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Following West Point, Jones attended infantry school at Fort Benning. His desire for active combat drove him to transfer to parachute school, where he earned his Jump Wings alongside his classmates. Eventually, he was assigned to the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division—famed as Easy Company. Arriving in France in mid-February 1945, Hank faced the daunting challenge of proving himself among seasoned soldiers after the brutal conditions of the Battle of the Bulge.