World War II Honoree

Florence Ebersole Smith Finch

Hometown

Philippine Islands

Honored By

Debra A. Stegall

PHILIPPINE BORN AMERICAN CITIZEN; WORKED AS A SECRETARY FOR THE U.S. ARMY INTELLIGENCE IN MANILA WHEN THE JAPANESE INVADED THE PHILIPPINES SOON AFTER THE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR IN 1941. AFTER THE AMERICAN FORCES SURRENDERED IN 1942, SHE HID HER AMERICAN BACKGROUND AND PASSED HERSELF OFF AS A PHILIPPINE CITIZEN. SHE WAS ABLE TO GET A SECRETARIAL JOB WITH A JAPANESE CONTROLLED FUEL DISTRIBUTION COMPANY WHERE SHE MANAGED TO DIRECT SUPPLIES TO THE FILIPINO RESISTANCE AS WELL AS FOOD AND MEDICINE TO AMERICAN PRISONERS OF WAR. SHE WAS CAUGHT IN OCTOBER 1944, AROUND THE TIME THAT AMERICAN FORCES STARTED RETAKING THE PHILIPPINES. SHE WAS TORTURED WITH ELECTRICITY AND FORCED TO SPEND WEEKS IN A CONFINED SPACE ONLY BIG ENOUGH TO SQUAT IN. SHE NEVER REVEALED THE INFORMATION HER INTERROGATORS SOUGHT. JOINED THE COAST GUARD IN THE FINAL WEEKS OF THE WAR. AS A CIVILIAN, SHE WAS AWARDED THE U.S. MEDAL OF FREEDOM, FOR HER ACTIONS OF AIDING AMERICAN PRISONERS AND FILIPINO RESISTORS, AN HONORARY ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER MEDAL AND THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT HONORED HER WITH THEIR DEFENSE MEDAL.