Landon Jones

United States Navy Lieutenant Commander Landon Jones passed away on September 22, 2013 while in the line of duty.

Jones was born in Santa Barbara, California and raised in Lompoc, California. His childhood was full of family, joy, and exploring. The Jones family was very loving and supportive of each other. They enjoyed spending time outdoors and camping throughout California. Jones loved to play hockey, so much so that he would organize neighborhood games with his friends. Additionally, he played football and baseball in high school, was fascinated by military jets, and enjoyed working in the garage with his father, spending time with him and learning about cars. Jones and his wife, Theresa, met on her 21st birthday in downtown Annapolis. A mutual friend introduced them and they eventually married.

Motivated by his life-long dream of flying, combined with inspiration from his father, in July 1997 he started Plebe Summer at the U.S. Naval Academy and was commissioned upon graduation in May 2001. Flying came naturally to Jones; he was so passionate about it that he obtained the most amount of flying hours in the Training Wing. His favorite job was being an instructor pilot and in being a Naval Aviator, he understood the privilege of being entrusted with an aircraft and other’s lives. He found purpose in the missions he was tasked with and was a proud American who loved his country. Throughout his honorable career, Jones received Instructor Pilot of the Year and earned his 3000-hour Sikorsky patch. In 2013, Jones was deployed for eight-and-a-half months. On September 22, 2013, Jones landed his helicopter on a ship to drop off a corpsman with flu vaccines and pick up items to bring to a different ship. Upon landing, water damaged the helicopter, causing it to go overboard into the Red Sea. Jones and his copilot were never recovered. He left behind his six-year-old and two-month old son.

Theresa and her sons, Anthony and Hunter, currently reside in California. She loves to travel and go to the mountains with her boys. Creating memorable experiences for them has been one of her top priorities. Following her husband’s passing, volunteering helped Theresa cope with her grief and find meaning in life post-loss. She is heavily involved with her sons’ education and activities, such as track. In the future, she is excited to continue to watch her sons grow into the incredible humans they are becoming. She enjoys watching them develop their own interests and passions and subsequently guiding them along the way. Receiving support from Tunnel to Towers has lifted a tremendous burden off of Theresa’s shoulders. She and her boys are able to stay in the home they love, which she states is a gift that is hard to describe. Finally, Theresa would like others to know that Jones was a great father and husband. He loved teaching his older son, Anthony, various things and was looking forward to doing the same with Hunter. She is eternally thankful for everyone who has contributed along the way; it has truly taken a village.

United States Navy Lieutenant Commander Landon Jones is survived by his loving wife, Theresa, and his beautiful sons, Anthony and Hunter.