October 30, 1944

Roswell Field

Oct. 30, 1944

Dear Mother:

I am glad you like your "chews" but as for cementing foreign relations with gum I only hope it works.  You know that was a rather poor pun.  Don't get discouraged I am sure you can do better.

You know those little lion cubs are rather cute.  The first thing I thought of when I saw them was that they would make swell mascots for some unit overseas.  However I guess they would eat too much and might scare too many people.  on second thought they are much better off in Paul Greggs hands feeding off the taxpayer's money.

Tomorrow I am going to Bob Hope's radio show here on the post.  I was lucky to get a ticket as only 69 out of 300 got a chance to go.  My number happened to come up so I am jumping at the chance.  Here I have a chance to see a real live movie star.  This would never happen if I were any other place.  Maybe Roswell has it's advantages.

Bob Hope

Say, do you think you could send me a little jar of that dandruff killer.  My head is getting into rather bad shape even though I wash it every 3 or 4 days.  If I had some of that ointment I might be able to do something for it.  I don't want to take any $3 treatments like some of the fellows are doing.  It seems like such a waste of money.

I still have that check for $300 and I guess I will send it along soon.  You know a lot of money like that gives a kind of feeling of security.  I guess it would be a lot more secure in War Bonds and in the bank.  I will tell you how I want it put away.

I write to Mrs. Blaisdell right along.  You know for a person who can't get around too well she seems to enjoy life an awful lot.  She writes quite a number of letters to Freddie's buddies and some of her friends in Stoneham and seems to get a lot out of life from them. She asked me what I wanted for Christmas and even though I feel I shouldn't ask for anything it might make her feel bad.  I think she gets a big kick out of making cookies and things for her boys.  She really is such a swell person.

Time seems to pass so fast here.  I guess it is the schedule.  We keep going from sunup to sun down.  If you fly in the morning you see the sun rise through the clouds and if you fly at noon and after you see the sun go down through the clouds.  If you fly at night you just see the moon and if there is no moon you don't see a thing.  In fact this is the darkest country I know.

We had to fly Sunday afternoon.  There had been a little ground fog all morning and we had hoped that it would soak in so that we would stay down but no such luck.  We flew 5-10 which made last Sunday seem like any other day.  I guess that is the reason time flies so fast.

We still get ground school 7 hours a day on the days we don't fly but it is not so bad as it was the first week.  We are getting all kinds of subjects thrown at us so that we can run the whole ship by ourselves.  In fact I don't see the need of a crew if they had pilots who could get around fast enough.  All a B17 needs is an automatic pilot in good working condition and a good first pilot.  They have good automatic pilots but not so many good first pilots.

Maybe I have written that they have a B29 in the field.  The instructors are being checked out in it so that soon they can begin to instruct.  Roswell will soon become a B29 school so maybe I can get in on a new deal.  Maybe I don't want it after I hear what has happened to some of the so called super flying fortresses.

You know soon I will have a chance to go to most any city in a radius of 1000 mi. from here.  What one would you select if you had a chance.  I think New Orleans or San Francisco would be my choices.  What do you say?

I am glad Mary is enjoying her school so much.  I am sure if I could have liked my Accounting a little more I could have liked school a lot more.  Right now I can't see myself settling down to it again even though I may have to.

With love

Austin

October 26, 1944

Oct. 26, 1944

Dear Mother:

I haven't written a letter for about 3 days and actually have no good excuse.  Sunday I got up and went to church.  Monday we flew and were thus very short on time.  Wednesday we flew at night and I was J.O.D. Thursday I was without anything to do so I am writing.

Sunday I went to church.  It was the Church of Christ. Maybe you have been to one but I got a big kick out of it.  All the music is produced by the congregation.  They have a song leader who is a fair singer and everyone joins in in the singing.  You will be surprised what good singing they do get.  Everyone sings his part and it all goes together so nicely.

We then went to the movies after a good big steak dinner.  We saw "Saludos Amigos".  It is not too good a picture for children but is more on the educational side.  It is the story of the "Disney" Corporation's trip through S. Amer.  It was a fair picture.

Monday we flew the "big bird" on the radio range on instruments.  There is not much to say about it except that it was hard work.

Wednesday I was Junior Officer of the Day.  I started Tuesday at 1200 and got off Wednesday at 1200.  I had to sleep in the office on a couple of desks pulled together.  I had intended to finish up all my letter writing but got in the book called "Claudia" written by Rose Franken.  I thought that it was going to be a lousy book but found out differently.  It is the reason this letter comes today and not the day before yesterday.

Well we fly again tomorrow so I can't write too long a letter.  I think I shall write to A.P. also.  I have a little time and must get off some of the letters I owe.

Nothing much goes on around here except that I was lucky enough to get picked to go to the Bob Hope show next Tuesday.  Only a few can get in and I was lucky to be picked.  My luck still holds out.

With love

Austin

October 21, 1944

Roswell Field

Oct 21, 1944

Dear Mother:

I have just received my final Independent in quite some time.  I didn't realize how much I missed it until I got this one.  I also got a letter from Grandma and one from Mary so I have had plenty to read today.

Today is Saturday and I really beautiful day.  We flew the first mission this morning which was instruments.  For the next couple of weeks we will fly instruments and if I wash out of here it will be because the B17 and the A.T.6 do not fly anything the same.  I just have any awful time with the ship.  I don't know if it is my poor instrument technique or if single engine men are just poor instrument pilots.  I have always had trouble flying "under the hood" so it may be just me.  The change from one engine to 4 is just too much for me to handle.  I only hope the instructor realizes my situation and has a little patience.  Anyway I have always had my troubles this way and expect to for some time to come.  Every thing seems to be one long haul after another.  At least I have the wing and commission.

We have classes till 6:30 PM and then we are free from 36 hours.  I could do a lot in that time if I knew just what I wanted to do.  If I could get a little more time I could go up to Carlsbad Caverns or go to see a famous summer resort the name of which I can not remember.  Anyway I will probably go to a U.S.O. show here on the post and then go to town and go to a Walt Disney feature.  "Saludo Amigos".  It is supposed to be a good picture.

Saludo Amigos Trailer

To get back to the paper it looks like the boys in the service get most of the paper except in the ads.  It don't seem to carry much about the goings on in town as it did before the war.  I guess things are pretty quiet in my little home town.

Time for class now.  So I have to run.

With love

Austin

October 19, 1944

Roswell Field

Oct. 19, 1944

Dear Mother:

I should be studying my procedures for tonights flying but I all do it a little later and instead write to you.  I have written to William so I guess it is your turn again.

I have two sticks of gum in my pocket and they were what prompted me to write.  Maybe it is a good idea to carry gum so you can get more letters.  I hope you like "Beeman's".

Tonight we fly again.  We are going up for instrument work.  The instrument course here is about 60 hours long.  That amounts to 12 or 13 rides and about 3 to 4 weeks of work.  We will then be qualified to pass the stiffest instrument test the Army can give.  That is of course if we are successful.

You know I am not worried a heck of a lot about passing this phase of training.  If I pass I will be a first pilot and if flunk out I will be a co-pilot.  Either way you fly the Lumber Wagon B17 if you like it or not.  They only way you can get out is to get 50 missions in combat and come back and apply for single engine training.  Some future.  After 50 missions in this ship they should send you home to rest for the duration.  Maybe I am just bitter but I still don't enjoy flying this ship.

Well I have been spending money rather freely lately but still have last months $307 check and one for $32.90 and if I can hold out another 2 weeks on $30 I guess I can send it all home.  What am I going to do with all my spare money.  I guess the bank and War Bonds are the two best ways.

You may wonder what I have spent my money for.  Well I have bought a new pair of swell looking shoes, a jacket, some socks, under clothes, a new O.D. hat and a few incidentals.  It is rather nice to go into a store and know you can buy what meets your fancy.  I don't know what I will do when money is not so free and I have to work for a living again.  I believe school life would be rather dull for a time if I had to come home right away.  I doubt if I could sit still long enough to work out an 8 hour accounting problem.  I have been gone so long.

Well it must be getting cold now.  I haven't seen the real old N.E. fall now for 2 years.  I wonder how many more I will have to miss.

With love

Austin

October 15, 1944

Roswell Field

Oct 15, 1944

Dear Mother:

I am not specially short of time but have several more letters to write so I guess I shall have to make this just a gesture.

Friday night I met Richard Hunt Lt Sg of the Navy.  He was in a small hotel and I happened to notice him and thought he looked familiar.  He was rather surprised to see me and I guess a little glad.  we had a short talk and he told me that he was on his way to the West Coast.  I just can't imagine what he was doing in Roswell unless he was going through by car.  Anyway I had a pretty nice chat with him.

I guess the same day you wrote me last you also addressed a letter to me from a Mrs. Thompson of Tenn.  Now I was as much surprised to get that letter and just as curious as you must have been.  Who in the world did I know down there.  Well it was the former Barbara Colburn.  She is married to a recent graduate in the Air Corp and wanted to compare notes with me.  So I gave her a big line and cock and bull story which she will probably swallow hook line and sinker unless her husband gets hold of the letter.  He is at present going through a B24 school down there.  How I pity him.  Know You Know!!!???

Well I have been thinking of your plight, a poor woman with nothing to keep her mouth working (except a poor excuse for a dog) so I am sending along some of the only gum I could buy.  If you don't like it you can give it to some one else.  However if you are as bad off as you state you will keep this gift a secret or chew it all at once so you can have it all.

I am glad Mary is enjoying school.  I hope the newness of it will not wear off and leave her disappointed.  If she needs any money or anything like that please tell her to ask for it.  The next money order I send home will probably be for about $200 or more.  I have little need for all the money I am making.

Well keep me informed of the latest developments.  You know you should notify people of all my changes of address.

Hurriedly With love

Austin

October 15, 1944

Roswell Field

Oct 15, 1944

Dear Mary:

Seeing this is Sunday I thought this would be a good time to dash off a short letter to you and send you a couple of more charms for your bracelet.  I don't know yet how I shall get them in the letter but I will figure out some way before I am through.

These charms come from Phoenix and not from Roswell.  I bought them the last day in town just before I shipped.  I guess you can make out what they are so I won't have to tell you what I think they are.

Yesterday I flew that "Big Bird".  I'll admit that there was a novelty to flying it for the first time.  It was an awful lot of fun but more hard work than I had ever imagined.  It flys worse than a truck in that you can push and tug and puff and blow and still nothing will apparently happen.  Then all of a sudden you overcome the resistance of the thing and the whole 30 tons of it begins to move.  And then you try to stop it.  You push and tug and puff and blow and it begins to stop and finally when you have thrown all caution to the winds and are ready to give it up for a bad job it stops and flys along so peaceful you wonder just what all the cussing of the seconds before could have been for.  Now I know why they have been so serious with the physical training in the last few days.  I am afraid I have not been trying hard enough to become a second "Superman".  

Every two weeks the Officer's Club tries to put on a show for the post entertainment.  2 weeks ago today they put on the Edgar Bergen radio show and last night they had Woody Herman and his Orchestra.  I guess lots of people like his music but I don't think he is so sharp.  His vocalist is not too good and I didn't think his trumpets were anything to brag about.  All in all I would say that he has about a second rate band.

Edgar Bergen on What's My Line

Woody Herman recording of the GI Jive from 1944

You know that letter you sent last smelled just like you smoked cigars.  Could it be?

Yes I recognized your stationary just as soon as I saw the seal. "Universitas Bostoniensis" means quite a lot to me and I shall never forget my freshman days there.

Thank you for the picture.  I am looking for a suitable frame for it.  It will have to be an awful good looking frame.

With love

Austin

(I hope I didn't ruin this letter)

{The letter had multiple holes punched in it, most likely from the charms that he sent}

October 13, 1944

Roswell Field

Oct. 13, 1944

Dear Mother:

I just received the first letter that has come directly from home and not come via Luke Field.  I am writing this letter at noon on the first day we have had any spare time since we have been here.  we are going to get 12 hour passes and feel swell about it.

The way it works is that you work 7 days and get a half day off on the 8th.  Aren't we lucky!  I don't know if they are rushing us through or this is a regular schedule.  All I do know is that 12 hour passes once a week are something new to me.

Here is what my address means if you think it can help you to remember it.  It is not very complicated as far as I can see.

Rank             Name                  Army Serial No

Student Officer Class 44 (year) - 4(semester I guess) I (class of grad.)

Roswell (town post office)  New Mexico.

As you see I am in I class which should graduate on the 18th of this month.  If I had gone from Luke upon graduation with no gunnery or anything I would have been in G class and graduating now from Roswell but as it is I am 2 months behind my class as is 60% of all the fellows here.  Very few have come directly from an advance school to this field.

Yes I feel lucky to be flying instead of riding as Ralph will have to do.  Even so look at the time I have had, and still will have to put into this before I will have full control of my operation. No one in my crew including the co-pilot will have put so much time into his training.  Bombardiers and Navigators put in about 4 months after pre-flight and we put in almost 8 mod.  In fact before I leave this school a successful airplane commander I must know how to take the place of any crew member and perform his job satisfactorily for flight operation. I must be a pilot - copilot - engineer - radio operator, navigator, bombardier and know how to operate all the guns.  That is quite a job for one guy to learn in 8 weeks or less.  After that I will have to be both mother and father to the crew.  This job looks almost too big for me to handle.  Well I guess the end of 8 weeks will tell if this school is any good or not.

Speaking about Radios etc. we are getting a swell radio course here.  If I ever fly over our home I am going to salvo all my radio equipment on the back yard for use after the war.  We have all kinds of radios and equipment.  We can send and receive on any frequency in the United States except he Standard Broadcast band.  William and maybe Dad would love to tinker with what I have to play with.  The only trouble is that I don't low half enough about it to work it right.  You know you can be up in the sky lost a hundred miles from here and turn on some swell music from Roswell and a little needle will tell you right where you are and you follow the needle while listening to Benny Goodman and in no time you are over the town of Roswell.  Or you can turn on some good music in Chicago and follow a little needle and be in Chicago in 4 hours.  Radio really is wonderful.  Radio is a lot of fun especially when you begin to wonder what happens when you do this or that.  I even think I could get interested in it my self.

You can tell Pop I am taking code again and just passed a 6 word check by the skin of my teeth.  I need practice but not the kind that comes in the mail.  -.--    ---  ..-     -.-    -.    ---   .--

Well I must get ready for P.T. and then I can have the afternoon off and do what I please.  I start to fly tomorrow so I am hoping for the best in the way of instructors and patience.

With love

the not so hot pilot        Austin

October 8, 1944

Roswell Field

Oct 8, 1944

Dear Mother:

Worry no more about the box; it arrived today.  I was somewhat surprised but pleasantly so.  I did not know I had such beautiful sisters.  In fact my roommate and my buddy next door were very much interested.  I doubt if I will send them home; I shall find some way to get them in a folder and put up so I can see them.  I still doubt if they are my sisters; they look too much like someone else's children.

I got the ring out and then didn't know which hand to put it on.  You know I can put it on the left hand and turn it over and then fool all the girls.  It sure could be a safety measure to make sure I get home single.  Maybe I am just an egoist; nobody but my mother would have me.  Anyway it is a swell ring so thank William, Esther and Mary for me. Maybe I should write each a separate letter.

Now your handy work looks really good.  I have not put them on yet but will just as soon as I get cleaned up enough so that I won't get them soiled.  I am really getting to be a clothes horse.  I only wish I had more so I could wear my good clothes all the time.  I would have an awful cleaning bill but I guess I can afford it.  You may get a couple of more some day with all the instructions.

The powder came through but not quite intact.  It was a good thing that it was well wrapped because some of it spilled out and really would have messed things up if it had a chance.  I guess you have had experience packing such things before.  You see once I packed a can of powder in the middle of a  BKs bag and found out just how thoroughly it could get into things.  Well I guess you can't guess how glad I was to get the box.  I was a little anxious for a while but everything came through all right.

Well I don't know what I can write about what I am now doing except that we are getting an awful lot of ground school thrown at us in preparation for flying this week.  Our first class was at 7:00 this morning and the last one ended at 6:30 this evening.  You can see that we are going pretty steady and strong.  We are getting a lot of engineering and engine courses with radio mixed in all over.  We have to learn to use 5 set instead of the one as before.  It is a awful big plane and we have to get about 72 hours on the ground before we can even go up.  They are throwing things at us so fast I wonder if I shall remember any of it.  I only hope my memory is a little better than I think.

I had time to go to a movie tonight.  The movie came between the beginning and end of this letter.  We saw "San Franscisco, I Love You."  {Actually San Diego, I Love You. Check out a clip with Buster Keaton.}  It is one of the funniest pictures I have seen in a long time.  I don't know what the critics would say about it but I do know I enjoyed it more than any picture in a long time.  I think everyone would enjoy it if you all had a chance to go.

I do get time for a movie now and then and I hope you don't mind my going rather than writing the letters you look forward to.  It's not that letter writing is a burden because I like to let you know what is going on but that I like to relax and forget what I am doing once in a while.  Maybe you should be able to live thing thing 24 hours a day but I just can't live it 7 days a week without a break.  I must say that the life I lead is a very easy one and one I like.

Well the "sack" looks very good to me so I will "sign off" for the evening.  "Station Austin going off the air for the evening"

With love

Austin

October 4, 1944

Roswell Field

Oct. 4, 1944

Dear Mother:

This will be the last letter for several days as we are about to go on an 8 day week here with no breaks.  Classes will run 9 hours a day and after eating and cleaning up the room there will not be time for much else.

I am going to write a few other people tonight so don't be surprised at the shortness of this letter.  I kind of feel that I am going to leave the world for a couple of days.  I guess it isn't that bad.

We are getting very good meals here.  In fact they compare very well with what we had during Cadet days.  They cost a flat rate of $35 a month.  This is not too bad compared with what we paid at Luke.  At least they are not going to make your stay here miserable but let you concentrate on the things at hand.  the schedule is much too tough to have a lot else on your hands.

I live in a small room with one buddy who is a Texas boy.  His name is Rollins and a swell fellow.  There are two to a room and plenty of room for us; two chairs, tables, lamps, lockers, shells, and everything.  Things are going to be very comfortable.

I hope you have disregarded my last letters because I have been so discouraged by what has happened.  I guess when I get to work things will get a little brighter.

I haven't received one Independent since I returned from home.  Maybe my subscription has run out or maybe they have just got lost.  Please look into the situation.

I got two letters from you today so I now understand the box situation.  I was getting a little impatient but I guess it will be along soon.  I hope so because it is cold here and that (pinks and greens) are about to become the uniform of the day and I will have to have them.  I am sorry I didn't know what part William had in the ring.  He seems to hold the bag most of the time putting in the money and getting none of the thanks.  Please thank him for me.  I guess I kind of take him for granted too much and should write more often.

Pinks and greens

You also said that Mary's gift had not arrived.  I guess instead of sending it Airmail as I directed they have sent it regular mail and it is taking longer than I expected.  However I am worried about it and if it doesn't come soon I shall write and see what can be down about it.  Maybe I shall be stuck.

I shall close now and write to the Blaisdells.  Erma did not have what the doctors all thought for a while.  She has dyptheria or something.  At least she doesn't have to worry about the effects of polio. Mrs. Blaisdell was so good to me I hated to leave.  If Fred B ever comes to Stoneham I want him to stay in my bed.  That could not be too much of him.

With love

Austin

October 3, 1944

Roswell Field

Oct. 3, 1944

Dear Mother:

I guess it is about time I wrote again.  It has been about a week since I wrote last.  You see I got kind of disgusted with getting no letters except from Mary so I decided I wouldn't write until I got something from you.

Have you sent those pinks and greens yet?  I hope you have because I really need them now.  It gets awful cold here during the night and everyone is wearing their pinks and greens.  I really hope you have sent them but if not lets get on the ball in a hurry.

Yes the thing I was worrying about a week ago Sunday has happened and as you see I am now in N.M. at a B17 base.  What a lousy break.  the one thing I had hoped would never happen has come about and I am about to become a truck driver.

We are about to have the toughest schedule yet. For the next 8 days we get 7 hours of school a day, 1 hour of link and 1 hour of PT per day beside a few details.  What I want to know is when do we eat and sleep and live.  I guess if you don't get any letters you will have to wait.

We start flying these ships in about 12 days.  We get 105 hours of first pilot time and if we qualify we become first pilots.  That is a break at least.  When we do get a ship I will be in command of the darn thing.  It will be quite a responsible job.

This is going to be the toughest 10 weeks I have had.  I only wish that I could get through some short way and then get home.  I have just got to work hard on this course because wash outs become co-pilots and that is just plain hell in a big ship.

If I am successful I may be able to get B29's which is what I shall try for.  I can see no reason for not taking the biggest and long as I must take something with 4 engines.  I hate to think of it but I guess it is just the breaks.  There are going to be no more fighter pilots on the west coast and for anyone with the desire to go overseas this is a real break.  I don't have such a wanderlust so I don't know how I shall like it.  Things are not turning out so well now so I can't imagine what will happen now.  I am just disgusted with everything.  I have no love for the plane and don't give a darn what happens to it.  This flying is all work and no pleasure.  It also is one of the most boring sessions I will ever have to put up with.  We get 105 hours of procedures and instruments with one 1000 miles cross country.  You can't solo out until you have had 60 hours and all that time you are learning to fly on all to one engine.  It looked like 10 weeks of drudgery.

Well I have kissed Phoenix goodbye and hope to see it again but never Luke Field again.  I have had my fill of that place and all it has stood for.  Here I have sweat out the toughest advance school in the West only to be sent to a school where half the fellows or at least 1/3 could not have got through where I have.  These guys are a crummy bunch and probably not as good pilots as anyone of us.

I ran out of ink and almost out of lead.  You will have to excuse the pencil.  I hope Mary's gift has come through.  I wish I wasn't so far from home so I would know what was going on.  I feel like letting everything go.  Please send the clothes and gift from Esther and Mary.  Maybe it is all ready on the way.

With love

Austin