MADISON — The Madison-based 115th Fighter Wing is honoring the fighter pilot who died in a crash in the UP with a hero's welcome and procession on Saturday.
The processional for Major Durwood "Hawk" Jones will start at the 115th Fighter Wing main gate at Truax Field in Madison and proceed to the Cress Funeral Home on University Avenue starting around 11:45 a.m. A spokesperson for the wing tells TMJ4 that Jones was on track for promotion to major before the crash, and was posthumously promoted.
Community members are encouraged to line the route on the sidewalk and boulevards to show their support. They are also asked to follow COVID-19 precautions and not to congregate on the funeral home grounds.
Jones, 37, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, died following a crash during a training flight in a F-16 Fighting Falcon. The Guard says Jones, based out of Truax Field in Madison, crashed in the Hiawatha National Forest on Dec. 8.
