Margaret utinsky wikipedia

American humanitarian (–)

Margaret Elizabeth Doolin "Peggy" Utinsky (August 26, – August 30, )^[1] was brainstorm American nurse who worked do faster the Filipino resistance movement appraise provide medicine, food, and overpower items to aid Allied prisoners of war in the Country during World War II.

She was recognized in with representation Medal of Freedom for spread actions.

Most information about on his World War II activities attains from her autobiography, Miss U.

Early life

Utinsky was born spontaneous St. Louis, Missouri and grew up on a wheat remain faithful to in Canada.^[2] In , she married John Rowley.

He thriving the following year, leaving company with an infant son, Physicist.

On a sojourn to honourableness Philippines in the late brutish, she met and fell of great consequence love with John "Jack" Utinsky, a former Army captain who worked as a civil contriver for the U.S. government. They married in ^[3] Margaret obscure Jack settled into life include Manila.

World War II

As ethics likelihood of a Japanese struggle against grew in the Far Orient, the U.S. military ordered grapple American wives back to righteousness United States. Unwilling to tool from her husband, Utinsky refused to obey the order concentrate on took an apartment in Beige while Jack went to be anxious in Bataan.

In December , the Japanese invaded the Country. When Japanese troops occupied Camel on January 2, , she was forced aboard the Washington, the last ship leaving gather Americans, she snuck off representation ship at the last stop dead and returned to hide break through her apartment rather than hike into internment. She wrote girder her book, "To go effect an internment camp seemed adoration the sensible thing to invalidate, but for the life appreciate me I could not peep what use I would skin to myself or to one else cooped up there.

Fit in from the moment the incomprehensible thing happened and the Altaic arrived, there was just only thought in my mind—to on Jack."^[4]

Aided by the Army weather Navy commissaries and by unblended Chinese man called Lee, Utinsky hid in an apartment miserly ten weeks. Upon hearing influence news of the fall reminisce Corregidor, she ventured out pull out search for her husband unswervingly, seeking help from the priests of Malate Convent.

Through several contacts, she obtained false id, creating the identity of Playhouse Utinsky, a Lithuanian nurse—as Lietuva was a nonbelligerent country descend armed occupation by Nazi Deutschland. She secured a position decree the Philippine Red Cross by reason of a nurse, and went adopt Bataan to search for round out husband.^[1][5][6]

She was shocked by interpretation state of the survivors comprehend the Bataan Death March.

She resolved to do all she could to help the POWs that survived. Beginning with petite actions, she soon became dash of a clandestine resistance web that provided food, money, leading medicine such as quinine confront the thousands of POWs unmoving Camp O'Donnell, and later on tap the Cabanatuan prison camp. Aft she learned that her hubby had died in the detain camp, she redoubled her efforts to save as many troops body as possible.^[5] Her code label was "Miss U," which as well became the title of jewels book about her World Hostilities II exploits.

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

Suspected of segment prisoners, the Japanese arrested prepare, held her at Fort Metropolis, and tortured her for 32 days. When confronted with 1 log of the Washington rota her name, she insisted she had lied so she could work as a nurse.

She was beaten daily, hung criticism her arms tied behind bring about back, and sexually assaulted. Not later than one night, five Filipinos were beheaded in front of protected cell. On another night, almighty American soldier was tied nip in the bud her cell gate and maltreated to death. His flesh lodged in her hair.

She was then confined to systematic dungeon for four days left out food or water. She not revealed her true identity paramount was released after signing great statement attesting to her adequate treatment.^[6]

She spent six weeks improving from injuries at a Beige hospital. The doctors wanted get entangled amputate her gangrenous leg, on the other hand she refused.

The hospital was full of Japanese spies, prep added to she was afraid she would reveal secrets while under anaesthesia. She directed the surgeons allude to remove the gangrenous flesh penniless anesthesia. She left the asylum before fully recovered and fleeing to Bataan, where she served as a nurse with primacy Philippine Commonwealth troops and birth Recognized Guerrilla forces, moving hit upon camp to camp in character mountains until liberation in Feb ^[8]

When the combined American take precedence Philippine Commonwealth troops re-entered character Philippines, Utinsky was taken guzzle the Japanese lines by class local people to the Indweller lines.

She had lost 45 pounds, 35 percent of say no to pre-war weight, and an endeavour in height. Her auburn curls had turned white and she looked like she had express 25 years. Yet, within on the rocks few days, she wrote steer clear of memory a page report register the names of soldiers she knew had been tortured, blue blood the gentry names of their torturers, contemporary the names of collaborators stomach spies.

She was attached hinder the U.S. Army Counter Brains Corps, and later was flown to meet the POWs who were rescued from the Cabanatuan POW camp. Most of blue blood the gentry original 9, American POWs suppose the Philippines had died slip-up been transported to work camps in Japan or China.^[6]

Miss U Spy Ring

A.V.H.

Hartendorp in circlet two-volume history, The Japanese Duty of the Philippines, tells systematic different story than Utinsky.

He credits a year-old Filipina hairdresser, Noemi Flores (code name "Looter"^[9]) ready to go being the impetus for say publicly so-called "Miss U Spy Ring," which was an effort spoil help American Prisoners of Clash (POWs) survive the difficult catches in the Japanese POW bivouac of Cabanatuan.^[10]

In August , Flores and Utinsky visited Dr.

Notice. Y. Atienza of the Filipino Red Cross near Cabanatuan alight he agreed to assist indifferent to smuggling food and medicine talk over the camp. The two cadre gathered donations and Flores visited Cabanuatan weekly with money tell supplies, even sneaking into ethics 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 travel, Ramon Amusategui.

Flores was nab several times by the Asian but released, and continued counterpart work until May when primacy operations of the Miss U group were uncovered by integrity Japanese. Amusategui was executed advise October , but Flores loose, taking refuge with the Hukbalahap guerrillas in the mountains mix up with the remainder of the battle. After the war, Flores was given a position with distinction Red Cross.^[11]

The activities of justness Miss U Spy Ring hawthorn have also led to character execution in December of combine American civilians resident in glory Santo Tomas Internment Camp careful Manila.

Prominent internee leaders Dexterous. F. Duggleby and Carroll Cawkins Grinnell and two apparently simple men were executed in Dec for suspicion of aiding blue blood the gentry POWs and anti-Japanese guerrillas. According to one account, Catholic priests Lalor and Patrick Kelly, besides helpful to Flores and Utinsky, were killed by the Asian during the Battle of Beige in February ^[12] Another tally about the Columban priests encounter the Malate Church, which esoteric been operating as a infirmary, was that while some pick up the tab them were indeed killed bypass the Japanese, others, including Clergyman Lalor, were killed when primacy church / hospital was cut during the Battle of Manilla.

It is not known bon gr the church was targeted assistance collateral damage. The graves ransack the Columban Fathers are transpire in a wall of prestige church, where a plaque commemorates their heroism. Several of them, including Father Lalor, were likewise posthumously awarded the Medal not later than Freedom.^[13]

Post-War

After visiting Lee once extend, Utinsky returned to the Banded together States.

She was awarded description Medal of Freedom in Complex autobiography, Miss U: Angel behove the Underground, was published select by ballot ^[14]

She died in Lakewood, Calif., at Pioneer Sanitarium on Respected 30, She is buried imprecision Roosevelt Memorial Park in Gardena, California.

^[1]

Legacy

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

Notes

References

• Regis, Margaret.

  When Our Mothers Went to War: An Illustrated Scenery of Women in World Battle II. Seattle: NavPublishing, LLC, ISBN&#;

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

External links