Inventory of the Dwight A. Jones Papers, 1968 - 1973, 1991 (bulk 1968-1969)
Winston-Salem State University
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Contact Information:Winston-Salem State University ArchivesC.G. O'Kelly Library Winston-Salem, N.C. 27110 336-750-2455 336-750-2459 http://www.wssu.edu/library/archives |
Descriptive Summary
| Repository: | Winston-Salem State University. Archives |
| Creator: | Jones, Dwight A., 1948- |
| Title: | Dwight A. Jones Papers, 1968-1973, 1991(bulk 1968-1969) |
| Language of Material: | Material in English |
| Location: | For current information on the location of these materials, please consult Winston-Salem State University Archives. |
| Abstract: | Dwight A. Jones (1948- ) served a tour of duty in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969 in the U.S. Army. |
| His papers primarily consist of letters written to family members and photographs from Vietnam, documenting Jones' experiences as an African-American combat soldier and his difficulty reconciling racism within the military, national patriotism, and Black Nationalism. The collection also documents the effects of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder experienced by Jones and his subsequent recovery. | |
| Extent: | .4 linear feet, 1 archival box |
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Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
Collection is open for research
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Copyright Notice
Copyright for official university records is held by Winston-Salem State University. Copyright for other materials is retained by the creators, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
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Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Dwight A. Jones Papers (MS 6), Winston-Salem State University Archives, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
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Acquisitions Information
Gift of Dwight A. Jones, 2003.
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Processing Information
Processed by Carter Cue, Feb. 2005 and Cat S. McDowell, April 2005
Edited and encoded by Cat S. McDowell, April 2005
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Biographical Note
Dwight Anthony Jones was born August 31, 1948, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to Evans and Ruby Jones. Dwight and his older sister Patricia Lynn obtained their primary and secondary educations in the segregated schools of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County. In high school, Jones was a noted All-City defensive lineman, and helped lead Carver High to several championships. Following graduation from high school in 1966, he began working a series of jobs at local factories. In 1968, at the height of the Vietnam War, Jones was drafted into the United States Army. After completing his basic training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and advanced infantry training at Fort Ord, California, Jones was deployed to Vietnam, where he served as an ammunition bearer for a machine gun unit for nine months. During his stint in Vietnam, Jones experienced the usual horrors of war unique to combat soldiers: continual firefights with enemy soldiers, disease, sleepless nights in mosquito-infested climates, ambushes, injury to fellow soldiers, and death. When his tour of duty in Vietnam ended in October of 1969, he returned to Winston-Salem. Six days after his arrival, Jones was involved in a car accident and sustained a severely broken leg that required surgery and months of hospital rehabilitation. In the summer of 1970, Jones was discharged from the U.S. military and enrolled that fall as a student at North Carolina A&T State University. However, as a result of a military record error, he was denied G.I. education bill funding and was forced to discontinue his studies. Upon leaving N.C. A&T State University, Jones worked as a store clerk and later a bus driver for the Experiment for Self-Reliance, a social aid program in Winston-Salem.
From 1971 to 1972, Jones had a series of episodes that included several arrests. He was admitted to a hospital for psychiatric care, where he was treated for Vietnam-induced Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Upon his release, Jones became a long-distance truck driver. He later moved to Atlanta, GA, where he obtained a diploma in barbering and cosmetology. He then worked as a platform artist, trainer, and motivational speaker for three large cosmetology companies - Zoto's International, Clairol International, and La Marick's Beauty Corporation. Jones later opened and operated a hair salon in Charlotte, North Carolina, for over five years. In the summer of 1991, Jones closed his hair salon and enrolled in Winston-Salem State University. He graduated from Winston-Salem State University in 1996 with the B.A. degree in English. Following graduation, he was employed at the institution in several positions, including library stacks manager, Academic Resource Center computer lab manager, and English instructor. After 5 years at WSSU, he turned to work as a consulting editor and columnist for the AC Phoenix newspaper. In 2003 Jones began writing a book on his experiences during Vietnam and as a civilian, and began to pursue a career in Christian ministry
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Collection Overview
The Dwight Jones papers primarily consist of letters, including greeting cards, a telegram, and incomplete drafts, written by Jones to his mother and other family members from Vietnam. These materials document Jones' experiences as a combat soldier in Vietnam and his struggles to reconcile issues of racism within the military, national patriotism, and Black Nationalism. Common topics in the letters are Jones' combat activities, his physical health and safety, financial problems, requests for cigarettes and care packages, messages to friends back home, inquiries about loved ones and activities in Winston-Salem, and leave plans and experiences. Post-war materials document Jones' October 1969 car accident, his correspondence with the Army regarding disability and financial support, and the effects of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder he experienced. The collection also contains photographs of Jones taken in Vietnam, a biographical newspaper article, and miscellanea that provides insight into his life. These materials are arranged chronologically, with correspondence preceding other materials.
Online Catalog Headings
| Jones, Dwight A., 1948- . |
| Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975--African Americans. |
| Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975--Psychological aspects. |
| Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975--Veterans--Mental health. |
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Container List
| Dwight Jones Papers | ||||||||||
| Box | Folder | Description | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Correspondence, May 28, 1968 | ||||||||
| 2 | Correspondence, October 8, 1968 | |||||||||
| 3 | Correspondence, October 15, 1968 | |||||||||
| 4 | Correspondence, October 21, 1968 | |||||||||
| 5 | Correspondence, November 6, 1968 | |||||||||
| 6 | Correspondence, November 10, 1968 | |||||||||
| 7 | Correspondence, November 17, 1968 | |||||||||
| 8 | Correspondence, November, 1968 | |||||||||
| 9 | Correspondence, November 24, 1968 | |||||||||
| 10 | Correspondence, November 28, 1968 | |||||||||
| 11 | Correspondence, December 6, 1968 | |||||||||
| 12 | Correspondence, December 17, 1968 | |||||||||
| 13 | Correspondence, December 20, 1968 | |||||||||
| 14 | Correspondence, December 23, 1968 | |||||||||
| 15 | Correspondence, December 30, 1968 | |||||||||
| 16 | Correspondence, 1968 | |||||||||
| 17 | Correspondence, January 27, 1969 | |||||||||
| 18 | Correspondence, January 30, 1969 | |||||||||
| 19 | Correspondence, February 2, 1969 | |||||||||
| 20 | Correspondence, February 4, 1969 | |||||||||
| 21 | Correspondence, February 23, 1969 | |||||||||
| 22 | Correspondence, March 10, 1969 | |||||||||
| 23 | Correspondence, April 16, 1969 | |||||||||
| 24 | Correspondence, April 28, 1969 | |||||||||
| 25 | Correspondence, ca. April 1969 | |||||||||
| 26 | Correspondence, May, 1969 | |||||||||
| 27 | Correspondence, May or June 1969 | |||||||||
| 28 | Correspondence, ca. July 1969 | |||||||||
| 29 | Correspondence, Aug. 1969 | |||||||||
| 30 | Correspondence, Aug. 1969 | |||||||||
| 31 | Correspondence, Aug or Sept. 1969 | |||||||||
| 32 | Correspondence, 1968 or 1969 | |||||||||
| 33 | Correspondence, 1968 or 1969 | |||||||||
| 34 | Correspondence, 1968 or 1969 | |||||||||
| 35 | Correspondence, 1968 or 1969 | |||||||||
| 36 | Correspondence, 1968 or 1969 | |||||||||
| 37 | Correspondence, 1968 or 1969 | |||||||||
| 38 | Correspondence, 1968 or 1969 | |||||||||
| 39 | Correspondence, 1968 or 1969 | |||||||||
| 40 | Correspondence, 1968 or 1969 | |||||||||
| 41 | Correspondence, 1968 or 1969 | |||||||||
| 42 | Correspondence, 1968 or 1969 | |||||||||
| 43 | Correspondence (Incomplete), 1968 or 1969 | |||||||||
| 44 | Correspondence (Incomplete), 1968 or 1969 | |||||||||
| 45 | Correspondence (Incomplete), 1968 or 1969 | |||||||||
| 46 | Correspondence (Incomplete), 1968 or 1969 | |||||||||
| 47 | Correspondence (Incomplete), 1968 or 1969 | |||||||||
| 48 | Correspondence, 1971 | |||||||||
| 49 | Correspondence, 1973 | |||||||||
| 50 | Correspondence, September 13, 1991 | |||||||||
| 51 | Correspondence, October 22, 1991 | |||||||||
| 52 | Correspondence, November 29, 1991 | |||||||||
| 53 | Correspondence, December 4, 1991 | |||||||||
| 54 | Greeting Card, c. 1968/1969 | |||||||||
| 55 | Greeting Card, c. 1968/1969? | |||||||||
| 56 | Photographs, Feb. 1969 | |||||||||
| 57 | Forsyth County Dept. of Social Services Receipt, March 8, 1972 | |||||||||
| 58 | Newspaper Article, December 24, 1972 | |||||||||
| 59 | Prayer Leaflets, n.d. | |||||||||
| Photocopies (10 folders) | ||||||||||