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

Photo Highlights: LUZON, PHILIPPINES (1945)

Camp area, apparently under construction, on Luzon, Philippines, 1945.




Building a new camp at San Fernando in the Philippines in 1945. From the headgear, those appear to be Australian troops.




Earl at Luzon, Philippines, 1945. In his 10/1/1945 letter, he said that he was chewing gum.




Leonard H. Stringfield, editor of the unit's The Squadron Pulse newsletter, probably in Luzon, Philippines, 1945.




An aerial view of Clark Field in Luzon, Philippines, 1945. According to his September 11, 1945 letter: "At the lower right-hand corner and in from
the right side of the picture about one inch can be seen a little black strip extending upward diagonally to the left. This strip looks to be
about ¼" long on the picture. Actually, it is the airstrip where I was stationed on Luzon. In the background can be seen Mt. Arayat."




Clark Field at Luzon, Philippines, 1945. Mt. Arayat is in the background.




Barracks at Clark Field on Luzon, Philippines, 1945.




The municipal government building of San Fernando, Pampanga, Philippines in 1945.




Yanks Café - probably newly renamed after U.S. forces drove out the Japs - and shops in San Fernando, Philippines, 1945.
The building on the left appears to be flying the Stars and Stripes from the roof.




Marketplace in Luzon, Philippines, possibly in the city of San Fernando, 1945.




A marketplace, probably in Luzon, Philippines, 1945. This photo seems to be at the same location as the one above.




Man with carabao and cart in Luzon, Philippines, 1945.




An outrigger boat on a river in the Philippines. In the upper right, natives are doing laundry.




Laundry being done by natives at a river. According to his March 22, 1945 letter: "Here on Sunday is where the fishing boats tie up. Cement steps go down to
the water level. Just to the left of this scene would be found the marketplace. The building shown with the highest roof is where the cockfights are held."




Outrigger boats and boys swimming in the river.




Capitol building of the city of Guagua, Philippines, 1945. Guagua is near San Fernando. The building appears damaged, probably set on fire by the departing Japanese.




A color photo of "Betty" [Beatriz] Tolentino. In his 6/26/1945 letter, Earl said:
"Enclosed is a small colored picture of Betty, my Luzon girlfriend. I think more of her than I ever did
of any other girl - American or otherwise. She is 22, incidentally, but looks like about 16 years old."

The back of the photo is enscribed:

To Earl,   Wishing you good luck.             from             Betty

Earl and possibly "Betty" [Beatriz] Tolentino at San Fernando, Philippines in 1945.




Photo sent to Earl from Luzon, Philippines. Inscribed on the back:

To Earl Wishing you good luck from friends L. Sison & Betty Tolentino San Fernando Pampanga [Dated May 26, '45]

From names and addresses listed in his letter of September 13, 1945,
L. Sison appears to be Ludy Sison, a neighbor of Betty.





Two girls that Earl knew in Luzon, Philippines, 1945. They appear to be sisters in their Sunday dresses.




Earl and a crashed Jap plane in Luzon, Philippines, 1945.




Earl and another crashed Jap plane in Luzon, Philippines, 1945.




Damaged buildings in Manila, 1945. According to Wikipedia: "It was the second most devastated city in the world,
after Warsaw, during the Second World War. Almost all of the structures in the city... were destroyed."




More war-damaged buildings along the river in Manila, 1945.




Aerial view of Corregidor. It was Japanese held at the time. The smoke is from U.S. bombs.




The 38th Infantry Division's sign "You Are Now Entering Bataan" on Luzon, Philippines.
Their motto, in the upper left corner of the sign, was "Avengers of Bataan."

More Photo Highlights:

STATESIDE (late 1942 - May 1943)
AUSTRALIA (June 4, 1943 until December 1943)
NEW GUINEA (December 1943 to Oct/Nov 1944)
NEW GUINEA - notable planes
LEYTE, PHILIPPINES (1944-45)
THE WAR ENDS

NOW AVAILABLE AS A KINDLE BOOK! The Kindle book includes Earl Reinhalter’s World War II 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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