The True Story of the U-Turn That Delayed V-J Day
For Thomas E. Jones, the last day of World War II offered, quite literally, 15 minutes of fame. Now, six decades later, the Montgomery County resident has received an unwanted 16 minutes more.
The new short movie "The Messenger," directed by Florida filmmaker Quincy Perkins, purports to tell the story of Jones's brush with U.S. history on the afternoon of Aug. 14, 1945. But Jones, 76, feels compelled to respond to the film, saying: "I just wanted to set the story straight."
Also wanting to set the record straight is his family, as well as the film's executive producer, Pat Croce, they said. The movie created a stir this week when Croce -- author, motivational speaker and former president of the Philadelphia 76ers -- announced that Perkins had deceived him and had hired an actor to portray the older Jones for interview footage in the film.
In a dramatized portion of the 16-minute film, Jones, a 16-year-old courier, is seen at work at the RCA communications office on Connecticut Avenue NW when a cable arrives announcing Japan's acceptance of the Allied demand for surrender. The young Washingtonian is told to deliver the message to the White House but, feeling no urgency, he stops at a diner to eat pancakes and socialize. After getting back on the road, he is cited by a police officer for an illegal U-turn, further delaying the delivery.
During an interview scene in "The Messenger," a man identified as Jones recalls hand-delivering the telegram to President Harry S. Truman at the White House. And the film -- which is dedicated to Jones -- indicates that he lived in Allentown, Pa., and died in December.
The real Thomas E. Jones, a retired C&P telephone worker, quietly begs to differ. "Even though I've had a lot of health problems," he said yesterday, "I'm still around."