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
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