"...a beer, pack of cigarettes, and three candy bars..."

John Walter Earle

John Earle War: World War II, 1939-1946 Branch: Army Unit: 14th Infantry Regiment, 71st Infantry Division Service Location: Texas; Colorado; California; Georgia; Panama; France; Germany; Austria Rank: Captain Place of Birth: New York, NY

Earle kept up a lengthy correspondence with his mother, grandmother and other members of his family. He was proud of operating 20 stores, 20 post offices, 12 night clubs, 6 movies, 13 orchestras, 5 gyms, 5 red cross clubs, 3 hotels, 1 ski school, 1 cable car, a bus line, a bank, and a newspaper when he was posted in Germany in 1945. Letters dated earlier than that already point to his native ability as an entrepreneur. He felt it was the Special Services Officer's duty to please the G.I. more than the regimental commander.