May 22, 1945

May 22, 1945

Dear Mother:

Another dull night and nothing special to do.  We have had nothing special all day so I took the chance to get a good tan and read up on the news.  I had an hour of Link Trainer today and that accounts for all the work I had done.  Some life!

I realize tomorrow is William's birthday but have had no chance to get a suitable card.  The ones in the PX are not what I would send so again I am caught with nothing too late, typical Army.  I think he is going to be 23 but am not sure.  I guess I am getting more and more out of contact with you all.  

If you don't hear from me again for a short time it is only because we have left the state of Okla. and have moved on.  It is likely that we won't ship out as crews because of the training we will be going into.  Th pilots all expect to end up in B29 schools from co-pilot transition.  The navigators and Bombardiers do not have any idea what will happen to them other than eventually they too will be in 29s.  We all hope not but since V.E. day everything points that way.  I had hopes of flying 17s some more but now I don't know about anything.  I am pretty sure we are going out soon because the will no longer take our laundry which indicates shipment.  Maybe I am about to see some more of this here country.

We really had to feather an engine the other day and it happened much like I explained to you in my illustration.  Our oil pressure line broke and started spraying hot oil all over the inside of the engine.  It started out under the cowl flaps and really looked bad.  It was a brand new engine if we couldn't have feathered it we really would have ruined it beside probably catch the plane afire from the oil on the white hot super charger.  As it was we feathered and came right back to the field and had it fixed in about 1 1/2 hours.  When you really have an emergency, you really learn a lot.

I hate to write anything about leaves but every indication points towards one.  Please don't take this the wrong way because nothing is sure.  All we know is that others have had leaves before going to B29s and that we are subject to one.  Nothing is definite but I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Flying is more or less routine now.  We have certain missions to complete and the requirements are more or less cut and dry.  Lately we have been flying high altitude formation and having fighter camera attacks.  The fighter makes a gunnery pass on the ship and we take pictures of him trying to give him the comet lead and deflection.  It is training for the crew in aiming and firing their guns from their stations.  We have to have 20 hours of height altitude formation before we are completed and that is merely learning to fly the B17s at altitude where it responds a lot differently.  At 20,000 the ship has a tendency to mush in turns and to be very slow in accelerating and decelerating.  It requires much more skill to fly at 20,000 than at 5,000.

B17s in formation
Link leads to show article on B17s and checklists.

We have been flying in very large formations.  Most of them lately have been 16 and 18 ships.  In such formations a lot of fellows get a chance to lead which is the very best experience.  We have led a couple of times and of course it is a lot harder than just following someone else.  Even so it is a lot of fun.

I am not show on writing time but rather short on writing ideas.  Things are getting so more or less stagnant I am afraid I am getting that way too.  I don't seem to care very much about what happens and don't take time to think about tomorrow.  Everything is taken care of for us.  I can't get another promotion for 8 months, the army will send me where they need me most, the training I get here is relatively worthless to a civilian who plans to go back to college and fly a light plane so I just have a feeling that ti am spinning my wheels and burning things up.  I am spending the "best years of my life" away from home in an occupation I fully enjoy and would enjoy more if I was flying a different ship and doing more of it every day and not one every 4 days in 6 hr doses.  I like my army life and I doubt if I would give it up right now but I am getting tired of working like a dog 2 days and doing nothing the 3rd.  Maybe I just can't see how green the grass is over on my side of the fence.  A lot of fellows would give anything for my chance.

Every now and then I wonder just what will happen when this thing is over and we can all go home.  I will probably begin to cash in on the free education offered to servicemen.  That will mean a free education plus $50 a month for personal expenses.  It will mean I can use all the money I have saved as I see fit.  I can spend it or save it or burn it or just anything I please.  My education won't require any of it and my living expenses will require very little of it and I am therefore a very rich man.  Probably richer than I have ever been before and will be again.  by the way about the 10th of next month will bring along some more M.O.s if we don't throw a big party or something before that.  I have been living this last month on about $7 which is good for me.

Well I am near the end of my book.  Please give William a Happy Birthday for me even though it is late (Damn it).

I sure do love to get Mary's letters.  She really makes them very interesting and I get a kick out of them.  Don't let her worry too much about the men because when we all come home again she will really be surprised at the choices she will have.  Right now most of the good ones are away and are still not snared.  Wait till I sic my handsome navigator on her then she will really have something to say.

Well I guess it is closing time and bed time.  I hope you have been able to wade through all of this even though its the same old bull with its tail twisted a little.

With love

Austin