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The Last Weather Observation
Charles Foster Jones (1879-1942), U.S. Weather Bureau observer in Attu, Alaska. Jones was the only civilian executed by the Japanese military on North American soil during World War II. A black and white photograph of a man in profile, crouched outdoors. The man, Charles Foster Jones, is wearing a wide-brimmed fedora-style hat, a dark sweater or jacket, and rough trousers tucked into heavy socks or boots. He is sitting on rocky ground in what appears to be a rugged, outdoor environment. The background is slightly blurred but suggests a desolate, possibly cold, landscape with some debris or snow behind him.

The Last Weather Observation

By NWS Heritage Projects Editorial Team

Editor's Note: The following is adapted from an article that appeared in the Fall 2017 edition of the National Cooperative Observer newsletter.

 

NWS Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM) Joel Curtis of Juneau, AK, recently discovered the story of cooperative observer Charles Foster Jones, an NWS observer executed by the Japanese during World War II.

A black and white photograph of the white wooden Russian Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas located in Attu Village, Alaska, where Charles Foster Jones was initially buried after his 1942 execution. The single-story church features a dark, domed cupola topped with an Orthodox cross on a small belfry tower. The building has several arched windows along its side and front. The church is situated in a desolate, natural landscape of low-lying scrub brush and hills. Several simple white grave markers topped with crosses are visible in the vegetation surrounding the church, indicating an adjacent cemetery. The background features a large, dark, shrub-covered hill rising behind the structure.
Location of Attu Island (image from Google Earth)

Jones' story was captured in a book entitled, “Last Letters from Attu.” Recognizing the significance of this distinct part of U.S. history, Curtis enlisted the NWS Communications team to create a commemoration worthy of the sacrifice Jones made.

Russian Orthodox church in Attu
Jones was initially buried next to the Russian Orthodox church in Attu following his 
execution, before later being removed to Fort Richardson National Cemetery near
Anchorage. (Library of Congress photo)

Jones lived with his wife, Etta, in the village of Attu in Alaska’s sparsely populated Aleutian Islands. His tenacity and bravery held fast when, after sending his final weather observation, he tried to alert officials that the Japanese had landed on June 7, 1942. He destroyed his radio to avoid its use by the enemy, and was executed when he refused their orders to repair it. He was the only civilian to be executed by the Japanese military in North America during World War II. He died on June 8, 1942. Etta was captured as a prisoner of war, and held in Japan for the duration of the war.

On September 7, 2017, NWS Leadership honored the families of Charles Foster Jones and of his wife Etta during a public event with 50-plus members of the local community in Saint Paris, OH, where his nephew, Donald K. Jones, lives. 

A commemorative plaque honoring Charles Foster Jones, a civilian weather observer. The image features a black-and-white photo of Jones in a hat and jacket on the left. The text reads: "WEATHERMAN AT WAR, We Honor and Remember the Ultimate Sacrifice of Charles Foster Jones, Civilian Weather Observer." A paragraph below the name provides context: "Mr. Jones lived with his wife, Etta, in the village of Attu in Alaska's Aleutian Islands. His tenacity and bravery held fast when, after sending his final weather observation, he tried to alert officials that the Japanese had landed on June 7, 1942. He was the only civilian weather observer to be executed by the Japanese Navy during World War II. He died on June 8, 1942." The NOAA logo is positioned in the upper right, and the document is signed at the bottom by "Louis W. Uccellini, Director, National Weather Service."
Contents of the plaque given to Jones' family

Donald accepted the recognition plaque. A duplicate plaque will be displayed at the Gateway to NOAA exhibition adjacent to NWS Headquarters in Silver Spring, MD. 

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Categories
Time Periods: Weather and the War (1942-1945)
Tags
coop weather observer
View Count
10094 Views
Publish Date
12/22/19