball. Derek was an outdoorsman who loved hunting and fishing. He was married to his high school sweetheart, Pamela Petty, and they have a daughter, Madison. He planned to go to college to become an architect after his service in the Marines.

Kary Hadden, Derek's uncle, said his nephew truly believed in what he was doing in Iraq. "He was willing to make the sacrifice for our country," Hadden said.


For a moving video interview with Derek's uncle and brother, go here.

To leave a message of condolence, visit Derek's Legacy Page.