The dictionary says that a Dust Devil is a mini tornado. I guess we have all seen them scoot across a baseball diamond on a hot summer day. They stop play for a minute while the dust settles but that is the only consequence. In the Philippines we had what would have to be termed a maxi-mini tornados. The one pictured here came rolling down from the foothills of the mountains north east of Manila. It was about the width of a row of tents. It tracked right along the row that was "B" Company, spinning tents twenty feet in the air. Most of the troops were out trying to round up Japanese that didn't believe the war was over. As the supply sergeant, I got to stay home. I stood in the back door of the A Company just feet away and got to take pictures. The second picture (Ooops! the pics are reversed) was after the Dust Devil passed. That wise-ass pretending he was a victim knocked into the ditch -- well I apologize, it was serious. The Army lost a lot of equipment. I shouldn't have made light of it. On the other hand it was a fun break in the routine. (And it was the B company supply sergeant that was going to have to do the paperwork to account for all those torn tents, not me.)(He is standing on the step of the first tent on the left, not amused.)
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