Ryan Field
Tucson, Ariz.
Mar. 10, 1944
Dear Mother:
I should have written long ago but besides being rather busy the last few days I guess I am rather lazy. I don't write as often as I should but I like to relax and read a magazine once in a while.
I received your box the day before yesterday. It was somewhat of a surprise. Of course everyone was interested in what I had so it got pretty well spread around. I like the bag of candy very much. We don't get much candy here. I will start using the eye drops right away. Did I ask for some rags? Well I have a lot of them now. They will come in handy as shining cloths. I guess I better use this writing paper up before I start on yours. As for envelopes, I don't need any. I have lots of them left over from all that have been sent or I have bought. It sure is swell to receive a box once in a while.
We have completed our flying at Primary. I got in 65 hours and 18 minutes and 5 hours and 45 min of link. I wish it was not over because we have had so much fun learning. I suppose you are glad to have me on the ground for a couple of weeks but I sure envy the underclassmen who are flying today. They keep buzzing over the barracks and I wish I were up there.
I guess it is all right for me to tell you where I am going. I am heading for California again. I am going to a field near Lancaster, Calif. and it is about 30 miles by air from L.A. or about 60 by road. I guess I will see L.A. again and see your cousins again. I am going to a pretty good B.T. (Basic Trainer) school and it has a good record. I don't know what I will fly there but we are pretty sure of getting A.T.s near the end of the program. We haven't been sent to the fields of our choice but were sent according to a rating we received at classification at Santa Ana.
I am still hoping to get my choice of planes. I saw a plane, maybe I should say the plane I have been wanting to fly ever since I started my training. It is of course the A20. One landed here last night. It took the whole diagonal runway of the field and he ended up with his brakes smoking like everything. It sure is a wonderful plane to fly. You see I have a chance to fly one because I am pretty big to fly a fighter but not too big for this one. The pilot was a little bit shorter than I am but a lot beefier. He was a big boy anyway. The only trouble is that you have to be good to fly one and maybe I am not good enough. Well I can do my best and see what happens.
Today we graduate and tomorrow we ship. I am going to get another overnight ride on the government. I sure like to travel around this way. Just think I am getting all these free rides where it will cost you quite a lot to come out here if and when I graduate. All I have is about 4 or 5 more months and I may get my wings.
The governor of the state is going to be here to see us graduate. In fact he is here right now and is going to have a chance to say his piece this afternoon. You see it is election year out here and the old boy has to have a little favorable publicity. Just because of him we don't get any extra time off and don't get a few of the open parts that are scheduled. That's what happens everywhere. I sure would like to give that old boy a ride. I guess I could make him wish he never saw a P.T. 22 when he got down. I guess I could make any earth bound human wish he were down for a while anyway. I sure would like to give Pop a ride. I guess I won't be able to anyway because my rating will be above any plane available near home or near the money we could pay to rent a plane. I would have to learn all over again. That won't be hard to do.
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| Governor Sidney Preston Osborn of Arizona |
I have some more I could write but I have 5 minutes till chow and I have some work to do. I have a lot of stuff that I should get started your way but I hate to send it by mail since it costs so much. Anyway I will send the most important stuff right away.
With love
Austin
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