February 1, 1945

Feb.            

Jan 1, 1945

Dear Mother:

Here I sit trying to talk to Mr. Seeley and write at the same time and concentrate on both.  I guess the outcome will be rather jumbled and incoherent.

I got Dad's letter today and a letter from you yesterday so I have had something to read in the last few days.  I guess from the way mail has come, both newspapers and mail from other people that I have hit the jackpot in the last few days.

Mr. Seeley has got a hold of my church report and I am having a time explaining it all to him. I am rather surprised at how little I know.  He is running off the financial reports and seeing how they compare with those of his church.  The two are approx. the same size so he is comparing notes.  He likes to get a hold of most anything that has to do with churches.  In fact he is interested in anything about N.E.

That reminds me.  Could you please send the folks a Sunday Herald.  They are very interested in everything that is different and uncommon around here.  When I discuss such things as papers they are so interested in just what is found in them.  Please send the paper to Mr. Suby 1740 Garfield St. Lincoln NEb.  He would like so much to get one.

I really don't have a lot to write about.  We are going through the same old routine.  We got out to the base and sign in at 0900 and leave at 0930 and the rest of the day is ours.  We have nothing to do with all our spare time but to read books and spend our money.  I am getting tired of doing nothing and getting paid for it.  All I want is to get up in the air again and see a few clouds below me again.  I am rather in love with my flying and want to get up and see if I can still make the old plane behave.  There is something about flying that seems to get in your blood and makes you want to get up again after too long on the ground.

We seem to be no nearer shipping orders than we were a week ago.  We expected to be gone long before now but we just seem to hang on.  None of our group has shipped yet and none have seen any orders.  I guess we have just been left behind and forgotten.

You really have been having cold weather.  We have had one zero day out here.  I have only the jacket to wear so I get rather cold.  I seem to stand it all right but I wish I had enough sense to put on my long underwear and be warm.  The only trouble is that it is so hot when you are inside.

That patch is a 3rd Air Force patch worn by all men permanently assigned to the 3rd.  We are not permanently assigned so we just send them home for you folks to see.  They are a different patch but not so nice as some that I have seen.  It is not very attractive.

3rd Air Force Patch

I am sorry Esther is not feeling too well.  Water on the knee is no joke - and what complications.  She also has a cold, well that's how things come, in little patches all the time.

I have kind of run out of gab so must put a stop to it somewhere.  The end of a page seems like a good place.  What has happened to the pictures that were going to be developed in El Paso and sent to me?

With love
Austin