 Jones held a reserve commission in the army and was called into the service after filming his roles as "The Wreck" in "My Sister Eileen" (1942) and "Alabama Smith" in "Flying Tigers" (1942), a John Wayne vehicle that was one of the most popular action films of the war.This picture began Jones' 20-year onscreen association with Wayne, who was also a former football player at the University of Southern California.Jones remained associated with the service after the war, encouraging college students to consider the Reserve Officers' Training Corps.