When the Japanese began their brutal occupation of the Philippines in January 1942; 76;000 ill and starving Filipino and American troops tried to hold out on Bataan and Corregidor. That spring; after having been forced to surrender; most of those men were thrown into Japanese POW camps while dozens of others slipped away to organize guerrilla forces. During the three violent years of occupation that followed; Allied sympathizers in Manila smuggled supplies and information to the guerrillas and the prisoners. Theresa Kaminski's Angels of the Underground tells the story of four American women who were part of this little-known resistance movement: Gladys Savary; Claire Phillips; Yay Panlilio; and Peggy Utinsky - all incredibly adept at skirting occupation authorities to support the Allied war effort. The nature of their clandestine work meant that the truth behind their dangerous activities had to be obscured as long as the Japanese occupied the Philippines. If caught; they would be imprisoned; tortured; and executed. Throughout the Pacific War; these four women remained hidden behind a veil of deceit and subterfuge.An impressive work of scholarship grounded in archival research; FBI documents; and memoirs; Angels of the Underground illuminates the complex political dimensions of the occupied Philippines and its importance to the war effort in the Pacific. Kaminski's narrative sheds light on the Japanese-occupied city of Manila; the Bataan Death March and subsequent incarceration of American military prisoners in camps O'Donnell and Cabanatuan; and the formation of guerrilla units in the mountains of Luzon. Angels of the Underground offers the compelling tale of four ordinary American women propelled by extraordinary circumstances into acts of heroism; and makes a significant contribution to the work on women's wartime experiences. Through the lives of Gladys; Yay; Claire; and Peggy; who never wavered in their belief that it was their duty as patriotic American women to aid the Allied cause; Kaminski highlights how women have always been active participants in war; whether or not they wear a military uniform.
#290995 in Books 2015-12-14Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 6.50 x 1.60 x 9.30l; .0 #File Name: 019992824X512 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. More than four angelsBy Joseph S.Theresa Kaminski’s well-written “Angels of the Underground†chronicles the experiences of American women caught in Manila under Japanese occupation during World War II. I did not know much about the war in the Philippines so this was an enlightening book (For example; I didn’t realize how close Manila; Bataan; and Corregidor were to each other).The book ostensibly is about four American women who worked underground or with guerilla outfits against the Japanese occupying Manila and Bataan Peninsula (three of the women were awarded the Medal of Honor back in the United States after the war). All four women were heroes in their own way (Peggy Utinsky is my favorite – The paraphrased Donovan line “Superman and Green Lantern ain’t got nothing on her†applies to this five foot tall red-headed Irish woman); but to me the book was chock full of heroes.Americans; Filipinos; and people of other nationalities risked their lives - without pay; without training; without financial or military support – to do their part to keep POWs and other interned civilians from dying of disease and starvation. (There was a lot of disease and very little food and medicine in the Philippines). And the contributions made by the religious; priests and nuns; and doctors and nurses and anyone with medical expertise are amazing. Virtually every hero (and not just the four American women) in this book could have sat back passively and waited it out. But they didn’t. And a lot of those heroes were killed or tortured for their efforts. All would have been forgotten without books like Angels of the Underground.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. I know a fair bit about WWII -- but only ...By Aaron G.I know a fair bit about WWII -- but only the European aspect of the war. This book not only illuminated the war in the Pacific; it illuminated the remarkably brave; heroic; and self-sacrificing wartime actions of Yay Panlilio; Gladys Savary; Claire Phillips; and Peggy Utinsky; four women who risked everything to help American soldiers. The book is a remarkable work of research; and provides valuable documentation on the wartime contributions of civilian women.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Proud to be an AmericanBy CustomerAfter watching Mrs. Kaminski's book review on C-SPAN; I purchased this book for my grandmother; who served in the Philippines in WWII. I truly appreciate the author's detailed work to learn about these women and their stories. It has given me a greater perspective off the sacrifices made and the courage this generation had to preserve freedom around the world. This book makes me proud of my American heritage; and it makes me proud to be an American! God bless you; and God bless America!
