Etta Jones – Alaska’s Reluctant Hero

Mary Breu's Last Letters from Attu: The True Story Of Etta Jones, Alaska Pioneer and Japanese P.O.W.

Etta Jones is a true American hero. She was the only American white woman captured by the Japanese during World War II. In fact, according to Mary Breu, “She was the first Caucasian female taken prisoner by a foreign enemy on the North American continent since the War of 1812…” When the Japanese invaded the Aleutian Islands they landed on Attu and claimed every man, woman and child a prisoner of war. In Breu’s fine treatment of Jones’ role in this unique episode of American history, a woman emerges who is more than just an icon of American spirit in the face of adversity – what we get is the real thing – a woman who stood up, made a difference and lived to tell her story.

Wisely, Breu – Jones’ great niece – approaches Jones’ riveting epic like any good story – she takes her time, beginning this uplifting tribute to bravery and decency long before Jones arrives in Alaska. She transports us back to when Jones has just graduated from the Pennsylvania Hospital Training School in Philadelphia with a degree in nursing. Her sister Marie, in search of excitement, heard Alaska beckoning to her. She persuaded Etta to join her on her trek, though Etta made it understood, she would only accompany her for one year. Upon arriving in Alaska Breu lets Jones tell in her own words, through her letters and excerpts from her manuscripts, how she first fell in love with Tanana, Alaska, its surrounding environs and the people who lived there. From there we follow Jones and her husband Foster, who meet and marry in Alaska (both at the tender age of 43), teaching and serving Alaska’s far-flung villages for nearly 20 years, prior to the brutal arrival of World War II at their doorsteps.

In Kipnuk, where they lived during the early 1930s, they taught the Yupik people. The Jones’ were quite impressed with these folks, who despite living in dire poverty, always appeared cheerful and friendly – and it wasn’t just an act – they were sincerely, happy people. The Jones’ believed these impoverished individuals were some of the most intelligent, delightful and honest people they had ever encountered: “No more honest people exist than these people. With scrap building material lying all around the new house, no one took home the tiniest piece without first asking permission. ..They were amazingly quick at understanding, showing great pride and delight when they were able to read about themselves. Their bubbling good humor was constantly in evidence.”

It was inspiring, that notwithstanding the vast cultural differences that separated them, the Jones’ dignified their relationship with their Yupik neighbors by acknowledging their integrity and worthiness. “Their ways were not our ways, but who were we to say their ways were not best for the life they were forced to lead in that barren, inhospitable land? White men could not survive the conditions under which they lived so happily. They were intelligent and ingenious. They made the best of what they had.”

By the time the Jones’ landed on Attu, they were two of the most seasoned employees of the Alaskan Indian Services. They decided Attu was going to be their final assignment before retiring to Seattle. Both were 62 years old when they began their stint on Attu in August of 1941 – only three short months prior to Japan bombing Pearl Harbor, commencing World War II. Then, on June 7, 1942, Japanese forces invaded the unprotected island of Attu and everything changed. The lives of Etta and Foster Jones were irrevocably torn asunder.

Abruptly, with Japan’s hostile takeover of Attu, Breu’s tone shifts dramatically. Until then, though readers know what’s coming, Breu maintains a positively upbeat demeanor. The book has been a celebration of a wife and husband who’ve found the perfect niche – doing what gives them satisfaction, while fulfilling a valid social need. And then, it all turns to merde. After Etta is spirited from Attu to Japan she ends up imprisoned with a group of Australian and British women. They spend the next three, long years being shuttled from one prison-like facility to another. To say they are treated inhumanely would be a gross euphemism. When finally rescued by American troops Etta weighs less than 80 pounds. But, she and her fellow colleagues survived.

If this were a work of fiction it would have ended just like it does. Good triumphs over evil. Good works are rewarded. In today’s turbulent times, Last Letters from Attu is just what the doctor ordered.