Florence Ebersole Smith Finch oral history interview, 2007-2008.

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Florence Ebersole Smith Finch oral history interview, 2007-2008.

Oral history interview of Florence E. Finch, of Ithaca, N.Y, including descriptions of her working at Fort Santiago, Manila, Philippines, under Maj. E. Carl Engelhart, U.S. Army Intelligence (G-2), Hg. Philippine Dept., U.S. Army; her work assisting Filipino resistance and U.S. and Filipino prisoners of war; her capture by Japanese soldiers, interrogations and torture by the Kempei tai (Japanese secret police), and imprisonment at Bilibid and then the women's prison at Mandaluyong; her memories of American spy and author, Claire Phillips, who was also imprisoned at Bilibid and Mandaluyong; Finch's training, activities, and military life during her service in the United States Coast Guard Women's Reserve (SPARS); and life after SPARS disbanded and being presented with the U.S. Medal of Freedom.

1 transcript.

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 7342808

Related Entities

There are 6 Entities related to this resource.

United States. Coast Guard

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6qg2x3f (corporateBody)

The Rock of Ages Light is a U.S. Coast Guard lighthouse on a small rock outcropping approximately 2.25 miles west of Washington Island and 3.5 miles west of Isle Royale, in Keweenaw County, Michigan. It is an active aid to navigation. From the description of Rock of Ages Lighthouse Logbook, 1939-1945. (Michigan Technological University). WorldCat record id: 758507044 "The U.S. Coast Guard is one of the five armed forces of the United States and the only military organization...

Phillips, Claire, 1908-1960

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Thiesen, William H.

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Bilibid Prison (Manila, Philippines)

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United States. Coast Guard. Women's Reserve

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Finch, Florence Ebersole Smith, 1915-

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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; ...