Houston County resident killed in Ukraine

Family reports Georgia man serving as foreign fighter near Bakhmut killed in mortar shell explosion.

(41NBC/WMGT/CNN)- Another one of the three Americans who died in Ukraine recently has been identified.

The family of Jeffrey Judd Jones says a mortar shell explosion killed him on July 31st.

They say he’s an Army veteran who wanted to help the children of Ukraine.

His father says his son was injured in Ukraine last year but still chose to return in April.

He says Jones is from Maine originally but was a Perry, Georgia resident when he died.

According to a statement sent to 41NBC News from Jones’ father, Jeff was in the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a Foreign Fighter near Bakhmut, Ukraine when he was killed.

Statement from the family: 

The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv has confirmed that a mortar shell explosion killed my son, Jeffrey Judd Jones, in action on July 31, 2023. Jeff was a Foreign Fighter in the Armed Forces of Ukraine fighting near Bakhmut Ukraine at the time.

Jeff had traveled to Ukraine twice to help the Ukrainian people, particularly the children. Jeff supported humanitarian efforts and then served on a volunteer medic team near the front in 2022 to add more purpose to his life. A block wall fell on Jeff when an artillery round struck a building. Jeff was in a Ukraine hospital for five days with a severe concussion. He then returned to the US in July 2022.

Despite Jeff’s past experiences serving on the front, Jeff was determined to help the Ukrainians, so he returned to Ukraine in April 2023. Jeff served with David Craig, in the American Ukrainian Foundation, supporting humanitarian efforts for a month. However, Jeff believed his skills were most needed in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, so he joined in June to fulfill his sense of purpose.

Jeff, age 48, grew up in Bowdoinham, Maine, vacationed in Harpswell, Maine, and was a resident of Perry, Georgia. He served in the US Army and applied the skills he learned in the Airborne Division in Ukraine. He also used the skills he learned as a Spartan Racer, and on the medic team in Ukraine, to train Foreign Fighters in Ukraine. Jeff was very protective of the Foreign Fighters in his group, particularly the younger, inexperienced fighters. Jeff’s family and friends are proud of Jeff’s contributions and sacrifice for the Ukrainian people.

Jeffrey’s ashes will return to Bangor this month.

Jeff’s family and friends will miss him dearly.

The family will provide more details of what happened if they become available.

Howard F. Jones, Jr.
Jeffrey’s Father