September 22, 1944

Sept. 22, 1944

Dear Dad:

I hope you don't disapprove of the heading too much.  Here it is the day before Mary's birthday and me a couple of thousand miles away.  I sure wish I could be home again for a short time.

You know I have a feeling that I shall not be here too much longer.  It's just a feeling but we have heard some pretty good rumors.  They now need tail gunners on B29's and 2nd Lts are expendable.

Well I guess I can't get off the post tomorrow as I had hoped.  I have been given special orders to report to the PX main office to officiate at an inventory.  I don't know just what is in the wind and  I hope it won't be too boring.  You know there are a lot of pretty girls working in the PX so maybe I can get to meet a few.  Also there are a lot of malts and milk shakes which may go well if we can get the major to leave for awhile.

Tell Mother to not take my last letter too hard.  I guess I was a little sarcastic and exaggerated the situation a little.  Things are not as bad as they look up.  All I want is a good assignment in Calf, anyway to get out of the hold Luke Field has on me.  Luke is a kind of jinx field for me and I feel that the sooner I leave the better.  I guess maybe I have got itchy heels.  It just seems that I am stagnating here doing nothing.  I want to get going again.  I guess it's hard to settle down to nothing after an active 14 mos.  I guess you must know what I talk about.

You know I find something out here that makes me want to stay more and more.  People seem to be so much nicer to you out here.  There are so many things going on.  The people are so much different.  I almost wish I were free to spend a year out here to bum around and really find out what the west is like.  I guess you can remember your days out here and I bet you wish you could come back and look around and look up your old friends.

You know i have been wondering whether I should encourage Mother to come out.  If she doesn't come right away it will be too late because the rich tourist trade will begin to come.  Most of the  people that come, come here like the wealthy from around go to Florida.  This is a winter resort and I doubt if Mother would enjoy it as much as in the spring.  Next month will be the time for her to come if she comes at all this year.  Maybe you had better talk to her about it because I guess you could convince her one way or the other.

I had no idea what things cost out here on the field when I got back but I am now beginning to find out.  Meals are costing between 60 and 90 dollars a month which to me is an outrageous price to pay for your eats.  However we have no place to eat except the Officers mess and we pay more than 2 dollars a day there.  They collected $20 at Gila Bend for board and room: I also have quite a laundry and cleaning bill each week.  It must run to $4 a week.  Then I have an occasional "Coke" or soda and that knocks off $.50 a day to say nothing of entertainment which has under it bus tickets, theater tickets, dance admissions, meals in town, gifts and a hundred other things.  maybe there is a reason why they say we try to keep up a bold front anyway.  It isn't so easy as I had thought.

This letter seems to be getting deeper and deeper and I am getting nowhere.

I guess I really have nothing much to say and have taken 3 pages to say it now.  We are on the old schedule reporting 9 and 2 each day which effectively breaks it up.  I also have 3 P.T. periods and 2 retreat formations I am making.  I also have been moving into another barracks so I guess I am busy after all but it is the wrong kind of busy that grips me.  We still have classes on Wed. Fri and Sat which we take in.  Even though this doesn't seem like much it really breaks up the day so that you have an hour or two and then have to be somewhere.  I never can get off the Post unit after 5 o'clock. If I get a chance I will have a picture taken.

Tell Mother to get those shirts on the way.  I may go to Calif in the near future and may need them.  You know my wish is a command.  (consult A.A.F. regulations)

I will have to sign off as always.

With love 

Austin