December 28, 1944

Roswell Field

Dec 28, 1944

Dear Mother:

I haven't written you in a couple of days so you must feel a little slighted.  Not much happens so I just can't write about nothing at all.

It snowed here last night and it really looked grand.  Things always quiet down so when it snows and everything looks so clean.  It was only about 1 inch of snow but it was 1 inch more than a lot of the fellows had ever seen.  Of course there was a snowball fight first thing this morning and quite a number more until the snow was all gone.  Everyone had a lot of fun out of it and I wish it had stayed for a couple of days.  Maybe the next one will stay longer.

Actually it is not cold enough here for heavy clothes.  However it seems awful cold so I don't know what I shall do if I get home soon.  It must really be cold where you are and I hope to be soon.  I can't remember if I have any heavy clothes to wear.  Probably William has them all and I will freeze.

We are going to meetings at 10:00 and 1500 each day just to see that we are still on the post.  It is the same old deal that we had while at Luke Field.  We have nothing to do so they have a little get together twice a day to see that we don't have too much fun in town.  It gets to be a pain in the neck after awhile.

We go to the movies every other night because we have nothing better to do.  The pictures are usually very good and recent Hollywood releases.  It seems that the Army Posts get to see the films first, maybe to see how well the public likes the pictures and maybe because they figure that seeing what a great sacrifice we are making we should see them first.  Then after we come back from overseas we can go to the neighborhood theaters and catch up where we left off.  Most of your pictures are rather stale when I see them listed in the paper.

A good friend of mine got married on Christmas Eve.  I believe he is a Protestant and his wife a Catholic so we have our fingers crossed.  She is a School Teacher whom he met here in town about 3 months ago.  He claims he loves her and she is rather quiet about the whole thing.  She is about 4 years older and at one time engaged to a fellow lost over Germany in a B17.  The boy's folks are separated and he was one of those fellows who lived half a year with his mother and half a year with his father.  We all wished him all the luck in the world and I imagine he really will need it.

Well enough for the scandals.  I am about to do some washing and then go to bed.  Maybe I will be home soon, sooner than you think.

I hope!!!!!!????

With love

Austin

December 26, 1944

Roswell Field

Dec 26

Dear Esther:

How much I would like to make a trip east to a little town called "Stoneham" you can't imagine.  No matter how many places you see or how much you see you always will compare them with home and none of them add as well.  I often like to imagine on these little trips around the country that I am on my way home but things never quite add up and you always arrive in some strange new, sometimes exciting town.  However it is never home as it really is.

I went to the movie "Arsenic and Old Lace" sometime ago.  It was while I was in town here so not so long ago.  I really got a big bang out of it.  Cary Grant and those two old ladies were good but I liked Raymond Massey's accomplice, Peter Lorre a lot more.  You may not know it but I make it a point to see most of the pictures he is in.  He always looks so mistreated and has that hang-dog but is so wise and smart.  I guess I just like to see him that's all.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jCTg2qvl60

Anyway the picture was really swell.    Charge!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE8kOv26BuQ

I got Mary's card a couple of days ago and admired it a long time.  I showed it to my friends and they also said that she was rather clever.  Anyway what they said made me very proud of her.  I think she should follow up her talent along those lines but she is so good at so much I guess she can't do them all.  From what little I hear from her she seems to likes school and most everything she does.  She must have a creative mind or something.

I got the "Stoneham Scandal Sheet" the other day and noticed a little item near the bottom.  Now as a rule the baby notices are just passed by so I won't know who the little ones are when I get home but the name Spear kind of held my attention.  It looked a little familiar so I read on.  Capt and Mrs. Philip J Spear didn't mean much and 7 lbs and 9 oz didn't seem like such a hot baby but the name Hazel Blackburn told the story.  Mrs. Blackburn sure is getting an awful lot of refugees grandchildren.  I guess this one wasn't a refugee however.  You can give her my best wishes when you see her and give "Jr." a wink for me.

I wrote Mother a letter from Albuquerque yesterday and forgot to mail it.  I will put it in your letter unless I forget again.  I don't remember what I said but I hope it is all right.  It is all beaten up because of the trip down here on the bus.  She can put it in her collection of things from all the places I have been.  When and if I go back I will send her some cards of the town.  I should have done it this time.

I opened my Christmas gifts last night at 2330 so it was still Christmas.  The trip back from the big town took 5 1/2 hours which was about 2 hours shorter than going up.  We had seats all the way even though some people had to stand parts of the way.  Anyway to get back to the gifts, the were very sensible gifts and about all I needed.  I am glad no more was spent because we are very well taken care of or at least we can get the essentials a lot easier and probably cheaper.  I am buying new clothes all the time so that i feel I can buy easier here than you can at home.  I think a War Bond is a lot more appropriate than extravagant spending.

I want very badly to save all the money I can but I always find a new need. I'll either have to stop running around the country or go to a warm climate or get out of the army before I can stop spending.  I have yet to buy some real winter clothes to wear.  I have nothing I can wear off the post if it rains or if it is very cold.  I guess like the women that get good jobs I too am about to become a "clothes horse".  I must have about $350 tied up and another $100 needed but what can you do.  I have very few things that are unnecessary and uniforms complete for two seasons, Summer and Winter.  I imagine that except for replacements and such things as pajamas and bath robes and slippers I will not have to spend much any more except for replacements.  My only hope is that I can wear some of this stuff when I get out of the Army because I have so much tied up.  Maybe a good big fire in the barracks just before my discharge can solve the problem of getting rid of a lot of uniforms and getting a lot of money instead.  

Well I have to hit the sack now.  I have to get up at 10 00 tomorrow and it is now 2200.  You know 12 hours of sleep is about enough for an active youngster they say.

Love

Austin

PS Give the match covers to the man in your office whose daughter saves them.

December 25, 1944

Dear Mother:

Well here it is Christmas day and me a thousand miles from home.  What a life! Of all the days I would like to be home, this is the one and yet I am not the one to say.

We came up here to see a couple of friends from Luke.  R.H. Smith is up here so we thought we could at least enjoy Christmas a little more together.  Two Mass boys ought to have a lot of fun together.

We had quite a trip up here.  The bus was loaded and we had to stand about 2 hours but sat down for the last 5 hours so it was all right.  I came up with a fellow from Tenn who also had a friend up here.  Ruvis is the fellow's name.  Samput went home for the holiday to Dallas.  He invited me to go with him but the transportation was so indefinite I thought it would be better to go some place I was sure to get home from.

I had a chance to get a leave of 14 days last week but didn't take it because it would be my last leave this year.  I will be able to get a travel priority by staying and waiting so I will get more time at home by waiting.  Christmas means a lot to me but I would rather have all the time I can get at home rather than come home for the holiday.  Maybe it is just as well because the transportation problem is so bad.

I told you about the stunt we pulled one day last week.  We didn't get up for the first scheduled class but almost got burnt by our folly.  We were going to get a court marshall but they decided to let us off with a restriction which is the usual thing.  They tried to scare us I guess but didn't have the authority.  Anyway I learned my lesson so I will stay on the ball.

I don't have anything special to write so I will quit.  We are going out to Kirtland Field now to see what B24's look like.  Our room here was in 410 as you can see on the front of this paper.

With love
Austin.

Modern look at the El Fidel Hotel, now an office building and condos called Copper Square

December 19, 1944 (2)

Roswell Field

Dec. 19, 1944

Dear A.P.

As I write this letter you and Mother may be making your last minute plans to go to Chicago.  I hope that is so.  This letter should get to you about the time you get home or ahead of you.

I cannot get home for Christmas and get only a pass from Sat noon to Tues-noon which in my poor opinion is a very poor Christmas leave.  I probably will go to Dallas with my friend and spend the holiday with them.  If that is the case it will be the second year way from home each time with friends.  Last year it was with Mother's cousin and this year with friends of mine.

I wrote to tell you about the horses we rode the other day.  They were regular cow ponies and really spirited animals.  After we got on they went into a trot and continued to do so no matter what we did. We galloped them so much after that that I guess we wore them down to a walk but even so they were awful jumpy.  The one I had was so jumpy that when I kicked him in the ribs his hind feet almost slid out form under him in his efforts to get going.  I tried to remember all you had ever told me about horses so I guess we didn't hurt them any.  We only had trouble taming them down because they just couldn't stand still.  I doubt if I am a horse man but if I had a horse like one of these I'll bet I could fool most of you easterners.  They had very small feet and had smooth shoes.  They even slipped on the paved road to say nothing of the frozen snow on the roads.  We rode through the woods in about 3 inches of snow as much as possible and then let them go.  We could steer them by laying the reins against one side of their necks, no pulling but just pressure. 

What surprised me was the way they ran with me 185 lbs and them so very small..  They are really rugged little nags and would make any owner back home proud.  They were awful looking having none of the shiny hair and well kept manes but they were not kept in stables and had real thick coats.  They were the best fed horses I have seen.  They weren't in the least bit bucky making no attempt to buck or bite you.  I don't know but I guess you must have seen them when you were out in this part of the country.  I would really like to own one of my own.  Maybe when I get home we can go for a ride together and you can show me how.

We had a lot of fun last weekend and hope to go up to the Ruidoso again.  It is a winter resort with ski trails and toboggan slides. It would be fun to get on the snow again and have a snow ball fight or make a snowman or something.  It would be more fun to do in Stoneham but your week ends come where you find them and you can only be in one place a short time so you might as well get your fill of everything because no two places offer the same opportunities.

Well I hope you have had a lot of fun in Chicago.  Tell me what you think of that big town.

With Love

Austin

December 19, 1944

Even if I am a thousand miles away this coming Christmas day I can be with you all in spirit.  I hope you don't miss me as much as I miss you because it could be a lot happier if we could at least be together on this day.

With love

Austin

It now seems that all the plans I have made for this coming holiday will be dashed.  I had so wished to be at home but I am not so unhappy that I cannot enjoy my second Christmas away from home in the memories of the many so happy celebrations before.

With love
Austin

December 18, 1944

Roswell Field

Dec. 18, 1944

Dear Mother:

I started to write this letter last night and got as far as the date and then quit because we had a couple of visitors. With all the gab and the tall stories flying I just couldn't concentrate on a letter.  I guess you have the same trouble.

I want to tell you about Ruidoso N.M. We were going down to Mexico but didn't get our plans made early enough to make the trip.  Now I guess we will never get there.

The bus going up leaves at 1230 and our last class ended at 1200 so we figured it would take a lot of hurrying and fast talking to get in on time.  We had to get a pass in the form of a V.O.C.O. and had to sign out.  We also had to wait for a ride so we missed the bus.

Well seeing the next bus was at 2000 we decided much to my dislike to kind of stand on the side of the road and look very hopeful and maybe get a ride.  We got a ride all right with a young lady traveling from Nebraska to San Fransisco.  She was going to see her husband who is in the signal corp stationed out there somewhere.  She was a very attractive young lady and I might say that she had a lot more courage than a lot of women I know.  We asked her how tall she was and she said 5 ft and weighed 94 lbs.  She said that she wished we were going to Calif so she could rest from driving all the time and know that there was someone to change any flat tires.  Her car like most women's cars was a little rickety but I am sure it would get her to Calif all right.

She took us to the junction to the town and from there we took a taxi.  The two of Ruidoso is not anything wonderful except that it is very quaint and a typical movie town.  Except for a few modern buildings which would look out of place the town could be taken for a real live 1890 boom town.  It has one theater, 3 bars, 1 pool parlor, and a couple of drug stores.  There are novelty stores about every five steps so there are plenty of places to buy things.  They have rollerskating rinks to go to but the were not open.  Of course this town survives because of the tourist trade and therefore there are about a thousand cabins in and around the town.  The principle residents of the town are ranchers, Indians and the bar tenders and waitresses.

We got into town at about 3:30 PM and got steaks at a drug store and they were the best I have eaten in a long time.  They were cooked on a grill in the window of the store.  This drugstore had most of the amusement in town as it had a jukebox and lots of hot chocolate so we spent a lot of time here.  The owner also didn't mind us talking to his waitresses as long as we drank hot chocolate and played the music.  It was rather cold so we didn't do too much running around. 

Right now there is a slack season because there is no summer crowd around and not enough snow to draw the winter crowd.  We looked around and found skis and toboggans and sleds in all of the lodges so when snow comes we will go back.

I had the softest bed I have ever slept on.  I sat on it and almost disappeared into the mattress.  It was one of those beds I have dreamed of, one that you don't need covers on because the mattress flows over the tops of you when you get in.  Of course that stretches the point a little bit it was a very soft bed.

We went horseback riding Sunday (By we, I mean, me, Sanput and another buddy, Ernest Punis from Tenn.)  Sanput the Texan had never ridden and neither had Punis.  I had ridden once in Phenix so I got the most spirited horse.  They were western cow ponies and very small compared with what we have at home but I'll be they would take on all comers for their spirit.  We had no more than got on when off they went in a trot, which developed into a gallop with no urging on our part.  You don't steer these horses by pulling on the reins but by pushing them from one side of the neck to the other.  The harder you push the sharper they turned and we later found out that the only way to stop them was to put them into such a sharp turn they had to slow down to turn.  These horses gallop at very little urging and stop only with the greatest effort.  I think they find it easier to run than to walk.  Most of the horses I have ridden before had to be really stung before even trotting and then you got the roughest ride of your life.  These little ponies gave you the easiest and smoothest ride I have ever had.  The horses in Phoenix are old fans in comparison to these.  We rode for 3 1/2 hours in our shirt sleeves and half the time in a trot or a gallop.  I think I shall some day be a horseman.

It is known to be rather cold up in the mts so we bought a pair of long underwear.  I remember how many times you had tried to get them on me and my excuse was always that it wasn't cold enough.  Well it was only 38 degrees F up there and we had them on.  We were riding without our blouses but that made little difference.  I had on that sleeveless sweater which was a great help.  I went it quite a lot under my jacket and find it swell.  I had no idea what a wonder it would be when I got it last year.

We skipped our first class this morning and go caught at it and will probably be restricted to the post a couple of days.  It is quite a price to pay for staying in the sack an extra hour but we got what was a due so I am not too mad and have learned my lesson.

I always look forward to mail from home.  My little mailbox is often empty for days on end and that is a disappointment and a morale destroyer.  You wouldn't want me to go AWOL just because I don't get mail from home do you?  I am sure I won't if you keep up the letters.

With love

Austin.

December 11, 1944

Roswell Field

Dec. 11, 1944

Dear A.P.

I wrote Mother a letter yesterday but did not mail it so you will probably get two letters in Stoneham today.  Some of your questions can't be answered in Mother's letters so I must write to you once in a while.  Don't think I don't think of you but it is just that it seems Mother can tell everyone all the news I write.

Yes we pilot and travel around in those big B17s all by ourselves. It must seem wonderful to you but really it is nothing at all to us.  The flight to Houston was a surprise cross country meaning that an instructor was along to help us along.  There are a million and one little details to take care of on such a trip and they were breaking us into the job.  All kinds of frogs and papers have to be filled out and the instructor was along to see that it was done properly.

I am glad to hear that you are going to take a trip to Chicago this month.  I think you should take Mother along even if she is reluctant.  She will probably say that she has too much at home on her mind but I don't think a little housework or mending or anything should stand in the way.  It could be so much fun for her to see the city.  She has been stuck at home much too long.  Please do everything to get her away from Mass.

Jan 22 I will be in ground school as well as on the 23rd.  However I should be on the way home some time after that.  Of course everything is very indefinite and no one here knows what our chances are of getting home for Christmas and New Years.  I do know that 15 days is coming our way soon.

You have never written much about your radio.  I was wondering what frequency you broadcast on.  I imagine you use a voice procedure and no code.  I was wondering because our because our Liaison set in the plane can pick up anything from 300 KC to 18 M.C.  It is also good for several thousand miles.  You see we can pick up Tokyo on it but that is a beamed station.  We might be able to hear you if you have the power.  I have no intention of listening to you but I was just wondering.

Liaison radio station

Christmas is really a problem.  I have no great pressing needs and wish only to be home.  I want to buy everyone something but have no ideas.  Everyone seems to think that hey can buy for me while I am no expected to show my gratitude.  I have been with you all for such a short time the last year that I have no idea what you have on your mind or what you would be pleased to receive form me.  If I were home I am sure things would be a lot different.  I only wish I were on the way home rather than sweating out a course in which i have no interest and from which I will derive little.

Well enough of all this gloom.  Next week I am going to have a special pass to go down to Mexico.  All military personnel must have special passes to get in but that is the only restriction.  We may have a little trouble getting on the 1230 bus but we will devise something somehow.  I figure that next weekend will be our last chance and we plan to make the very most of it.

As long as I shall be home before reaching my next station I will not need any information about wills etc.  I am sure we can make arrangements when I get home.  Maybe I have no great need for such a thing seeing everything of value, bonds and money, are in someone else's name along with mine.  Anyway I plan to grow a long old grey beard when I get to be your age.

Well I have a book to read and this letter seems to drag out so before I begin to bore you I will finish. mother will tell you about my trip to El Paso last week.  You know I am going to see more than you did when you were out here.  It is under slightly different circumstances but just the same I am getting rid of my itchy heals.

With love

Austin

December 10, 1944

Dec 12

Dear Mother:

As you can see by my beautiful stationary that we are down in El Paso Tex.  I guess you are wondering just what is coming off and I will tell you.  We got so tired of Roswell we decided to come and see the bright lights again.

We came down yesterday on a 7PM bus and had quite a lot of fun looking around the town.  A gentleman packed us up in his Buick and took us around to see the sights.  Actually there are not many things to see but we had a lot of from just riding around.  We are going back tonight on a 9PM bus and sleep most of the way.

Hotel Cortez

Modern day office building

Maybe you wonder who my companion is.  Well he is William J Sampert of Dallas Tex.  We do a lot of traveling together and we both get a big kick out of it.  By the way he has invited me to his home on my way next leave and I have accepted him.  I plan to spend about 2 or 3 days there before coming home.

You know Sat we had nothing to do and decided to go somewhere.  We went to the bus station and took the first bus out and here is where we ended up.  Some fun.  It really is fun to just take off and go somewhere and have and leave no responsibilities behind.  Guess I have an itchy foot too.

With love

Austin.

Not to brag or anything

December 10, 1944 (2)

Roswell Field

Dec. 10, 1944

Dear Mother:

I have decided to clean up my desk here and I guess if I get rid of some of my unanswered letters I will have a good start.

Last weekend my friend from Dallas and I went to El Paso to see the bright lights for a change.  We were so tired of Roswell we decided to take the first bus out of town and go to the nearest big city.  It so happened  that it went to Texas so that is where we went.  It really is fun to take off and go just anywhere that the bus goes and leave all worries behind.

I remember that a couple of years ago I used to want to do just that.  The trains would go by or the busses would go by and I was fascinated by their passing.  I used to wonder just where they went and wished I could be on them and go until I was somewhere else.  When you have no strings attached and all the money you need you can just pick up and go.  No one cares where you go and you are on your own to see the world.  I'll bet you would like to do that.  I'll bet you would like to pick up and go and leave everything behind.  Why don't you?  After all your children have grown up and don't depend upon you, or at least they shouldn't.  Why don't you take a trip and leave cares behind and let tomorrow take care of it's self?  It really is a lot of fun and you do get a chance to see the world.  After you get back home looks like heaven and the next week looks like a new adventure, not the same old grind.

We had a lot of fun and met a lot of people most of whom you wouldn't care to meet again but you have your memories of a good time and you can always tell your grand children about one more city and one more trip you have taken.  You know you can only be young once and you will never get younger.  

I can't really tell much about the city in a letter because I am full of little stories which would fill several letters.  I guess we ran into all the characters in town and had all the fun ourselves at least we were in on a lot of it.  All you have to do is just look around and the fun will come to you, you can't sit in a hotel room and look for it but you must go in search of it.

For example we were just looking for something to do in the hotel, looking at the beautiful lobby and in general seeing what there was to see about a hotel when we came upon a very noisy ballroom.  In fact it was the "Crystal Ballroom" of the hotel.  When we tried to get in where they were dancing the usher stopped us and he wore an Optometrist's Convention button.  By looking very unhappy and lost in the big city he listened to our story and allowed us to go in.  We had crashed the first barrier.  Well we were inside and looking very unhappy while the old men and wives danced by, looking rather silly cutting up the way they were when a very beautiful young lady (must of been one of the old boy's daughters) came up to me and asked if I wished to dance.  Well who am I to refuse a lady?  We danced for awhile and when the music stopped I brought her over to where my buddy was standing and introduced him.  He kind of asked in a joking way if her mother approved of her dancing with young 2nd Lts.  I guess she nearly died laughing but when she calmed down we asked what was the big joke.  Well she proceeded to point out "her mother".  He was a young Air Corp man with Captain's bars on his shoulders getting a big laugh out of us.  We did hasty "good nights" and made a hasty retreat out the door.  She had danced with me on a bet I guess but we enjoyed the incident and they seemed to have so we had as much fun as they laughing about it.  Now that is one little story and we have lots more but look at the space I have taken.

We also were looking for something to do when another very attractive young lady and mother stopped us and asked if we would swap some gasoline stamps for a bottle of "Scotch".  Well we had no stamps but asked her what made her stop us.  Well she said, someone had told her that officers got all the gasoline they wanted and were always ready to swap it for some unobtainable "Scotch".  We very gently informed her that officers did not get all the stamps they wanted.  She was on her way from Phoenix to Georgia and was stuck with no gas.  So what do you think about romance in a big city.  I guess O'Henry would have a field day right now if only he were alive or, if only I were a good author.

I am going to spend a few days in Dallas when our leave comes.  Sam has invited me to his home and I am not one to refuse good Texan hospitality.  I am beginning to like Texas because no matter where you go someone is ready to show you around and open his house to you which is another story.

We are starting administrative school here.  We have finished flying and they are awaiting orders to our next base.  I could have been on my way home now but I would have had to volunteer to go in a shipment to Florida.  They leave here the 12th and report at Tampa on the 27th.  Even so they will not be home for Christmas and that is what I am waiting for.  School is over on the 23rd and we may be able to leave then.  School might get over sooner so here's hoping.  This school is just a pain in the neck and used primarily as an excuse to keep us here.  We use it to write letters and read books so not much is gained or lost on either side.  Each class is about 20 min long instead of the required 50 because the officers realize what goes on.  Although the intentions are wonderful the results hardly warrant the feeble efforts.

I am reading another book this time a historical novel by F. Van Wyck Mason called "Stars on the Sea".  It is about the Revolutionary war in New England.  It gives a pretty good account of what went on in Boston and in Newport R.I.  I have just got started and it seems like rather good reading.  You will probably get it along with the rest when I get home.

Well I have wasted enough time and ink on nothing at all so I will sign off.  I am sending a Jap 1/2 shilling which I got form a soldier down in E.P. It came off the body of a dead Jap he claims which is another odd story. Boy am I really full of them.  Please put it away so I can have it as a reminder of something to tell when it gets cold and the fireplace is making an idle tongue wag.

With love

Austin

December 4, 1944

Roswell Field

Dec. 4, 1944

Dear Mother:

I am going to make a stab at writing a letter but I have very little to write.  Nothing much has happened of late due to the bad weather which is keeping us pretty close to "home".  I didn't get to fly last night as I should have and so still have my 3 hours to get in.  We were just released from the flight line because of the weather and so have nothing to do.

I have been reading a few books lately partly due to a clipping Mary sent last month.  I have read "Damned to Glory" by Col. Scott.  It is a very good book but not as easy to read or as good reading as his other book "God is My Co-Pilot."

It is a series of short stories about the P40 as it has been used in the war.  The book seems to lack the personal touch he gave to his first one.  However it is very interesting reading and I will send it home soon.  I have also read "The Best of American Humor" compiled by Joseph Lewis French.  Some of the stories are really funny, others are humorous and others are a little too old and too hard reading for me.  Some of the authors are Cobb, Herford, Mark Twain, Eugene Field, Leacock, "Bob" Benchly, etc.  I got quite a kick out of the more recent authors but the humor of some of the others seemed slightly passe.  Anyway I have only read what looked good and passed the rest by.

I hope you are not too hasty sending any Christmas packages because I have hopes of getting home.  However if I don't get home and they come late I will probably wish you had sent them.  Our training here is really over and we are just waiting orders to report for the next phase of training.  Usually you get 15 days leave when leaving here which would mean a trip home.  We may get the 15 days tomorrow or next week or just stay here till next month some time before shipping.  In any event we are pretty sure of the leave some time.  We all hope it will be during Christmas but the Army doesn't care too much about our hopes.  However I would rather have Christmas at home and have it late or early rather than have it here and then go home.  Maybe I am wrong about it all.

We have quite a lot of training yet to go.  If we get sent to Lincoln Neb. which is the usual place we have 3 more phases to go through in training the crew.  You see we know very little about a crew and the crew knows nothing about its B17.  Most of them have just come out of Army Tech schools and have not yet had a chance to practice what they have learned.  Not only must we break in a crew but must teach a co-pilot the B17 inside and out.  If I am the first pilot as I have trained to be I will have to teach the co-pilot all that I know about the B17.  He may be some dumb single engine man or a B26 pilot who is disappointed with his assignment.  All this takes from 9 to 12 weeks which is not too long a time.  Well we will worry about that when we get there.

It looks like that pooch is getting to be 28 lbs of dynamite and a bit hard to handle.  Even though you write as if you were disgusted at times with her I guess you have more fun than anyone.  I think you get more of a kick out of her than anyone.  Who can tell, maybe someday you will get to tolerate her unusual antics.

Well my little note has turned into 3 pages so I guess I shall have to save something for tomorrow.

With love

Austin

December 3, 1944

Roswell Field

Dec 3, 1944

Dear Mary:

I guess it is my turn and about time to write to you.  I have been intending to write for a long time but just haven't gotten around to it.

Well this is Sunday and a very quiet day.  The weather has been bad for several days with the ceiling at about 500' so no flying.  The sun just came out so I expect it will be good flying tonight so I will get in my last ride here at Roswell.  As far as flying goes I have but 3 hours more to go and I will finish that tonight.  We have finished ground school and nothing is left to be done.  We will have a few weeks of administrative school if we don't get shipped out in the next week.  I rather like it here and hate to pull up stakes and move again.  It seems that every 3 months it is the same story.

Counting it up I have been on 7 different posts in the last 18 mos.  That has been a move every 2 1/2 mos.  I just wonder how many more jumps I will make.  It has been a lot of fun nevertheless and I have found something new on every station.  At each place I have made new friends and each new change has meant leaving more behind  I would rather like to make a longer stop at one of these places and get to know a few more people.

It is fun living away from home on your own resources.  I guess you learn about living a lot faster.  You learn to depend upon yourself and to think for yourself.  There is no one to tell you to take your raincoat and you have only yourself to blame for the consequences.  If you get sick it is because you didn't use good judgment somewhere but if you are well and happy you can only blame it on yourself and no one else take the glory away from you.  I guess you might say that you can make or break yourself, at least you are the sum of your own efforts.

However, home looks very inviting.  No time schedule to make on if you don't want to.  You don't get a court marshall if you don't show up on time, it may go hard with the professors but they will overlook human frailties.  Home is the place where all your real friends and loved ones stay.  I guess home looks like heaven from here but it sure can be it's little bit of hell.  Anyway it is always somewhere pleasant to go on those 15 day leaves.

What do I want for Christmas?  Now that is a very good question.  How about a 30 day leave or a nice beautiful blond.  To be serious I do need something suitable to wear to bed, I also need  appear of all purpose slippers.  Actually I have most all the clothes I can ship around.  Every time I move I must take everything or throw it away.  I do need a pair of "Pink" pants to go with my blouse but that is about all.  I intend to buy a coat when I get home because these out here are not too good.  Really I guess I could get along without very much.  I don't know what I want so I guess you will have to guess.

What would you like this year?  I have an awful time thinking of  presents for everyone.  In fact I have nothing for anyone and I will have to start pretty soon.  This Christmas problem is really a big one and even though I know you don't expect anything I would hate to forget anyone.  I am sure if I were in Boston I could do better because Roswell is not very well stocked with things to send home.

I am glad you like B.U.  Your letters are very good advertisements for the school.  I am sure that if I had the enthusiasm for my accounting that you have for some of your subjects I would not have flunked it.  I guess that it is just one of those things.  Maybe someday I will go back and redeem myself.

The sun is out good now so I guess there is no doubt what I will do tonight.  I guess I haven't written much and have nothing more to write so

With love

Austin.