February 25, 1947

Forest Park Avenue         Valparaiso, Indiana

Friday

Dear Austin,

Yes, I know it really is about time I answered your letter.  Forgive me, I hadn't realized a week has gone by.  Someone has to set an example for the two of us and it may as well be me, that is in letter writing - just in case you were wondering.

I am spending a week with my sister, who incidentally is going to have a baby in March, while Carl is in Cincinnati.  So, this is a fine opportunity for some letter writing - You shall be my victim.  I hope you have no objections.  You may voice them - if so.

By the way, are you enjoying the snow?  I'm getting somewhat a sadistic pleasure out of learning of the blizzard in the East.  "Being a lover of beauty" - I shall say no more.  You may take phatar to your hearts delight that is after you've shoveled and dug yourself out.  Well, here is wishing you great funN!!  I love it.  Gosh, I enjoy the lonely winter nights we have been having.  It has been perfectly wonderful. (Which I don't consider on iota trite)  Have you done any skiing?  I hope you have.  It is one of my favorite sports, however being in San Antonio didn't help - My skiing that is.  Silly I should mention San Antonio - I'll never regret the time spent there.  I'd have never met you.

Speaking of regretting - that is - Sorry I was interrupted and I can't for the life of me think what I was going to say, later perhaps.

Thanks for the picture of Bill.  I have instructed Jo to send it back to you however if she is too engrossed in her knitting I shall when I get back.  Frankly, I wish you hadn't.  Is it possible for a person to change so much in year?  Need I ask?  Tell me, what has happened to Bill?  Why so laxed? Now this is trite.  He looks rough.  It can't be married life!  He just doesn't care.  Really this may sound cruel but Bill is in a rut.  But I shan't go on.  I have fine memories, and fine pictures of Bill in my mind and I guess I won't foul  reality and his present state - My advice to him is the Du Barry Success Course pronto!!  I wonder if I have changed as much as he- suppose so, but people really don't change.  I keep telling myself - when I know perfectly well - Tell me, do I sound confused?  Sometimes I wonder.

This is Saturday afternoon and we are listening to Carmen.  It is a find thing.  Rise Stevens, Carmen is the only opera I have developed a taste for.  I became too sad and melancholic with Wagner who I consider the best.  I'll listen to the prelude and orchestrations but not the vocal.  One must develop taste for opera as fun scotch, astern and married life - I don't know what brought that later on but anyway Carmen is very good.

Michael, my nephew keeps interrupting me but I really don't mind.  He is a lot of fun - you really would  love him.  He calls me Annie.  this morning we were out playing in the snow - oh what fun - it is good to unlax for a change - By unless I mean relax to the extent.

It is Saturday evening and I am full of Martinis - which is a most pleasant state - My sister insists on playing the perfect hostess, which she is, by my having cocktails before dinner - I think it would be wonderful fun having a home - and of course husband. This is the first time in a long time I have thought seriously of marriage.  I always do though when I visit the Stevens' family.  Theirs is so perfect.  Must be the Martini or perhaps I'm growing old.  How rare!  I have said enough already- I shall say no more.

My, Doc, what a treat you must be in a tuxedo.  Lucky, lucky girl.  Tell me more, that is beside being late to all engagements, No don't, if you don't care to.

I'm glad you are living at home.  Fraternity house life was never very inducive to duty in my estimation - But, I'm really not an authority on fraternity house life - Ahem!

I wish I could remember your last letter - Did you ask me anything.  Guess not, I would have remembered.

For your sake, I shall give Jo a bit of peace while she is knitting your _______  "What you might call'ems!"  I do hope they are finished before you make your debut.

This is Monday and I must get this off to you!  I'm having a fine time and regret Friday is so near.  That is when I am leaving - returning to Milwaukee - You may write me there - soon please!

My best -
Anne

June 14, 1945

San Marcos Field

June 14, 1945

Dear Mother:

I received your June 4th letter today.  2 days after the June 6th letter which gives the first letter about 8 days travel time.  It is rather hard to explain how such a thing happens but somewhere things get last.  It also seems rather funny to read some things that are explained in letters you received before.

I got my mail from the central mail room and read it in between classes.  Therefore I leave it all in the classroom.  I forget to bring it back to the barracks here so I can't answer many of the questions you ask.  However I will answer them as I think of them.

Today I am the fire guard in the barracks so I don't take PT this hour so this is a good time to write letters.  Each day one man has to stay in and watch things while everyone else is at P.T. I came up on the roster today.

The Samput's address in Dallas is:
Mrs. W. J. Samput Sr.
4420 Cole Ave.
Dallas Texas.

I am sure she would be glad to hear from you.  She could probably write you a long letter about our escapades up there.  Bill is engaged to a girl in California so is supposed to be behaving himself.  His mother doesn't know that we have dates when we go to Dallas.  Maybe you had better be very diplomatic with her.  Anyway she would be glad to hear glad to hear (my mind is wandering) from you.

Sometimes I wish I had some better transportation but with all the trouble you can have I am glad I can rely on my feet.  One of the fellows bought a 39 Chevrolet the other day and is having trouble already.  He stripped the gears last night and he figures it will cost $70 to get it fixed.  If some day I can find a good deal I might look into it but it will have to be good.  I might buy a motorcycle rather than a car.  But don't worry yet because I am just dreaming again I suppose.

I went to Austin again last night and met a fellow I knew from back in Advance.  He is stationed at a field in Austin and is flying C46's and C47's.  He is in the Troop Carrier command and makes most of his trips in the U.S. to the West or East Coast.  He says he doesn't like it but at least he is getting flying time which is more than we are.  He is the lucky one even though he doesn't think so.

Curtis C-46D Commando

Douglas C-47D Skytrain

This is really awful country to live in.  The bugs and all kinds of flying insects are just everywhere.  We have the biggest, most beautiful cockroaches you have ever seen.  We put down powder but they seem to just get fatter on it.  They don't have many mosquitoes but everything else.  Auto windshields just get plastered with bugs when you drive.  I guess they live well in the hot damp air.  At least we are not in a desert where nothing at all lives.

I have been having laundry troubles lately but I think I will have some clean clothes in a few days.  That is always the trouble when you move, you just have to live in dirty clothes while you wait for clean ones from the laundry.

If you can't read those last few letters it is because we have no writing facilities.

Well so long for a while.

With love
Austin

PS Is William actually getting interested in another girl???

May 3, 1945

May 3, 1945

Dear Mother:

I don't know when was the last time I wrote.  It must have been last week some time when I sent the money orders.

I haven't heard about the money orders yet so I have no idea if they got home all right or not.  I have been waiting for a letter for the last 3 or 4 days and I am a little worried about them.  I know they can't get lost or anything but I was just wondering what has happened to them.  Please write and tell me what you intend to do with the money or what you have done.  If you are waiting for a suggestion, you can just put it in the bank until I find something better.

We made a 1000 mile cross country yesterday and came out relatively well even though we didn't get credit for the mission.  We didn't have the navigator shoot enough sun lines to get credit for the mission.  We flew to Marfa Texas, which is about 100 miles from El Paso.  We ran into a couple of storms but our course happened to lead between them, so we had no trouble.  One of the fellows thought he could fly through a hail storm and ended up with a wrecked ship.  It was torn up so bad by the hail that he had to make an emergency landing at a small advance school down there in Texas.  They said that the hail did so much damage that the ship may not be repairable.  Well some fellows are a little bit foolish when it comes to flying and it might have happened to me if I had come near the storm.  Some things always look so harmless but turn out to be the most dangerous after you have been through them.

Another fellow had to feather an engine because he says it was running rough.  Undoubtedly it was not running properly but anyone who would feather an engine when all his instruments read properly and then land at a place called Pyote, Texas should have his head examined.  That field is a hole in the ground and a hundred miles from anyplace.  Even so he had no reason to land when he had 3 good engines.  This old plane will run on 2 engines to say nothing of 3.  This airplane commander is noted for the foolish questions and dumb stunts he pulls.  He is also somewhat of a blowhard and generally full of wind so that stunt is about like what he usually pulls.

I wish you had told me William needed shorts and shirts before because I had some brand new white ones he could have had but I have worn them now.  I can get shirts that are white ribbed and the shorts are another story.  I can get khaki colored ones some silk ones that look better but I have never worn them so I know nothing about their wearing qualities.  They have elastic tops and might be just what he wants.  Just tell me what he wants and I think I can get them or send some of mine, even they don't have holes yet.

Grandpa wrote to me the other day.  I sent him a letter on his birthday and I guess he wrote right back.  I guess he was rather glad to hear from his wandering grandson.  I told him about all these beautiful Texas girls and he seemed all for the idea.  He said to land a nice pretty one and bring her up to Maine and see him.  He seems to be all for another marriage in the family and doesn't seem to have to much cooperation from the Rounds family.  Anyway we are all still looking even though some members don't seem to be looking too hard.  Well things are not too good lately for such things.

I have been writing from the club here because I am holding down a good seat for a show they are going to have here.  It is a stag party but as usual everyone had brought their girls so it won't be very enough.  It is just a novelty show more or less anyway.

Well the way things look now N.E. won't be our P.O.E. so tell Pop to stop worrying.  Europe seems to be a closed issue now.  It might be a training ground but nothing less or more.

Well I have some other business to attend to so I will have to close for now.

With love

Austin.

February 13, 1945

Feb. 13, 1945

Dear Mother:

        It is time to write again but I have no idea what to write about.  What has really been bothering me is whether I thanked you for the birthday candy.  It got here on Feb 9th all right so it was a really 

Christmas  birthday present.  The candy is really good and as usual all of the people here liked it.

(what am I thinking about?)

Life is running along as usual with nothing new happening.  We didn't get to church last Sunday morning but had to report out to the base at 0800 for a oxygen mask refit and to have a microphone installed.  It turned out to be one of those long line affairs with nothing to do in between.  We all got pretty mad about the whole thing.

Mr. and Mrs. Suley got your letter the other day and showed it to me so be careful what you write from now on.  I have been wondering if you have sent that Sunday paper yet.  I hope you have or will soon because they are very interested in seeing one of the local scandal sheets.

Seeing you are going to give a story to the Independent you must know about all there is to know.  I am here in Lincoln to pick up a crew for further B17 base training.  The training is expected to take from 10-12 weeks after which we will return to Lincoln for overseas assignment.  You can give the paper a big story and sling the bull all you want.

I wish I could send a letter to all the people who sent me a card.  I have a big stack of cards and don't feel that I can answer all the little short notes on the back.  I will answer a few of them.  I got quite a kick out of the card William sent.  I showed it to Mr. Suley and he got quite a laugh out of it.  Maybe you didn't see it but it was really rather rare.  I don't know where he could have got it.

I am going to write Esther a letter right now and send it at the same time I send this.  However this one will go airmail and Esther's goes free.  You can see how much difference there is in the time for each.  Maybe you can let me know what the difference is.

I sent you some flowers today so please let me know what you get.  I hope it gets to you on time.

Well I don't know what I should write except that I wish my address would change again.  I am not getting tired of Lincoln but just getting tired of drawing $150 a month and not getting any flying.  I guess I kind of miss the "wild blue yonder" more than I think.  I think I will rent a plane just for a ride before long.

Well for nothing better to write I will write the finish to this little note.

With love

Austin

October 4, 1944

Roswell Field

Oct. 4, 1944

Dear Mother:

This will be the last letter for several days as we are about to go on an 8 day week here with no breaks.  Classes will run 9 hours a day and after eating and cleaning up the room there will not be time for much else.

I am going to write a few other people tonight so don't be surprised at the shortness of this letter.  I kind of feel that I am going to leave the world for a couple of days.  I guess it isn't that bad.

We are getting very good meals here.  In fact they compare very well with what we had during Cadet days.  They cost a flat rate of $35 a month.  This is not too bad compared with what we paid at Luke.  At least they are not going to make your stay here miserable but let you concentrate on the things at hand.  the schedule is much too tough to have a lot else on your hands.

I live in a small room with one buddy who is a Texas boy.  His name is Rollins and a swell fellow.  There are two to a room and plenty of room for us; two chairs, tables, lamps, lockers, shells, and everything.  Things are going to be very comfortable.

I hope you have disregarded my last letters because I have been so discouraged by what has happened.  I guess when I get to work things will get a little brighter.

I haven't received one Independent since I returned from home.  Maybe my subscription has run out or maybe they have just got lost.  Please look into the situation.

I got two letters from you today so I now understand the box situation.  I was getting a little impatient but I guess it will be along soon.  I hope so because it is cold here and that (pinks and greens) are about to become the uniform of the day and I will have to have them.  I am sorry I didn't know what part William had in the ring.  He seems to hold the bag most of the time putting in the money and getting none of the thanks.  Please thank him for me.  I guess I kind of take him for granted too much and should write more often.

Pinks and greens

You also said that Mary's gift had not arrived.  I guess instead of sending it Airmail as I directed they have sent it regular mail and it is taking longer than I expected.  However I am worried about it and if it doesn't come soon I shall write and see what can be down about it.  Maybe I shall be stuck.

I shall close now and write to the Blaisdells.  Erma did not have what the doctors all thought for a while.  She has dyptheria or something.  At least she doesn't have to worry about the effects of polio. Mrs. Blaisdell was so good to me I hated to leave.  If Fred B ever comes to Stoneham I want him to stay in my bed.  That could not be too much of him.

With love

Austin

September 19, 1944

This is written in a big hurry

Dear Esther:

I got your letter yesterday and I might say that it was unexpected.  I already had a couple of letter in the morning mail and then this one.  You see it was not that I didn't expect it but that it came in an unexpected time.

It seems that Betty is having a lot of trouble with all her family.  If I remember correctly the "refugee" was a little shy but she seemed friendly enough when I left.  I guess maybe I frightened her.  Well I guess she will get used to having strangers around if she is one of Betty's children.

So Harold was home lately.  I'll bet William was especially glad to see him.  William must miss having friends his own age around.  If what Mother said about Harold was true I guess the loosing 10 lbs didn't hurt him physically but maybe some mentally.  I guess I gained a lot more than I lost. I think I put on about 20 lbs but am slowly losing it because of the lack of activity.  However while at G.B. the last weeks I gained a couple of pounds.  Maybe the Army doesn't go wrong when they allow some fellows to take A/C training and disqualifies others for reasons mental and physical.

As for his record of not getting a gig I would say he has done well.  Maybe that is the trouble, he worked too hard trying to get and stay on the ball that he has missed a lot of the training down there that you don't get form the books.  I hope Harold doesn't have to go back to the G.I's because he will hate it after the way he has been treated lately.  I don't think he really wants to go back without that commission no matter what he says.

I was just thinking that maybe you had better not write anymore letter or company time because you might get fired but then I might not get a letter if you didn't.  I guess you are indispensable so you just go ahead and write all the letters you want to me on company time.

You know I think Mother is worried about me.  She asked in a letter today what kind of a girl would stay out all night with a strange fellow?  Well I don't know what kind of a girl she was if they can be classified but I see no harm in living at night rather than during the day.  After all you can meet a girl at 9:00 in the morning and stay all day and not create any talk.  Well you can assure her that that was the first and last time because I enjoy my sack time too much to waste it at dances at 4:00 in the  morning and on hard bony old nags which riding schools call horses.  I have had enough of that.

I realize Mary has a birthday soon and it will probably be by when you get this letter but I will try to do something.  I have no idea what I shall get but I am going to town today and will find something nice for her.

I am so glad to hear that she is going to school this fall.  I only hope she has found what she wants.  If she ever needs any money please write and I am sure I can send a gift along that may help her out a little.

Will I must close now and go to dinner.  I am very hungry because I had only a 10 cent breakfast.

With love

Austin

September 9, 1944

Gila Bend

Sept. 9, 1944

Dear Bill:

Enclosed you will find some cartoons.  I hope you get a kick out of them.  They came out of a paper put out each week at Luke.  I hope you get as much fun out of them as I did doctoring them up.

Today I sprayed 400 rounds of 30 cal ammo around the sky and only got 20 hits on the sleeve.  That darn target is sure hard to hit when you are trying.  I don't feel bad about it because there were a lot of scores worse than mine but a lot were better.  As it was I hit nothing the first mission but got 20 the next mission which shows a 100% better scoring record.  You would think that you couldn't miss the darn thing seeing I almost chewed the tail off it a couple times.  I hope to do better tomorrow.  The instructor is going to ride with me so I guess I had better.

One of my friends just finished dictating a letter to me to one of his old flames in Calif.  We asked her for a picture and everything and from what he says we can expect an answer by airmail.  She must be some doll.  I can't understand it because she knows that he is married.  I guess some guys have the old appeal.  By the way how are you and "Dot" getting along.  As for me I still am looking over the field. I hope Mother doesn't worry too much about me and the ladies.  I am not a lady killer yet.

How are you and the hush-hush coming.  We have heard nothing about it lately so you can see I have nothing to write about in that line.

We have some fellows taking the gunnery course here who graduated back in 1942 and have been flying planes around the country ever since.  They are not J.B.'s well we are but have about 2000 hours apiece.  They have flown every type plane in combat and otherwise.  you should see the formation they fly.  It is really close and looks swell.  They are better than a lot of instructors we have here.  As for their shooting they have not done any actual live shooting yet.

I will have to close to go to hit the sack.

With love

Austin.

June 26, 1944

Luke Field

Phoenix, Ariz

June 26, 1944

Dear Bill:

I was more than glad to hear from you yesterday (Sunday).  I hadn't given up hope but I thought maybe you had a lot on your mind.  Mother has promised you would write so I half expected to get that letter.

I thought I had written I am flying an AT6 which looks like a BT 13 but performs a lot different.  The BT you saw in "A Guy Named Joe" was either a BT 9 or 13, I don't know which.  They are both very similar.  The AT has retractable landing gear and a much smaller tail assembly making it much more maneuverable at high speed and easier to handle.  Of course it is the most sensitive plane I have been in yet.  Your rudders and stick control are easily coordinated so not much thinking is needed to fly it.

A Guy Named Joe - Trailer with Spencer Tracy

It will cruise at an indicated air speed of about 145 at 5000' but can be made to go straight and level  175 with everything fire walled and hellbent.  It also uses a gallon of gas a minute at such speed.  It carried about 110 gals and can stay in the air 6 hours if the mixture is leaned way out and the prop spent in full high RPM and manifold pressure about 23".  At that setting you get about 120 mph indicated at 9000'.  You can see that its range can be about 1 hour and 50 minutes long or apron 6 hours long.  Of course the difference in air speed makes some difference.

This ship can do most any kind of aerobatics maneuver thought of.  It has speed restrictions and other than inverted spins it has no other than the speed restrictions.  It is red lined at 240 but can withstand 300 easily.  It is very sturdy because today I dove it to 200 and hauled back on the stick and put 6 1/2 g's and the meters.  You are supposed to "Black out" at 4 g's but you won't if you know how to handle them.

I can't say much about the radio because I don't know much about it.  It is a command set and standard army equipment.  Of course it uses crystal tuning in connection with coils.  The receiver is quite easy to tune to any station but this transmitter is really a baby.  I doubt if I could tune the radio and keep it on st. and level.  When you want to transmit on anything but a preflight frequency you have a headache.

Some ships have two radios in them so that you can hear 2 stations at once.  So! we listen to "Max Perkins" "Kate Smith" et al while listening to the tower.  The purpose of the radio is to get a radio fix by the intersection of two radio beams.  I have never heard of it being done.

Well we have sweated out 5 weeks here and the upperclass graduates tomorrow.  Most of them are going to P39 school or instructor school.  We have 39 days to go and each one brings the day that much closer.  I now have 36 hours so I am half through now which is quite a feeling.  You know I will be through before I know it and then I may get home.  Its a swell feeling to know you will get home soon but the wings and bars don't mean as much as they did once.  I guess the reason is that just like anything when you can't have something it looks a lot better but when you have it in grasp it loses some of its luster.  I also don't feel old enough to take on the responsibility.  Maybe I will be a flight officer but I hope not.

I wish we had a plane when I got home so I could take everyone for a ride.  I like this low flying.  It sure is a lot of fun to see how close you can come to something and miss.  We haven't had any low flying yet but my instructor has flown up some of these washes out here.  Pretty soon we get a low cross country max alt 500' and the way some of the heat come up around here I guess I shall fly in the shade of the cactus most of the time; well maybe not that low.

We got a look at a lot of combat planes here.  we see 47's , 39's, 17's and 24's every day.  B25's come in for repair every so often and A24's and A25's come in frequently.  We often get visited by 3 Culva Cadets with tricycle landing gear.  They come in at about 110 mph and look just like 39's.  Those little buggers cruise at about 130 and are really a nice looking ship but much too small.  Civilian planes in general are not allowed on the field but these need a long smooth runway and we have the only one available.  For my money I will take a Luscombe.  Any Army plane will not be suitable for civilian flying because they are not safe for the general run of the mill of flyer.  They have to be flown out of a spin and do not come out by themselves.  Any C.A.A. plane comes out hands off in 1 1/2 turns.  The AT 6 falls like a brick.  You have a very high wing loading and therefore make recoveries difficult.

I got some more pictures the other day and the only comments were that I had a nice looking sister; they mean the young one I guess.  You don't seem to change but Mary seems to be growing up.  Maybe work and w -ing people changes everyone.

Well I guess I could shoot you an old line but my social life is rather restricted.  I haven't left the post in 5 weeks.  What I saw of Phoenix didn't impress my particularly.  Say!  Tell Mary to get her gang on the ball and paint those dials straight.  I could do as well myself on some of the ones I see.

Give my love to Dot?

Austin

March 17, 1944 Postcard

Mar. 17

Dear Bill,

Here is a picture of the plane we will start flying the day you receive this card if not before.  It really got warm today and I expect we can use the swimming pool soon   How about finding time for a letter.

Love
Austin