April 19, 1944

April 19, 1944

Dear Mother:

We have a day off and I am writing letters rather than sleeping because I can't sleep nights if I sleep days.  Kay Kyser is here giving his show to the civilian personal and so everything is in a stand still.  It's not too good a day to fly anyway.

I wish you had written about Grandpa's birthday sooner because I would like to have sent him a card. How ever I sent him a letter a short time ago so I guess he won't think is forgotten.  I guess 95 years is a long time.

Calif. weather is not much to my liking.  It is much too cold in the morning and too much wind.  We also get a lot of dust and dirt.  Maybe that is the case anywhere near a desert but I wish the Chamber of Commerce wouldn't paint such beautiful pictures of this state.  Frankly I am very disappointed.  Everything is green here but they have to flood the place once a day to keep the bare spots from getting barer.  The wind is what really gets you.  It always blows and from aprox. the same direction. It varies in strength is often reach 30 miles an hour or more.  It doesn't bother flying but makes living on the ground rather miserable.

I didn't get the bracelet for Mary last weekend because I didn't realize what time it was until I was too late.  I hope she isn't too disappointed.  I will try next week.

I should think 48 hours a week is a lot for her to be working.  I don't see how she can sit all day and paint dials for instruments.  I would want to play with the instruments a little.  I guess if you paint a variety of them the work becomes more interesting.  I guess she is doing all right if she doesn't have any rejections.  Still it must be pretty difficult work.

I guess your family does hold down quite a variety of jobs.  I guess if we get together again some time we can teach everyone something and learn a lot.  I guess you can learn a lot by just listening to what goes on.  Boy would I like to get home and into a good argument.

I guess Daddy likes his leisure time.  It sure would be wonderful for me if I had a lot of time to kill but do something while I was killing time.  Real Estate looks to me like working while you rest.  (Maybe Pop won't like that last comment).

B29

I will try to find you a picture of a B29.  They are scarce yet but a few pictures do show up in a few Army Publications.  If I find one I will send it along.  Really all it is is a very big B17 with more turrets and blisters and a Davis wing.  When it gets on the ground you would be surprised at its size.

P39

P63

You know we are stationed out here where the testing for all the new airplanes is carried on.  If you read a very interesting article in "Collins" about Jet Propulsion you will see Mojave and Muroc mentioned.  Well these planes are very close in fact I could fly over these planes most any day and at least can see them every time we go up.  I have never seen any of these so called "Blow Jobs" but many of the fellows who have wider eyes than mine have seen them.  The article mentions one that resembles a P39 or the P63 but the one they have seen looks like a F4U Corsair and the engines are placed in the wing below the grill part of the wing.  These planes can go straight up until they are out of sight and leave only a ver small streak of smoke behind.  They can go 800 miles an hour if pushed hard enough and have made an all time record over a run from Niagara Falls to Washington which few civilians now know.  Around here they expect they is be in the war by 1945.  Not too long.

F4u Corsair

Things are pretty mixed up in the A.C. now.  No one knows what the other is doing.  The fellows that are being hit hard are the ones who are in Santa Ana and further back.  They have shipped about 10,000 cadets back to their old outfits.  Only the boys who come directly in are still left and they have very little chance to get through for a long time.  I guess they are not sending pilots to the infantry yet but no one knows what will happen next.  I guess things will work out.

I am glad you heard from Beloit.  I don't think I would ever want to go back there however Mary might like it.  I think you are getting my bonds all right.  You should get another in a month or so.  I guess more have been lost.

I have saved some money to come home on if I ever need it.  I hate to keep it here but I never send it when I intend to.  I have almost sent it home in the form of Bonds a dozen times.  I think next payday you will get a rather large money order.

The box you are collecting will be very welcome.  I never thanked you for the gum in the last one.  I be you think I didn't find it.  Well I did.

Love

Austin