Rita Thurman Barnes, a columnist for the Bartlesville (Okla.) Examiner-Enterprise, wrote a good story about Bartlesville resident Ron “Tattoo Man” Jones, who sports dozens of tattoos of Route 66 landmarks on his body.
Most people who meet Jones already know about his tattoos. And many see the 1956 Chevrolet car that he frequently drives. But many don’t know this back story about him:
Ron says, “After high school, I was in the army in Viet Nam from 1968 to 1969 and it was there I got my Purple Heart on Hamburger Hill on May 10, 1969. I would like to thank you for (writing my story). It really means a lot. About five years ago I was diagnosed with PTSD. You wouldn’t think that after 40 years the stuff that happened to us over in Nam would effect us the way that it does, but some of the things that I saw I will never be able to get rid of and, of course, you can quote me because it took me a long time to admit it to myself, but I think that it does help. It will never go away, what we saw and did, but we have to try and move on the best way that we can.”
To see some of Jones’ tattoos, go here and here. Jones also frequently goes to Route 66 gatherings, and often hangs out at Afton Station in Afton, Okla., when it’s open.
I had the pleasure of meeting Ron at Afton Station. It was a real thrill for me.
Why isn’t there a Ron Jones, Ronald Jones or a Jones with an R for a middle name on the Purple Heart Registry?
He’s a fraud.
I found him almost immediately:
https://www.thepurpleheart.com/roll-of-honor/profile/default?rID=ec4cf8f3-bd5d-498c-bd86-434f51ed70a0