Evening star., 1943-07-11
Nurse, Ex-Prisoner Of Jops,
HOPES to Return to Guam
BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.

As one of the few women prisoners
of war returned from japanese
concentration camp, Leona Jackson,
lieutenant q. g., Navy nurse, knows
what service to country may entail
in our far-fiung outposts and battle
stations.
If you are an applicant for one
of the various branches Of the
women's naval service, such as the
WAVES, SPARS or Marine Re-
serves, in all probability, 1t. jack
son, who is now on duty at the once
of Naval Procurement, 1920 G street
NV, will assist the examining phy-
sician with your physical examina-
ton
One Of the five Navy nurses as
signed to the Naval Hospital on
Guam, as supervisors and instruc-
tors in our Nays training school
for native student nurses, she was
on duty that December day when
the islands bombing began. Three
days later, when the Japanese took
over. she was made prisoner OF
war and held in confinement in
portion Of the Naval Hospital COM
pound for one month. During this
time, fortunately, food was still
available from the naval stores cap
tured by the Japanese.
Transferred to Kobe.
Next came her transfer, not as
first-class passenger. but as a cap
tive prisoner aboard the once-proud
Nipponese passenger ship Argentina
Maru en- route to the Japanese
prison camp at Zentsuji. Here she
was held for two months before
being sent on to the Japanese de-
tention house at Kobe, where she
remained until her exchange was
finally arranged.
1t was another two months from
the time she left Yokohama, Japan,
for the long journey home by way
of Hong Kong, French Indo- China,
Singapore, the Sunda Straits and
across the Indian Ocean to Luarenco-
Marques, Portuguese East Africa,
thence around the Cape Of Good
Hope to South America, before she
reached New YORK.
OF her experiences from the time
Guam was captured until she again
reached the mainland Of the United
States, she said, Il have never been
so proud that I am an American as
I was when I saw my fellow Amer
leans in that bad spot on Guam,
paying the supreme penalty for the
tragedy of our country's unprepared-
ness. Afterward, the morale OF our
American prisoners was always
superb"
Long Range Courage.
Bravery" she continued, sis an
instructive thing. 1t shows up In the
long, hard pull of accustoming ones
self to what seems hopelessly un-
bearable because there is no end In
sight, quite as much As it does in
the brilliant daring OF some high
moment of battle action.
"It is always amazing how kind and
magnificently unselfish seemingly
commonplace people can be to each
other in unfortunate circumstances.
From one experience to another.
those Americans shared, quite as
matter of course, their material pos
sessions and spiritual strengths, and
pooled their talents, abilities and
skills in the common cause OF one
for all and all for each other"
1t. jackson, who was born at
Union, Ohio, joined the Navy shortly
after her graduation as registered
nurse from the Miami Valley Hos
pital in Dayton, Ohio. She will
complete her seventh year OF service
as Navy nurse this month.
Poised and serene in manner, she
has features as clear-cut as those
of a cameo. Her eyes are deep wells
of human understanding. They give