January 19, 1944

Ryan Field

Tucson Ariz.

Jan. 19, 1944

Dear Mother:

I got your letter yesterday and was very pleased as usual.  It only takes 4 days for mail to come along now instead of the regular 5 to Calif.  Yes we are a little nearer home but there still seems to be a lot of desert between me and home.

Letters never meant too much to me before I got to Santa Ana because I still felt that I was near home but when the mail took so long in coming it began to mean  a lot.  Yesterday, although I didn't fly, around noon time I was tired and felt worn out.  I felt as if something was on my mind but I couldn't find out what it was.  When I got the letter at noon mail call I lost a lot of the tired feeling and began to feel good again.  It seems rather strange what a letter will do but it is no exaggeration to say that the longer you are away the more important the mail becomes.  It has a lot to do with morale.  When you are under tension the way we are to put out our best for only one hour a day the moments we can get away from it all help a lot lot to cure the tired feeling.

Now as for the interestingness of my letters I am sure I could not say as I only write them and get too little time to read them.  Therefore you must find many many mistakes in spelling, punctuation, and general silly errors.  {Graciously edited out by the transcriber.} Anyway they may convey some of  the ideas that come into my head and some of the things I see along the way.  

My training is coming along on schedule as far as I know.  We have progressed far enough so that I am now learning to land.  Today I made 4 landings and take offs.  None were any too hot but I guess the instructor hasn't given up hope for me.  We had a very strong wind at 300' and diminished until the ground wind was practically nil.  This required a number of changes in the flying altitude. (We just got some "good" news.  We are going to be restricted to the past for 2 more weeks.  That means that I won't see any of Arizona for another 2 whole lousy (such language) week ends.)  Oh Well!  Tomorrow we will do landings again I guess and they would be done under better circumstances if we can help it.

I have learned the procedure for many of the elementary maneuvers but have 2 more to go before I have a 20 hour check flight.  I have only 0509 hours put in all ready so I don't think a check flight after that time will offer any great obstacles.

I should tell you something about my instructor.  He is about 5'4" tall and is really a shrimp beside me and the other tall fellows who fly with me.  I don't know whether his teaching us is an accident or a design of the high ups.  You would think that the big fellows would be taught by someone somewhere their size.  However he makes up for his size in his flying because he can really make a plane perform for him.  He must have infinite patience to teach a new bunch of "dodo's" each 2 mos.  Of course he loses patience once in a while and he bangs the controls around a little but if you don't take everything he says to heart you can learn from his impatient moments.  They always say a lot of things they don't really mean and try to impress you with others because in the future your life will depend upon what you retain from all you are told.  They are really trying to get you "on the ball" and I might say they really know the right methods.  If not they would not have the important job they hold.  If anyone learns to fly safely he can figure that his life will later be saved by what has been told and taught him by the very unglorified "Primary Instructors".

Some one has brought the "mumps" with them from Santa Ana and that is why we will be restricted to the post for 2 more weeks.  I guess I can save some money again.  I have about $50 that is burning a hole in my pocket and I guess that before the next restrict is up that you will get the money to put in the bank for me.  In 2 weeks we will get paid again so I won't need the 50.  I rather wish I could spend the money because I get so little enjoyment out of it if I just send it home.  It's going to be a long war yet so even though I should save more I don't have to save it all.

I wrote to Mary the other day so I hope she enjoys her new job, I guess I didn't know if she really had it or not.  I hope she can have some fun this winter.

I wrote to Mabel (a card) the other day and told her not to get too mad at me.  So she thinks I have changed by getting to fly.  Well my change may be apparent when I get home but right here I don't see much difference.  I may be browner and a lot heavier but aside from that I can see little difference.  I may not be so peace loving as I used to be and I might be getting a little wild but I guess I haven't changed so much that you won't recognize me.

With love

Austin    (Mr. Hyde?)

P.S. Did I forget to write anything.