June 2, 1945

Austin Texas

Juen 2, 1945

Dear Mother:

I guess you know by now that "there have been some changes made."  We are in Austin the state capital for a weekend but are stationed at San Marcus, another hole in the ground.  

Well I just can see everyone and hera everyone asking questions but there is really a lot of information.  We left Ardmore last Tuesday on a troop train and had layovers in Forth Worth and a little town called Milana. The trip itself would never take more than 12 hours but the way we went it took 30 but we don't kick because we had a lot of fun at each stop.  Sampert knows people all over this state and we went to see a girl who never knew him.  As it turned out she was married and gone away a year ago.  We went galavanting all over the country between stops and almost missed the train because we had trouble getting a ride.  But we got to San Marcos all right in good order and in fine spirits.

I am now minus a crew.  We are now all split up and everyone has gone to the 4 corners of the South. They have sent us here to a pool because they have nothing better for us to do.  We are destined to get our flying time in AT.7s which is a ship they fly student navigators in.  We will be co-pilots no less until we get time enough or until we go through AT-7 transition.  We are all ready for the airfares and now back in the training command, what a lousy life.

We are enjoying the weekend here in the beautiful capital of Texas.  We took off from the base and will not show up till Monday, we left Friday morning at 10:00 and are making a big weekend of it.  This is all the home of Texas State University and Sam and I are trying to get involved in something.  As luck has it we are not making too much headway except in wearing out our shoes and spending nickels and beating on doors and stuff like that there.  Anyway we are having fun and seeing what there is to see in the town.

Now my new address in San Marcos is 

St. __ L.__ 0-784076

Officers Section                              > It's Easy.

S.M.A.A.F.

San Marcos Texas

Please tell the Independent and everyone what sends mail from town.  Even though I have all the time in the world I may forget someone.  I have too much time on my hands to tell everyone.

This state sure is hot.  I have been all wet as long as I have been here.  Clouds blow over all the time but the sun shines enough to make me wish I were in N.E. where you have rain to cool things off.

I am writing from the Hotel Stephen F. Austin which is of course one of the very best in the city.  It is air conditioned and very cool.  It almost feels comfortable in here.  Our room is on the top floor (16th) and we can see the whole city.  It is rather expensive but we are having the first real vacation in a long time at least it seems that way.  It will probably be one big vacation for awhile now.

The only trouble is that we are back in the Training Command and they are rather strict about regulations.  We all need a little brushing up I guess but it's rather hard to take.  We don't have a colored orderly anymore to clean up so things are really rough.

I suppose everything is rather hum drum with Mary working again and the house empty.  I wish I could come home but there doesn't seem to be much chance of such a thing now. I think I will wait anyway and see what happens.  Maybe I can get a good leave rather than a couple of days.

With love

Austin