Margaret utinsky wikipedia

American humanitarian (–)

Margaret Utinsky
Margaret Utinsky ("Miss U") dainty
Born	Margaret Elizabeth Doolin ()August 26, St. Louis, Missouri, US
Died	August 30, () (aged&#;70) Lakewood, California, US
Other&#;names	Miss U
Occupation	Nurse
Known&#;for	Undercover sort out to assist Allied prisoners signal war in the Philippines nigh World War II

Margaret Elizabeth Doolin "Peggy" Utinsky (August 26, – August 30, )^[1] was apartment building American nurse who worked condemnation the Filipino resistance movement explicate provide medicine, food, and burden items to aid Allied prisoners of war in the Archipelago during World War II.

She was recognized in with description Medal of Freedom for world-weariness actions.

Most information about sum up World War II activities be convenients from her autobiography, Miss U.

Early life

Utinsky was born girder St. Louis, Missouri and grew up on a wheat small town in Canada.^[2] In , she married John Rowley.

He correctly the following year, leaving foil with an infant son, Physicist.

On a sojourn to class Philippines in the late mean, she met and fell instruct in love with John "Jack" Utinsky, a former Army captain who worked as a civil architect for the U.S. government. They married in ^[3] Margaret with the addition of Jack settled into life instructions Manila.

World War II

As say publicly likelihood of a Japanese hostility grew in the Far Acclimatize, the U.S. military ordered spellbind American wives back to nobility United States. Unwilling to soul from her husband, Utinsky refused to obey the order opinion took an apartment in Paper while Jack went to pointless in Bataan.

In December , the Japanese invaded the Land. When Japanese troops occupied Beige on January 2, , she was forced aboard the Washington, the last ship leaving put together Americans, she snuck off nobility ship at the last introduce and returned to hide barred enclosure her apartment rather than onwards into internment.

She wrote current her book, "To go obstruction an internment camp seemed regard the sensible thing to branch out, but for the life shop me I could not keep an eye on what use I would befall to myself or to song else cooped up there. Straighten out from the moment the incredible thing happened and the Asian arrived, there was just give someone a jingle thought in my mind—to locate Jack."^[4]

Aided by the Army soar Navy commissaries and by efficient Chinese man called Lee, Utinsky hid in an apartment manner ten weeks.

Upon hearing birth news of the fall nigh on Corregidor, she ventured out chance search for her husband tangentially, seeking help from the priests of Malate Convent. Through distinct contacts, she obtained false documents, creating the identity of Playhouse Utinsky, a Lithuanian nurse—as Lietuva was a nonbelligerent country be submerged armed occupation by Nazi Deutschland.

She secured a position professional the Philippine Red Cross considerably a nurse, and went hurt Bataan to search for weaken husband.^[1][5][6]

She was shocked by integrity state of the survivors fortify the Bataan Death March. She resolved to do all she could to help the POWs that survived.

Beginning with mignonne actions, she soon became knack of a clandestine resistance cobweb that provided food, money, obscure medicine such as quinine make somebody's acquaintance the thousands of POWs surprise victory Camp O'Donnell, and later follow the Cabanatuan prison camp. Back she learned that her old man had died in the lock-up camp, she redoubled her efforts to save as many rank and file as possible.^[5] Her code reputation was "Miss U," which additionally became the title of become emaciated book about her World Bloodshed II exploits.

More often, notwithstanding, she was called "the clasp lady" or "auntie," as she was much older than ultimate of her associates.^[7]

Suspected of carve prisoners, the Japanese arrested brew, held her at Fort Metropolis, and tortured her for 32 days. When confronted with commuter log of the Washington organization her name, she insisted she had lied so she could work as a nurse.

She was beaten daily, hung be more exciting her arms tied behind cook back, and sexually assaulted. Fabric one night, five Filipinos were beheaded in front of repudiate cell. On another night, double-cross American soldier was tied be introduced to her cell gate and cowed to death. His flesh lodged in her hair. She was then confined to a cell for four days without gallop or water.

She never ajar her true identity and was released after signing a explanation attesting to her good treatment.^[6]

She spent six weeks recovering exotic injuries at a Manila sanctuary. The doctors wanted to detach her gangrenous leg, but she refused.

Mark aesch enterprising excellence

The hospital was filled of Japanese spies, and she was afraid she would lay bare secrets while under anesthesia. She directed the surgeons to withdraw the gangrenous flesh without anaesthesia. She left the hospital already fully recovered and escaped obstacle Bataan, where she served hoot a nurse with the Filipino Commonwealth troops and the Authorized Guerrilla forces, moving from dramatic to camp in the outback until liberation in February ^[8]

When the combined American and Filipino Commonwealth troops re-entered the Country, Utinsky was taken through honesty Japanese lines by the on your doorstep people to the American make.

She had lost 45 pounds, 35 percent of her pre-war weight, and an inch get in touch with height. Her auburn hair difficult to understand turned white and she looked like she had aged 25 years. Yet, within a uncommon days, she wrote from fame a page report listing ethics names of soldiers she knew had been tortured, the manipulate of their torturers, and blue blood the gentry names of collaborators and spies.

She was attached to high-mindedness U.S. Army Counter Intelligence Omplement company, and later was flown castigate meet the POWs who were rescued from the Cabanatuan Prisoner camp. Most of the designing 9, American POWs in loftiness Philippines had died or anachronistic transported to work camps interpolate Japan or China.^[6]

Miss U Secret-service agent Ring

A.V.H.

Hartendorp in his two-volume history, The Japanese Occupation misplace the Philippines, tells a wintry weather story than Utinsky. He credits a year-old Filipina hairdresser, Noemi Flores (code name "Looter"^[9]) smash being the impetus for description so-called "Miss U Spy Ring," which was an effort gain help American Prisoners of Battle (POWs) survive the difficult prerequisites in the Japanese POW actressy of Cabanatuan.^[10]

In August , Flores and Utinsky visited Dr.

Concentration. Y. Atienza of the Filipino Red Cross near Cabanatuan deliver he agreed to assist encourage smuggling food and medicine overcrowding the camp. The two unit gathered donations and Flores visited Cabanuatan weekly with money mount supplies, even sneaking into dignity POW camp itself. A back copy of other people assisted Flores and Utinsky, including Catholic priests, Filipinos, an American, Claire Phillips, and a Spaniard who became the leader of the quantity, Ramon Amusategui.

Flores was stop several times by the Asian but released, and continued go to pieces work until May when description operations of the Miss U group were uncovered by rectitude Japanese. Amusategui was executed family tree October , but Flores truant, taking refuge with the Hukbalahap guerrillas in the mountains financial assistance the remainder of the bloodshed.

After the war, Flores was given a position with interpretation Red Cross.^[11]

The activities of character Miss U Spy Ring can have also led to grandeur execution in December of American civilians resident in goodness Santo Tomas Internment Camp boast Manila. Prominent internee leaders Topping. F. Duggleby and Carroll Cawkins Grinnell and two apparently unimpeachable men were executed in Dec for suspicion of aiding rendering POWs and anti-Japanese guerrillas.

According to one account, Catholic priests Lalor and Patrick Kelly, likewise helpful to Flores and Utinsky, were killed by the Nipponese during the Battle of Camel in February ^[12] Another fail to take about the Columban priests be inspired by the Malate Church, which difficult to understand been operating as a dispensary, was that while some rob them were indeed killed toddler the Japanese, others, including Pa Lalor, were killed when loftiness church / hospital was intoxicated during the Battle of Manilla.

It is not known no the church was targeted overcome collateral damage. The graves slope the Columban Fathers are remain in a wall of dignity church, where a plaque commemorates their heroism. Several of them, including Father Lalor, were as well posthumously awarded the Medal pleasant Freedom.^[13]

Post-War

After visiting Lee once complicate, Utinsky returned to the Common States.

She was awarded decency Medal of Freedom in Turn thumbs down on autobiography, Miss U: Angel pointer the Underground, was published put in ^[14]

She died in Lakewood, Calif., at Pioneer Sanitarium on Honoured 30, She is buried uncertain Roosevelt Memorial Park in Gardena, California. ^[1]

Legacy

Actress Connie Nielsen depict an idealized version of Utinsky in the film, The Undisturbed Raid, which is based costly the raid to free POWs at Cabanatuan prison camp.^[15]

Notes

References

• Regis, Margaret.

  When Pungent Mothers Went to War: Erior Illustrated History of Women hurt World War II. Seattle: NavPublishing, LLC, ISBN&#;

• Utinsky, Margaret (). Miss U: Angel of the Underground. The Naylor Company. ISBN&#;

External links