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332:, the infamous Japanese prison in Manila (two miles from the American prison camp), where she was tortured for information. She was held in solitary confinement for six months and was to be executed for espionage. This sentence was commuted to twelve years' confinement at hard labor. In January 1945, when she was liberated from the prison by American forces, she was near death from starvation.
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After World War II, Phillips filed a claim with the United States Court of Claims for $ 146,850 in return for her wartime services. The Court turned down her claim and determined that she was "guilty of false testimony and fraud." A subsequent 1957 court ruling found that "many" of her "statements
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by
Japanese forces in 1941 and early 1942, her husband was captured. He later died in a prison camp, though she did not learn this until later. After the surrender of the American forces in the Philippines on April 9, 1942, she was persuaded by an American soldier turned insurgent named Cpl. John
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273:. While on tour in the Philippines, she met Filipino sailor Manuel Fuentes at a night club where she was performing. They married and had a daughter, Dian (later Americanized to Diane) Claire. The marriage did not last long and soon the couple divorced. She briefly returned to Portland.
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that would quickly become popular with
Japanese officers in Manila. Using the cabaret as a cover, Phillips was a member of the so-called "Miss U spy ring" that obtained information from the Japanese officers who patronized the club. The spy ring was intended to support the
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Working with a young
Filipino dancer named Fely Corcuera, Phillips arranged forged papers and created a new identity for herself as a Philippine-born Italian dancer named Dorothy Clara Fuentes. Together the two women established a cabaret titled "Club Tsubaki", a
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Before the beginning of the war, Claire, now Claire
Fuentes, returned to the Philippines and was singing in a night club in Manila where she met her future second husband, Sgt. John V. Phillips of the
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prisoner of war camp. To the prisoners of the camp, she became known as "High
Pockets". The name was said to be a description of her method of smuggling messages by hiding them in her brassiere.
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and claims were later found to be without foundation", but nevertheless awarded her $ 1,349.21 for the assistance she furnished to
American prisoners of war and Filipino guerrillas.
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328:(the Japanese military police) after one of the messengers she used to contact the POWs at Cabanatuan was captured, interrogated and killed. She was taken to
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Many of
Phillips' statements and claims about spying were later determined to be "without foundation," although in 1957 she was awarded $ 1,349.21 by the
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306:. Some of the information she collected was transmitted to American forces in the Pacific and used to predict and counter Japanese military activities.
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In the 1930s, she worked in night clubs in the northwest U.S. and later joined a musical stock company that toured east Asia including
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and anti-Japanese guerrilla movements to smuggle desperately needed food, medicines, supplies and information to the prisoners of the
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in
Portland before running away to join a traveling circus. Some accounts give her birth name as Mabel Clara Dela Taste.
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Women Heroes of World War II—the
Pacific Theater: 15 Stories of Resistance, Rescue, Sabotage, and Survival
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Article in "Vet News" Oregon
Veterans News Winter 2015 (Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs) page 9
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MacArthur's Spies: The Soldier, the Singer, and the Spymaster who Defied the Japanese in World War II
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After the war, Phillips returned with her daughter, Diane, to the United States, where she wrote
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193:, was an American spy, entertainer, club owner, and writer most noted for her exploits in the
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to Jesse Edgar Snyder, a marine engineer, and his wife Mable. Claire's family moved to
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Ghost Soldiers: The Forgotten Epic Story of World War II's Most Dramatic Mission
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434:"Claire Maybelle "Clara" Snyder Phillips (1907 - 1960) - Find A Grave Memorial"
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a book about her experiences. Her story was made into the Hollywood movie
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as Phillips. Phillips was a guest on an episode of the television series
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214:, a book about her wartime experiences. In 1951, she was awarded the
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Boone (also from the 31st Infantry) to help the resistance.
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in compensation for assistance she had provided to American
660:"Oregon's Female Spy:Singer Smuggler, POW, 'Gallant Woman'"
535:"Soldier Accounted For From World War II (Phillips, J.V.)"
487:"Adoptee's grandmother was 'An American Spy' | Local"
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Claire Maybelle Snyder was born on December 2, 1907, in
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In addition to espionage, she worked extensively with
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683:. Binfolds & Mort, Portland, OR. ASIN B0007EQFT4
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324:On May 23, 1944, Phillips was apprehended by the
177:(December 2, 1907 – May 22, 1960), also known as
679:Phillips, Claire, and Myron B. Goldsmith. 1947.
16:American spy, entertainer, club owner and writer
806:Franklin High School (Portland, Oregon) alumni
599:, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 420-424
458:"Manila Mata Hari -- Arts & Entertainment"
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253:, when she was a young child. She attended
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801:World War II spies for the United States
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712:"Claire Maybelle Phillips (1907-1960)"
667:1942: The Year That Tried Men's Souls.
568:"People & Events: Claire Phillips"
816:Neurological disease deaths in Oregon
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19:For the British portrait artist, see
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821:Infectious disease deaths in Oregon
662:(free subscription signup required)
372:Upon the recommendation of General
796:Recipients of the Medal of Freedom
669:Atlantic Monthly Press, New York.
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811:Inmates of the New Bilibid Prison
634:. Penguin. p. xi, 277, 331.
539:Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
508:"Claire Phillips: Forgotten Hero"
380:in 1951. She is honored at the
345:Post-war life and literary career
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610:"This Is Your Life Episode List"
524:Chicago Review Press, 1 Oct 2016
489:. democratherald.com. 2009-09-02
42:World War II spy "High Pockets"
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223:United States Court of Claims
210:. She was also the author of
382:Oregon World War II Memorial
369:that aired March 15, 1950.
290:invasion of the Philippines
151:Dian (Diane) Claire Fuentes
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595:Kaminsky, Theresa (2015),
412:"Clavier v. United States"
391:in 1960 at the age of 52.
108:Entertainer and club owner
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597:Angels of the Underground
336:Veracity and compensation
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387:Claire Phillips died of
384:with a memorial plaque.
21:Claire Phillips (artist)
717:The Oregon Encyclopedia
692:. Doubleday, New York.
200:. She was portrayed by
826:Deaths from meningitis
688:Sides, Hampton. 2001.
665:Groom, Winston. 2005.
630:Eisner, Peter (2017).
278:31st Infantry Regiment
233:resistance movements.
175:Claire Maybelle Snyder
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52:Claire Maybelle Snyder
356:I Was an American Spy
304:Philippine resistance
207:I Was an American Spy
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143:(3) Robert R. Clavier
141:(2) John V. Phillips
98:Dorothy Clara Fuentes
791:Female wartime spies
255:Franklin High School
576:American Experience
376:, she received the
204:in the 1951 movie
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139:(1) Manuel Fuentes
641:978-0-525-42965-4
612:. Classic TV Info
464:on April 30, 2011
374:Douglas MacArthur
366:This Is Your Life
359:(1951), starring
351:Manila Espionage,
195:Japanese-occupied
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315:Margaret Utinsky
299:gentleman's club
227:prisoners of war
216:Medal of Freedom
212:Manila Espionage
160:Medal of Freedom
130:Manila Espionage
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93:Other names
85:Portland, Oregon
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62:December 2, 1907
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125:Notable work
117:World War II
79:(1960-05-22)
77:May 22, 1960
786:1960 deaths
781:1907 births
753:Philippines
468:January 26,
288:During the
237:Early years
198:Philippines
189:as well as
775:Categories
616:2016-04-09
544:2020-08-20
493:2016-04-09
440:2016-04-09
395:References
389:meningitis
361:Ann Dvorak
319:Cabanatuan
202:Ann Dvorak
58:1907-12-02
765:Biography
326:Kenpeitai
284:War years
267:Hong Kong
136:Spouse(s)
581:April 1,
247:Portland
243:Michigan
231:Filipino
148:Children
66:Michigan
727:Portals
418:May 20,
261:Pre-war
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271:Manila
251:Oregon
156:Awards
694:ISBN
671:ISBN
636:ISBN
583:2015
470:2011
420:2016
269:and
229:and
74:Died
48:Born
572:PBS
119:spy
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
