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2nd Lt Benjamin E. Jones, Jr. graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1943.

He enlisted in March 1943 but was permitted to finish his university course before being calling to active duty shortly after his graduation. He also was employed briefly by the Dakota National Bank.

At the University of Wisconsin, he was editor of the 1943 university yearbook, "The Badger"; president of the inter-fraternity council; president of his fraternity, Phi Delta Theta; a member of the university ROTC and a member of the Scabbard and Blade, honorary military organization. Graduated with honors, he was listed in the Who's Who of American colleges and universities.

His unit was sent out in a night attack on 6-7 November 1944 in the vicinity of Weert-Meijel. During the attack, the platoon of Lt Jones was separeted from the platoon on his flank. Lt Jones, with one of two of his men, endeavored to regain contact, and while doing so were taken under fire by a bypassed enemy machine gun outside Ospel. All of the party were either killed or wounded, and Lt Jones himself, sustained such serious wounds that he was unable to move from the spot.

He was taken prisoner and sent to Stalag VI-J were he was placed in the prison hospital for treatment. He died on the operating table during surgery to amputate his leg.

He was initially buried in an isolated grave at the cemetery of Holsterhausen-Dorsten, Germany, side by side with two other American soldiers. He was evacuated to Ardennes Cemetery on 11 April 1946 as Unknown X-2539. There he was identified and layed to rest in a temporary grave. He was again disinterred on 28 October 1948 and given his final resting place on 29 March 1949.
He is commemorated on a monument unveiled in Ospel, the Netherlands on 6 November 2019 in memory of the American soldiers who fell during the liberation of the town.