She left Honolulu the end of November 1945 by herself to cross 1250 miles of treacherous Pacific Ocean for San Francisco. The Coast Guard tried to stop her because she was inexperienced and the 30-foot sail ketch was not sound.
She avoided them and left anyhow and headed out into the Pacific. LST 996 left Pearl Harbor on November 30, 1945, for San Diego and with the LST's great speed we caught up with her on December 6, 1945/ She was in trouble and taking on water. Also, she was barely alive. We took her aboard just before the ketch sank and disappeared below the waves. It took several days for her to get herself together.
She spent most of her time in officers quarters, but when the sea calmed down she would come out on deck and talk to the crew.
She had been a school teacher and at age 32 decided, for whatever reason, to travel to the United States. She was very smart and nice to talk to. She told us about her voyage up to the time we picked her up. We had decided to take her in tow, but later took her aboard just before her boat sank.
Tonya Jones, Photograph by Martin Greaser
taken aboard the USS LST 996
When Tonya Jones and LST 996 arrived in San Diego on
Dec 14, 1945, the pier was full of reporters. I don't believe she ever told anyone
why she wanted to cross the Pacific in that little sailboat.
The question still is, "what possessed her to risk her life on that
perilous voyage?" We never found out or read about it in the months LST 996 was
there getting ready for decommissioning on April 22, 1946.
Alfred A. Hunter
264 Hilltop Road
Delta, PA 17314
