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


<- PREVIOUS LETTER August 9, 1945
Ie Shima, Ryukyu Islands
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SINCE THE PREVIOUS LETTER:
August 6, 1945: Atomic bomb is dropped on Hiroshima.


Ryukyus

Aug. 9, 1945

Hello Ma:

      I am permitted to date my letters now. Yesterday and today, I finally received some back mail. From you, I received letters of July 6, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 21, 22 and the Culver Airplane advertisement. Also, about seven Newsweeks came. Thanks for the 3˘ stamps. Naturally, I will not be able to send you anymore Manila newspapers. I am very happy to know that I will not be bothered with Christmas cards this year. No, I haven't as yet received any of the Life magazines which you mentioned mailing. I cannot expect to see them before about two more months. If they come sooner, I will be surprised. I guess that the Tolchester boat trip was a big thing for Yvonne. Also, I am glad that you were able to get her something that she wanted for her birthday.

      It doesn't rain now here in the Ryukyus quite as much as it did when I first arrived. The wind which blew hard for three straight days and nights has finally ended. The few tents which blew down are up again. We have our usual air raids. I spend my time in a Japanese dug tank trap. This tank trap is nothing more than a big ditch dug parallel and just in front of a fortification built of coral rocks. The ditch makes a very nice foxhole as it measures 15 to 20 feet wide and is 10 feet deep in places. Things are now almost back to normal now after our latest move. We have movies every other night and the showers are up. The new mess hall is almost finished and the eats are better than in New Guinea. We have our earphones hooked up to the squadron radio. So, at night up until 10:30 we can lie on our cots and listen to the programs. We find the Jap radio news very humorous. Well, Ma, that's about all for this short letter. So, until next time -

Earl


P.S. I was offered $300.00 for my movie camera yesterday. I paid $240.00 for it [$3,446 in 2020 dollars - Ed.] in New Guinea. No, I did not sell.


 
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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