September 15, 1945

Randolph Field

Sept. 15, 1945

Dear Mother:

I am a little short on letter writing time at present but I have 2 money orders here to go so I guess I had better send them while I still have them.

Pop paid 1/2 of my income tax and so will want about $65.50 from you so I guess you had better give it up.  I had hoped to put off sending in the tax money until the end of the year but it is just as well now since they will be after me for it sooner or later anyway.  I may as well pay for this war as long as I have the money.  I am certainly getting more for my money than I am spending.

Here is some hot news.  When you receive this letter I will no longer be a member of Randolph Field.  We are shipping across town to Brooks Field so we will still be in S.A.  We have been hearing all kinds of rumors about shipping out and most of them were morale killers.  Everyone thought we were headed for the sands of N.M. again or maybe North Texas.  As it stands now we are still in civilized territory if you can say that of Texas.

As for the money you can pay Pop and put the rest in the bank or any place suitable.  I don't think I want War Bonds because they are hard to get a hold of in a hurry just in case I see something I want.  I could sure use a good car.

I sent Mary a birthday present which should get there on time.  Please give me your opinion of it and be very frank.  I looked around a lot and just couldn't find anything that she might like.  Maybe I am a little too choosy but any way it has gone now and I hope it is fitting of the occasion.

Well I met a girl in San Antone.  Maybe you read Pop's letter or he told you.  She is a little younger than Mary and rather nice looking with Mary's freckles.  She seems rather proud of them too and I might say that freckles never hurt anyone's appearance.  Anne Roberts is her name and she comes from Wausau Wisc.  Her dad is a lumber and paper man; you see I am almost a member of the family.  She is a swell kid and more fun than a barrel of monkeys, and very inexpensive.  But never you fear, Mother dear, it is not the real thing and I will still come home single, I hope.  It is too bad you don't get to see these lovely creatures I get on the string so you could give me some advice.  I could really use some at times and all I have is a roommate but what does he know about women.

Well I will write again soon from Brooks Field and give you my new address.  We report there on the 17th before 23:59

With love

Autin.

September 12, 1945

Sept. 12, 1945

Dear A.P.

I guess you have read Mother's letter so you know what happened on my end of the trip deal.  I am awful sorry it ended that way and wish I could redeem myself some way but now it is too late.   I hope next time I will know enough to make better arrangements before hand.

I guess maybe I am running around with this one dame a little too much but I am getting tired of it.  You ought to know what I mean.  So now I have met a girl in San Antonio who is just the opposite of the one in Austin.  She is 19 years old but acts about 13 at times or about 26, all according to how she is dressed.  When she is dressed to go out she can be just as sophisticated as anyone.  But when she is just slumming around she just does anything that comes into her head.  Anyway she is a heck of a lot of fun and very inexpensive, she brings her own entertainment.  I guess I would rather make a lot of women happy than one unhappy.

Gee, I sure was glad to see those pictures.  It kind of makes me feel that I didn't lose out all together on the trip.  Pictures are always a good way to describe a trip or as a reminder of a vacation.  I only wish I could have been there.  The cabin in the pines down by the lake sure looks like a fun place to stay for awhile.  One of the pictures was taken at a picnic.  Just what was Mother trying to hide?  Tell Dot I am sure it was she by the big feet and who else would Bill be leaning on?

I am glad Bill is going back to school.  I only wish he could find someplace away from home but in his case it is a little different but still it could be a lot better.  I guess he will have to get to studying again and I can't say that I blame him.  It looks to me that Esther and I will have to support the others while they get their education unless they have 

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end of the war means to you in Real Estate or Building.  The government is most surely going to ease up on civilian priorities and I suppose housing will be going strong in the not too far future.  So what do you plan to do, stay in Real Estate and dabble in Housing or vice versa?  Either game has a future and the possibilities of a good living  Maybe you can let your partner run the Real Estate end while you concentrate on the construction end.  In that way you might really be able to retire some day.

Well our future here at Randolph is rather uncertain.  Seeing I am in H category and they are releasing A B C D E I guess I have some time yet to sweat it out.  We get our flying time in and not much extra.  We have no way of getting released any sooner than by the normal process.  We may get on orders to a separation center tomorrow and it may also be 6 mos or more before they even post a notice.  Seeing schools have already started I can wait 6 most but I am getting tired of doing nothing. When you have nothing to do it is hard to save money and I am really trying believe it or not.  I have saved $400 and seeing Mother is not coming I shall send it home.  I hope nothing comes up where I need money or you will hear from me.

Well take care of yourself and give me some advice on the woman.

With love

Austin

September 6, 1945

Sept. 6, 1945

Dear Mother:

I don't suppose you actually did leave home last Tuesday as you said you might in your letter.  If you had left I am sure I would have heard from you by now and I could plan but I am just assuming that you are at home.

I have no idea how far you could of gotten with your plans but from your letter I got the idea you were coming and to get ready.  So I did the best I could in the short notice I had.

Maybe you all are thinking I am making excuses but you have not seen San Antonio.  It is the closest thing to a mad house I have ever seen.  It is so crowded it surprises me where the people all sleep.  The streets are crowded all of the time and everything looks like Saturday night.

Hotel reservations have to be made 2 weeks in advance unless they have a cancellation.  All of the motor courts and motels are full and I believe that the park benches are pretty well taken care of.  It is next to impossible to eat unless you go in at odd hours.

I had no idea you would decide in a hurry to come or even had an idea that you would take me up on it.  That is why last Friday I took off without checking the mail or anything.  I did not return until Tuesday late and found all the telegrams (one) and the letters.  I should have wired you right away but decided to call on the plane.  I placed the call at 1730 and it finally was through at 2330 and they rang for several minutes with no result.  It would have been 12:30 at home and I don't suspect anyone was up.  But I wish someone could have got up and answered because I felt it was very important, so much so that I sat on marble stairs for 6 hours.

Now I don't know if your plans went so bad that you don't want to try again or not but here is the deal.  Tell me in time to make reservations in Austin which will be a lot more comfortable.  I can really get things fixed up then.  Also I can get a V.O.C.D. and get off for 6 days or more.  It all has got to be arranged but please don't try to get in touch with me on a weekend especially a holiday weekend.

Now if you have left Stoneham and are already home again just disregard this and tear it up.

I went to my first and I hope it is my last military funeral today.  A very good friend and a swell fellow was killed in a crash last Friday.  He was my roommate here and I had known him all the way from B17 transition at Roswell.  He was from Alaska and because of that he was buried at Ft. Sam Houston not far from here.  The Army really did a swell job and made it a very impressive ceremony. His name was Varnell, you may have remembered the name from some of my letters.  He, Bill Ayers, and I had been triple dating together for some time.  His girl in Austin was very broken up; I guess they had planned to get married but maybe it is a good thing they didn't.  Well so ends the tale of another who gave his all but will be remembered only by his friends and relatives.  This sure is a rough life if you don't take it easy and take too many chances.  I am going to have a lot of grand children.

Well Addie Mae and I had a little misunderstanding last Monday.  So I don't know what is going to happen.  I wrote her a letter that was a little on the nasty side so I guess my future in Austin is all taken care of for me.  She is such a good kid I hate to hurt her but sometimes I get so mad I could lick wild cats and I happened to write a letter while in such a mood.

Theodore Roosevelt saying to William Howard Taft, "I can lick my weight in wildcats, C.Q.D!", and Taft replying, "Oh, that’s nothing; I can eat my weight in ’possums, P.D.Q!" 1906.

Well I guess I have written enough.  I wish you had come because I am sure we could have managed.  

With love

Austin