Born Florence Ebersole; daughter of a Filipina and an American soldier from Buffalo, N.Y.; enlisted in the United States Coast Guard Women's Reserve (SPARS) during World War II after first escaping imprisonment by the Japanese; she was captured (Oct. 1944), in the Philippines, after serving with the Filipino resistance and assisting U.S. and Filipino prisoners of war; she was liberated by Allied forces during the invasion of the Philippines and after returning to the U.S., she joined the SPARS; she was the first woman to receive the Pacific Theatre Campaign ribbon and was also presented with the U.S. Medal of Freedom; she first married Charles "Smitty" Smith (U.S. Navy PT boat crewman; killed in action at Corregidor); second marriage to Robert Finch; resident of Ithaca, N.Y.
From the description of Florence Ebersole Smith Finch oral history interview, 2007-2008. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 325223321
