September 5, 1943

Beloit College

Beloit Wis

Sunday Sept, 5

Dear Mother

Well! it must seem like a long time since you last heard from me and it also seems like a long time sine I last wrote.  It was last Saturday that I wrote last and at that time I was about to go on "open post".  I don't remember what I wrote so I will begin by just writing the news.

Thank you ever so much for the box which I received on Tuesday when I was CW.  What's that?  It means charge of quarters and it is a little job every has to do at some time or another.  It consists of a period of duty from 1700 to 2400 when I get relieved by another man who works till 0800.  You are in charge of the barracks and your duty are trivial but numerous.  You ring the bells for formations and study periods as well as for bed and lights out; you collect the mail and make hourly inspection to see that everything is in order and that all the lights are out and no one is A.W.O.L.  The candy came in very handy and tasted very good about 2400.  I was all alone and you can bet I took very good care of it.  My first thought on receiving it was that it must have meant a lot to use sugar for such a purpose.  I just want to say that I really appreciated it and was very glad to receive it.  The powder has come in handy alright and I am glad I have it.  And the film was a very unexpected surprise.  Maybe I'll have to send some more pictures home now.  I suppose I will get a letter pretty soon with your reaction on the last picture.   I am saving the film for the flying field which incidentally is in next weeks training.

Next week and the following weeks are the ones we have been waiting for all this time.  Next Tuesday and for several (4) weeks in a row we will fly 2 weeks in the afternoon and 2 weeks in the morning.  We have really been waiting for this.  The usual procedure was to fly all day for 2 weeks and then the next flight fly 2 weeks and then both leave together. Well they seem to think that this arrangement of flying half time for a month is better.  I rather think that the other system is better because you can concentrate on the thing night and day whereas we will also have studies during the day as well as fly.  Any way we are glad to get started.

We don't know much about what we are getting into.  We do know that the planes are "cubs", red in color except for 2 yellow, they fly over town and that is really a lot of fun.  Some of the fellows have some flying time and others like me are very enthused over the thought.  I will write about it as soon as I can and you may be sure that I will find time for a short note in the middle of the week.

Another shipment of fellows left yesterday.  With them left the "wash outs" of the present flights.  Two of our boys have washed out.  A fellow by the name of Harmsen from N.J. just wasn't what they wanted.  He just wasn't on the ball.  In his short stay here he had piled up 160 tours for everything in the book.  He had been gigged for everything from insubordination to a dirty floor in his room.  He was the most untidily dressed person you ever saw and only took a bath when the fellows told him that he was going to get GI'ed or else.  He just broke all the rules and thought he could talk his way out.  But what a mind.  He had one of the most intelligent minds I have ever seen.  He was really a very good student even though he asked too many questions and made the class very conscious of him and his questions that were off the subject but had a connection to it.  He didn't have discipline and will never have it.  They are sending him to radio school and the Commandant of Students here thinks he will do a good job there.  He will end up as a radio man gunner and that is really too bad for a fellow with his ability and lack of judgment.   

The other fellow was a very mediocre person but knew what he wanted.  He had just as much chance of becoming a pilot as anyone but blew his top to Lt. Manning when he couldn't see his wife and mother whom he hadn't seen for 18 mos and had come 2300 miles

Somehow he ended up with a blank page in the middle of the letter!

to see him.  It was hardly necessary because he would only have to wait several days to see them.  When he was asked at that meeting with the Lt. if he liked it, he told him no and told him what he didn't like.  The Lt. said that he would see what he could do about it so this gentleman will get back his Sgt. rating and go into the ground crew.

We moved last week into Haven Hall about ten yds from N. Dorm. We have a room overlooking the river and a pretty good place to be.  We get a fine breeze all day and the sun shines in all afternoon.  The one trouble is that the breeze also brings a lot of dirt and grime from the factories and the rail road track on the other side of the river.  Even so we like the room better than the one we had.  Of course my address is not changed.

I got one of the biggest compliments of my life yesterday.  I got an English paper back that was a test.  I thought that I had done a very poor job on it but across the top were these words, "Intelligent Paper".  The English teacher and I will get along very well together from now on.  My spelling is not too good but I almost passed the last test.

I also tied for having the second best paper in history.  That test was rather tough but I got the second highest mark in the class.  Now I have about run out of news and shall reread some of your letters to see what you would like to hear.

I almost forgot the newspapers even though they are the main thing cluttering up the place.  I was sure glad to get them and some news from the "home town".  All the fellows got a kick out of my picture.  They thought that I was a lot fatter now than I was.  Well that is a fact.  I weighed somewhat over 180 lbs.  That means that I have gained 25 lbs since that picture and about 20 since June 7.  I almost think that I might get fat.

About that Methodist Church I knew I had to go to church soon or I wouldn't know what to do when I did.  This church was the nearest to the campus and the only church I know.  They gave us a little card to fill out and it was from this that they sent what ever you got.  I did get an invitation to dinner but it just so happens that I had also signed up for a picnick at the swimming pool and I didn't want to miss it.

Our schedule is full until Oct 2 and then we are expected to move to Santa Ana.  Everyone from this college has gone to Santa Ana and I see no reason why we should be the first to change the procedure.  Of course I don't know what we will get for "open post" out there but you better send the information about the addresses out that way.

I got a letter form Mrs. Weeks this week.  It was really a card with a message on the back.  It was a very attractive card and I appreciated it very much.  Please thank her for me. By the way I will tell William in his letter but you can also.  Don't forget because it was very nice of her to think of me.

I got two cards form William from "Old Orchard" and I was surprised to receive them.  He seems to enjoy life quite a lot now adays.  I will write to him too as soon as possible.  I liked Mary's letter a lot.  I thought I had lost it but I finally found it in another "pile of stuff" (this is impossible).

As for Bill Cunningham keep sending them along.  I enjoy his stuff very much.

So the "refugee" arrived.  Well what do you know about that?  I hope she fits the baby carriage.  Nancy Jean is kind of a nice name.  I rather like it.  Give "Bertha" and the baby my love.

You talk about a meat and butter famine.  Out here there is still plenty of everything.  We seem to get the best of everything.  We get get Beef and Gravy 2 suppers and one dinner.  We get cold ham once a week.  We always get a stew once a week to finish up the leftovers.  We get one pot of butter a meal and all the cream we want and all the milk.  You can drink.  The Beloit people do not seem to be short of meat or butter but they are much nearer the supply than you are.  I am (was) going to send you a few interesting things I found in the paper today but as I read it I can only find one little item.  This may interest you the way it did me. I have never seen anything like it in Mass. papers.  Out here you see a great number of people wearing these hay fever masks.  It seems that the ailment is very prevalent out here.

Tell Mary that the service men out here are well taken care of in the way of girl friends.  I guess some of the fellows have more than one in more than one place.  My roommmate has a girl back home and you ought to hear some of his letters.  His mother and sister came from N.Y. to see him this week and that is where I spent most of my time (with them).  We really had a swell time.

I have to close now.

With love,

Austin (the hot Pilot)

{Some of the clippings his mother sent from the local newspaper!  They don't write them like this anymore!}

Funny that they don't tell you the Coast Guardsmans name.