From Back Creek and Sandy Spring

The Philippines

1930 - 1932

Part I

Dan Howe, from Back Creek and Radford, Virginia was a patient at Walter Reek General Hospital in Washington, DC following a serious horseback riding accident on June 21, 1920.

Evelyn Kirk from Sandy Spring, Maryland, a dedicated social worker at Walter Reed, always strived to brighten the struggles of her patients.  Due to her gentle kindness to all the sick and wounded under her care, she was known as "The angel of Walter Reed."

Sometime in 1920, Dan and Evelyn met.  In May 1928, Dan and Evelyn were married in St. Joseph, Missouri where Dan was stationed at that time.  In September 1929 their daughter, Frances, was born.  Sometime in late 1929, Dan, now promoted to Major, received orders to join the 31st Infantry Regiment stationed at Fort McKinley in Manila.  The mission of the 31st was to garrison Manila, capital of the Philippines, an American territory. 

After a three-week voyage by way of Hawaii and Guam, the Howe family disembarked the USS U.S. Grant (United States Ship Ulysses S. Grant) in Manila Bay on June 21, 1930.  Two interesting and happy years living in Manila followed. 

In February 1932, the 31st Infantry Regiment was ordered to Shanghai to secure the Shanghai International Settlement from armed hostilities between Chinese and Japanese forces.  The 31st Infantry remained in Shanghai until the Sino-Japanese confrontation subsided in June 1932.  At this time, Evelyn and Frances joined Major Howe.  The Howe family spent the remainder of June 1932 visiting various places in northeast China before returning to Manila on Board the USAT Republic (United States Army Transport) with the 31st Infantry and embarking on their homeward journey to the United States.

The following letters and photographs provide a window into the lives of an American Army family stationed in the Philippines during the early 1930s.