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


<- PREVIOUS LETTER August 20, 1943
Brisbane, Australia
NEXT LETTER ->


                  August 20, 1943
Hello Ma:
      I received The Martin Star [a magazine published by his former civilian employer, the Glenn L. Martin Company - Ed.] and newspaper today. Also, a card from Buddy Yates and a letter from George Hummel. Yesterday, I had a rather exciting experience. I took two rides in a glider. The first time we went up to 2,400 feet and flew for about 25 minutes. The second time as went up to about 3,200 feet and flew for about 30 minutes. An airplane towed us up both times. We landed at about one hundred miles per hour. I had a parachute on. I could say more about it, but it would only be censored. [Interestingly, although he mentions several times that he has a parachute, nowhere does he say anything about being trained in how to use it. The modern-day U.S. Army Airborne School has a three-week course. It is unlikely that he went through something like that without writing about it in his letters. - Ed.]

      Well, I am still waiting to hear about the O.C.S. business. The last I heard was that my application was at the Fifth Air Force headquarters. Did you ever receive that pair of blue wings and that insignia for the Fifth Air Force? Well, this is just a short letter - cannot think of very much to say except that I am O.K. So, until sometime later -
Earl


 
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.









<- PREVIOUS LETTER   HOMEPAGE   NEXT LETTER ->








ElectricEarl.com

This page established: November 11, 2018             Last updated: February 23, 2023

© 2018-2023 Earl P. Reinhalter. All Rights Reserved.