Chapter 0049 is one of the oldest chapters, if not the oldest chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, in the state of California.  The Sunny Jones Chapter 0049 had it genesis in San Diego on June 23, 1936 when the national Headquarters of Newark, New Jersey, approved its charter application.  The fifteen (15) patriots who made application to the National Headquarters, chose to name the organization the Sunny Jones Chapter.

     The progenitor or namesake of the chapter was First Sergeant Henry F. Jones (“Sunny Jones”), a Marine trained at Marine Corps Recruit Depot – San Diego.  1^st Sergeant Jones was assigned to the 97^th Company and was later transferred to Quantico, VA, where the 97^th was added to the 3^rd Battalion and deployed to France in late August 1917.  1^st Sergeant Jones participated in several battles, including, Mont-sous-les-Cotes, Belleau Woods, Saint-Mihiel, Soissons, and Blanc Mont Ridge.  Sergeant Jones final campaign was at Blanc Mont Ridge where more than one-thousand marines were lost in October of 1918.