Johnny Joey Jones is a Fox News contributor who also happens to be an Afghanistan veteran.
Jones endured two combat deployments (Iraq and Afghanistan) and eight years of active service in the Marine Corps, serving as a bomb technician. Jones suffered a life-changing injury while deployed to Afghanistan, resulting in the loss of both of his legs.
Needless to say, Jones has unique insight to share when it comes to current events, and spoke on Outnumbered Monday about serving with two men who didn’t manage to make it home.
“Let me say I lost my legs in Afghanistan. It was an absolute blessing to come home and I know that every day. I don’t hold that against any president or the Taliban or anyone. I am at a full peace with it. I am honored to have served in Afghanistan. I believe my work there helped people come home safe and that matters to me. But I wanted to take an opportunity I think we have some pictures to talk about couple of men I fought alongside and didn’t come home.
The first was corporal Daniel Greer. He was a full-time fireman and decided to join the marine reserves and become an engineer which is not an easy job. He thought it was his duty as an American to fight a war to protect our country and seek revenge for 9/11. Daniel was killed by the IED that took my legs. He didn’t make it home. We were injured on August 6 and he took his last breath on August 8th while we were in Germany together. He is a hero. We cannot, cannot forget Daniel and the thousands just like him they gave their last breath so that we could stay safe for at least 20 years.
Another person I would like to honor is a Gunnery Sgt. Floyd Holley. He was a marine EOD tech and a mentor to me and I think we’ve got a picture of him as well. A couple things about him. He was killed two weeks after I was injured covering the IED’s that I would’ve been working. My accident led directly to his death. Floyd and I had a conversation just before he went on the operation that took his life and my legs. He had a daughter that wasn’t born yet and wouldn’t be born until after his death. I asked him, do you wanted to be a boy or girl and he looks at me and goes, I don’t care with the baby is as long as it’s healthy and happy and I get to be there to see it born. That was Floyd. That was the last meaningful thing he said to me. It stuck with me ever since.
I have a daughter now and every time I look at her I think about Floyd and his two daughters. All I can think is that these men sacrificed not just their lives but when you sacrifice your life, you sacrifice every single minute and day you would’ve stayed on this Earth making an impact in other people’s lives. As mad and frustrated as I am today I just hope the American people understand these people died for you. Let’s make this world a better place and select leaders that are leaders and not just politicians. As much as we want to complain, may be lets look forward and look for the right people to do the right things. We haven’t had much of that in a while.”
Here’s Jones on Outnumbered: