Aug. 14, 1945
Dear A.P.
I haven't had any letters from Stoneham in several days so I guess you all did get off on the trip to Maine. When I first heard the idea I kind of had my doubts whether you could get everyone agreed on it but you seem to have. I hope everyone had a good time; you are all probably home right now. I only wish I could have gone along and I could have if I hadn't come here to Randolph.
Well we flew in that big bird the B29 yesterday but had to get up at 0300 in the morning to do it. Our crew was a kind of observatory crew and didn't do any flying. We just went along to be checked out as scanners.
If you have ever seen pictures of a 29 you will see in the waist a blister window. A scanner sits in each one of those windows and reports the movements of the flaps, wheels and anything else that moves. It is just a check on the instruments in the cockpit and a safety measure. For the first 14 hours we co-pilots will have to sit there and observe.
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| Blister window directly to the left of star. |
When they take these planes up for instruction rides they have 2 crews aboard. The two pilots ride in the cockpit and learn to land the ship and the 2 copilots ride in back and scan. After 14 hours they start crew coordination and the pilot and c o-pilot ride in the front while the other crew rides as scanners.
Scanning isn't so bad but it can get boring. They have a chair back there for you to sit in but it faces the wrong way so we devised our own chair which when we got through looked more like a bed. I took several parachutes and filled up the seat until it was as high as eh blister and then laid the seat cushions on top which made a bed high enough to look out the window. It made it very comfortable. Besides that I had a magazine which I hadn't read so I was well entertained for the 5 hours we were up. Just the same I had to be on my toes all of the time. Anyway it wasn't so bad.
The newspapers have announced that Japan has accepted our terms. Whatever that means I have no idea but I can tell you that here on Randolph it means not a thing, classes go on as usual. I would not surprise me to see us finish our training and then go overseas on patrol missions. I suppose all the civilians of the country are out having a celebration tonight but I will be in class until 2200 which is not my idea of a celebration. However I have nothing special to celebrate. In fact if they asked for men to go home I would not raise my hand because I want to finish 3 years before going home. It will mean a lot in getting a commission in the Reserve. Also I wouldn't be able to get home for a month or so and then some time to get straightened out so I wouldn't be able to go back to school this year. If I should wait till next June I will have a better idea what the civilian army will be like and might even consider staying in but if I got out next June I would have time for a good vacation and to get straightened out before going to school.
The Army is the best job I have ever had and probably will be the best I will have for a long time. Very few fellows my age can make $240 a month and have as few expenses. The army has taken good care of me and paid me well at the cost of my freedom to do as I want. If the war is over things won't be the same but the ones who are qualified to stay in will have a very good deal. Randolph Field is a permanent base and before the war all married officers had their own homes which cost them no more that $45 a month for everything including heating lighting and water. Tell me where you can get a modern 6 room house for that. Of course it is never ours but as long as you are on the field it is and no one can put you out.
Well so much for the Army. It has its advantages but then there is the other side. I haven't yet heard from anyone at home since I got here and that was 10 days ago. I'll be looking for a letter soon.
With love
Austin.
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