Clifton Cleo Jones

Seaman Second Class Clifton Cleo Jones was killed in action on May 7, 1942 when the USS Sims was sunk in the Battle of the Coral Sea during World War II.  He was 18 years old.

Clifton Cleo Jones was born on December 11, 1923 in Henderson, North Carolina, the son of James Mayon Jones and Katie Roberta Brinkley Jones.  He graduated from Henderson High School in the Class of 1941. 

S2 Jones was inducted into the U.S. Navy in 1941 and served aboard the destroyer USS Sims.

With the outbreak of war on 7 December 1941, the Sims became part of Task Force 17 (TF17) formed around USS Yorktown. The task force sortied from Norfolk on  December 16, 1941 for San Diego, California. From there, it sailed as part of a convoy taking Marines to Samoa, arriving on January 23, 1942.

In late April 1942, a Japanese task force was assembled to begin operations in support of Japanese moves towards Australia. This consisted of a covering group to protect landing forces on Tulagi and Port Moresby and a striking force, under the command of Admiral Takeo Takagi, to eliminate Allied shipping in the Coral Sea. American ships were divided into task forces centered on USS Lexington and Yorktown. Sims was ordered to escort the oiler USS Neosho. The task force refueled on May  5-6 and then detached Neosho and Sims to continue to the next fueling point. On the morning of May 7, 1942, a search plane from the Japanese striking force sighted Sims escorting the oiler Neosho and reported them to Admiral Takagi as a cruiser and a carrier. Takagi ordered an all-out attack. At 0930, 15 high level bombers attacked the two ships but did no damage. At 1038, 10 attacked the destroyer, but skillful maneuvering evaded the nine bombs that were dropped. A third attack against the two ships by 36 dive bombers was devastating. Neosho was soon a blazing wreck as the result of seven direct hits and one plane that dived into her.

Sims was attacked from all directions. The destroyer defended herself as best she could. Three 500-pound bombs hit the Sims. Two exploded in the engine room; and, within minutes, the ship buckled amidships and began to sink, stern first. As Sims slid beneath the waves, there was a tremendous explosion that raised what was left of the ship almost 15 feet out of the water.  All but 16 of the Sims crew were lost, including S2 Cleo Jones.

Seaman Second Class Clifton Cleo Jones is listed on the Tablets of the Missing – United States Navy, in the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, Philippines.

Last edited: 30 May 2026