July 29, 1943

Pvt Austin L. Rounds

Hdgs 95 C.T.D

Beloit College

Belloit, Wis

Dear Mother,

I am thoroughly ashamed that I have not written before.  We have been here 3 days and I just decided that you should know where I am.  I am glad that I am shipped but this is a different story.

Beloit College is where we expected to go when I wrote last time and I don't remember whether I told you our destination or not.  You can find the place on a map because the town is industrial and has between 30,000 and 40,000 people in it.  We are about 3 hours trip from Chicago and that means about 100 miles. When I say that this is different from J.B. that is just what I mean.  We thought we might be sent to a nice quiet ivy college and have plenty of time to enjoy ourselves.  It is quite the other way.  The upper classmen are after us all the time.  It is a form of hazing even though it can't be called that.  We have a Student Commander and it is his job to see that we learn to march walk stand and sleep at attention.  You may not think so but we walk in what is called "a brace".  A brace is the position of attention only exaggerated.  You have to stand so that you have 4 more wrinkles in your shirt between your shoulder blades than you have years.  The same goes for chins.  You have to stand with your chin drawn in so that you have 5 chins.  Then try to walk this way never looking at the ground and keeping your eyes fixed on a point in front of you.  You have seen pictures of the discipline at West Point and other military colleges; well this is just like that.  Every thing is done to precision, no rests and only positions of attention (in a brace) and parade rest which is almost as bad but not quite as stiff.

All the hazing and training is done by student officers and we seldom see an army man except for lectures.  They are really swell fellows.

Our studies have already started.  A student officer may come in the room and tell you to "sound off."  You have a whole list of stuff you have to know, beginning with "Sir Enlisted Student Rounds Austin L. 31359264, July 29 1943 and so on giving date of graduation, days till graduation, the sponsor, the mascot, a list of colleges, etc.  It is just to get you "on the ball".  We will be on the ball when we leave here you can mark my words.

Just in case you didn't know either

I have some bad news, (not too bad).  When I joined the Army Air Forces I joined in the East Coast Command Area, and was shipped to a Gulf Coast Training station.  I am now in a West Coast Command area which means that after I leave here I will not go East but go west to a classification center in California.  You, I know, will not like this but to say frankly I am going to like getting a chance to see the country.   I imagine that before I get to see much flying I will see twice as many states as I have seen now.  California is a long ways away and even thought the farther from home I go I dislike the thought I am getting something I always wanted, a look at the country in which I live.  I have learned a lot and seen a lot but not a fraction of what I hope to see.

College training may be tough, but it has its good points.  The meals are wonderful served by coed students here at school.  We can't talk to them and might even get gigged for smiling at one but the certainly add to the scenery.  You get light meals during the day but get a big meal with ham or beef for supper.  Potato, vegetables, fruit, ice cream, cake, cream (heavy) in your coffee, all the milk you can drink, cookies, donuts, and everything.  It is swell.  Every thing is compensated- or you just couldn't stand the life.

As yet we're just getting "oriented" or as you would say we are getting lectures on Hygene, Interior Guard duty, Military Discipline (a new word I learned to spell) and courtesy, and the rudiments of Aircraft Identification.  Monday we really start to work beginning classes, and the worst of all P.T.  The P.T. out here is much worse than at J.G. where you could do as little or as much as you want.  Here they really can give you a workout because not too many are here.  About 60 men came.  I saw part of the athletic field and it looked good.

I saw that big train station in Chicago (I was in it) of which I don't know the name.  You come into it under ground and you have to walk up a flight or two to see the taxi cabs and the street.  On the second floor we had one breakfast and it was from that big station that I mailed those cards.  I won't get a chance to see Chicago because we are restricted to a 25 mile radius from the Post.

Chicago Union Station

4,500 aircraft models hung from the ceiling of Chicago Union Station.
See here for more details

I went to the big railroad station in St. Louis to get a train for Chicago.  The name of the station is the Union Station it also is a big place.  On the top floor (or nearly) they have a U.S.O. where you can go and get anything you want to refresh yourself.  You have to buy what you drink but that is all. Doenuts, candy, popcorn, crackers, bread, cookies, crackers and all are free.  They have a special jar of smoking tobacco, of cigaretts, and cigars, plenty of all kinds of everything in this line.  They had wonderful easy chairs and plenty of stationary but we weren't allowed to write or telephone because they didn't want anyone to tell where he was going.  Magazines were everywhere.  You could read all day if you wanted because their were the best fiction and non-fiction just waiting to be read.  It was a service man's heaven.  It was not too crowded however until we hit it.  I felt sorry for the poor women working there because some of the fellows feel the country owes them a living already.  On a whole I am in with a very good bunch of fellows but I will write again as soon as possible and that may not be too soon.

With love
Austin

I am now what they call here an Enlisted Student.  No raise in pay.