American troops perform a daily ritual of field life during the Luzon campaign: washing mess kits in heated cans to guard against disease in the tropical Philippine climate. Behind them, rows of pyramidal squad tents mark a temporary bivouac area established during the U.S. liberation of the Philippines in 1944-1945. Scenes like this, unglamorous but essential, made up the vast majority of a soldier's daily experience during the Pacific War. Project: 218436