May 1, 1944

War Eagle Field

Lancaster

May 1, 1944

Dear Pop (A.P.)

I forgot and wrote Pop before I realized what I had done; please excuse.

I haven't written to you in some time even though I get word from you every once in a while.  I guess you get all the news from the other letters.  I do write to quite a number of fellows I have met so all my letters do not go Stoneham way.

Today I got my 2nd cross country.  It was some trip.  I had a good plane and a good parachute.  Everything was swell.  I almost got lost but used a little common sense and found my way back on course.  The only trouble was that the more I studied my map the further off course I got so that I lost 10 minutes in route.  One fellow hasn't returned yet.  Another fellow ended up over near the Colorado river about 150 miles off course.  He had to come down and get gas before he could get back.  Those fellows just didn't use too good sense.  When I was a couple of minutes over E.T.A. (Estimated Time of Arrival) I started looking around.  I was over a railroad which I knew I should be over but which way I was to go was my problem.  I found out soon enough.

Of course there was a lot of cutting up along the course.  I didn't get into much but did to a little wing tip to wing tip flying part of the way.  They had a control plane that was trying to "shoot down" any one who was not looking around.  This plane would fly formation with you till you saw him.  You were then shot down.  He got a few fellows; not me.

We have put in our preferences for what we will eventually fly.  I put in in the following order. P51, B25, and B26 1st, 2nd and 3rd.  Of course that is only my choice and may not have anything to do with what we will finally fly.  A large percentage of the fellows put in for P51 and P38.  I didn't put in for 38's because they have plenty now and unless I am really hot I would be put on a B24 as co-pilot which is not my idea of flying.  My 2nd choice of B25's is a possible one because they will soon be using them in great numbers in low level work.  I might even get into A 20's which was my 1st choice at Santa Ana but they are now principally used for night fighting.  B26's are my 3rd choice because they are medium bombardment planes.  I don't want to get too high off the ground.  B24's, 17 and 29's will be flying too high for me.

P51 Mustang

B25

B-26

We have changed into sun-tan uniforms.  Today we were scheduled to put on the new uniform and by chance the weather took a change for the better.  I guess that's California for you.  The calendar says fair weather and what happens but the sun comes out.  We also went swimming in the swell pools we have.  They are just cold enough so that about 15 minutes of swimming is enough.  We don't have time for more anyway.  I get a kick out of it just the same.  I'll bet you don't feel like swimming.  I get a chance to see a few weather maps of the country and it don't seem any too warm back there.

Richard Bong - Pacific Theater Ace

Don Gentile - European Theater Ace

I guess you have heard about some of the present war aces; Bong and Gentile.  You have probably heard about how they canned Gentile after his crash.  As a matter of fact around here he is being used as an exception to all the rules of good flying.  The reason he is sent back is because they had got fed up with his flying.  He overshot his field and didn't go around for another landing as he should have.  That was a violation of flying discipline.  He has had about as many planes shot out from under him as he has shot down.  He was washed out of cadets from this field when they were training British cadets 4 times for dumb stunts that are never tolerated.  The British got fed up with him and were glad to see him transfer to the U.S. Army when we entered the war.  In all he is a very lucky man to be alive and can attribute his whole skin to the efforts of others.  As for his 23 planes I guess he had a little more luck than most fellows.  I guess they have saved his life for the last time when they bring him home.

I haven't got to L.A. for the last couple of weeks.  I go into Lancaster on the bus and get a big T Bone Steak see the movies and then go roller skating.  I get a lot more fun out of it than going into L.A. where there is a lot of nothing to do and expensive to do it.  I also get a lot more rest because I can sleep all day Sunday or do anything I want.  In any case I don't have to worry about getting back.  Much easier on the nerves.

I wrote to my Primary instructor the other day and much to my surprise he wrote right back to me.  The more I think of my training there the more I know how well he taught me what I know.  I only wish I had him all the way through my training.  He said that I did my part all right but I guess he knew what he was doing more than I did. 

Well I must close now.  I am again working on 10 words in code an my pass 10 before I leave.  We only get one period a week now.

With love

Austin