Based on the letters of Earl Philip Reinhalter (1922-1953). Edited by his son, Earl Philip Reinhalter (1950-).


<- PREVIOUS LETTER November 14, 1942
Olmsted Air Depot, Middletown, Pennsylvania
NEXT LETTER ->


- POSTCARD #1 -

11/14/42
Hello:
      Will not be able to come home this Sunday as it will be my turn for K.P. duty. We took an 8-mile walk Friday. Some snowflakes today. There is always a strong wind blowing off of the Susquehanna River and in the morning it is below freezing. Went roller skating Thursday night. Went to free movies at U.S.O. in Middletown Wednesday. Went to Harrisburg Friday night. Will come to Baltimore next Sunday if I am still at Middletown. I received your letter and pictures - thanks. Am O.K. [By “pictures” he means photographs. In other places, he uses the word “picture” to mean a movie. - Ed.]
From:
Pvt. E.P. Reinhalter
A.C.S. Detachment
Olmsted Air Depot
Middletown, Penn.
Earl


- POSTCARD #2 -

(from)
Pvt. E.P. Reinhalter
A.C.S. Detachment
Olmsted Air Depot
Middletown, Penn.
11/14/42.
Hello:
      (This is a continuation of the other postcard)

      When I went to Harrisburg Friday, I bought a cap [see below] and belt. These are not standard equipment and are not issued to us. Am running low on money. Will pick up some when I come home this coming Sunday (if I am still in Penn.). If not, you can send me a money order at my next post. Also, that sewing kit and letter writing set. Don't try to send me anything because I may be gone before it gets here.

      P.S. Note, the picture on the other side is from Camp Meade.
Earl



The two garrison caps below are from the family archive. This was a non-standard item in those years, and the ones made by civilian tailors often had slightly different designs. Note that the blue piping on the lower cap indicated infantry or airborne. It is unclear if he actually wore that cap or bought the wrong kind by mistake. It’s also possible that one of these might have been the cap that he wore with his Maryland Minute Men uniform in early 1942 (see photo here.) The belt that he mentions is likely the large garrison belt that he wore outside of his suit jacket. (See the studio photo below the December 19, 1942, letter for the best view.) This was also non-standard. Notice that the buckle on his belt had angled corners, while other belts from this era had either sharp corners or rounded corners.





 
NOW AVAILABLE AS A KINDLE BOOK!

The Kindle book includes the letters; all 23 issues of the unit’s wartime newsletter “The Squadron Pulse,” which was originally edited by Leonard Stringfield; all 12 issues of the “Pennant Parade” newsletter that Stringfield published while sailing home after the war; complete text of the U.S. government booklet “Pocket Guide to Australia,” which soldiers heading Down Under were given to read; more than 200 photos; pre-war and postwar family history; and over 700 explanatory endnotes.









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