January 1, 1946

January 1

Dear Doc,

Hello, Mr. Rounds, Happy New Year.

Thank you, Doc, thank you so much for the lovely gift.  "There's something about a soldier".  Don't tell me you haven't heard they are all being discharged?  

The music box is very nice.  I like it very much.  Thank you again.  

I believe, Mr. Rounds, you owe me a letter, So!!!!

What have you been doing?  Are you going back to school?  And why not?

We had a very nice Christmas.  It really will not be long before Jo and I shall be leaving for good old Wisconsin.

Do write soon - 

Thank you again, Doc,

As ever,

Anne Roberts

December 26, 1944

Roswell Field

Dec 26

Dear Esther:

How much I would like to make a trip east to a little town called "Stoneham" you can't imagine.  No matter how many places you see or how much you see you always will compare them with home and none of them add as well.  I often like to imagine on these little trips around the country that I am on my way home but things never quite add up and you always arrive in some strange new, sometimes exciting town.  However it is never home as it really is.

I went to the movie "Arsenic and Old Lace" sometime ago.  It was while I was in town here so not so long ago.  I really got a big bang out of it.  Cary Grant and those two old ladies were good but I liked Raymond Massey's accomplice, Peter Lorre a lot more.  You may not know it but I make it a point to see most of the pictures he is in.  He always looks so mistreated and has that hang-dog but is so wise and smart.  I guess I just like to see him that's all.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jCTg2qvl60

Anyway the picture was really swell.    Charge!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE8kOv26BuQ

I got Mary's card a couple of days ago and admired it a long time.  I showed it to my friends and they also said that she was rather clever.  Anyway what they said made me very proud of her.  I think she should follow up her talent along those lines but she is so good at so much I guess she can't do them all.  From what little I hear from her she seems to likes school and most everything she does.  She must have a creative mind or something.

I got the "Stoneham Scandal Sheet" the other day and noticed a little item near the bottom.  Now as a rule the baby notices are just passed by so I won't know who the little ones are when I get home but the name Spear kind of held my attention.  It looked a little familiar so I read on.  Capt and Mrs. Philip J Spear didn't mean much and 7 lbs and 9 oz didn't seem like such a hot baby but the name Hazel Blackburn told the story.  Mrs. Blackburn sure is getting an awful lot of refugees grandchildren.  I guess this one wasn't a refugee however.  You can give her my best wishes when you see her and give "Jr." a wink for me.

I wrote Mother a letter from Albuquerque yesterday and forgot to mail it.  I will put it in your letter unless I forget again.  I don't remember what I said but I hope it is all right.  It is all beaten up because of the trip down here on the bus.  She can put it in her collection of things from all the places I have been.  When and if I go back I will send her some cards of the town.  I should have done it this time.

I opened my Christmas gifts last night at 2330 so it was still Christmas.  The trip back from the big town took 5 1/2 hours which was about 2 hours shorter than going up.  We had seats all the way even though some people had to stand parts of the way.  Anyway to get back to the gifts, the were very sensible gifts and about all I needed.  I am glad no more was spent because we are very well taken care of or at least we can get the essentials a lot easier and probably cheaper.  I am buying new clothes all the time so that i feel I can buy easier here than you can at home.  I think a War Bond is a lot more appropriate than extravagant spending.

I want very badly to save all the money I can but I always find a new need. I'll either have to stop running around the country or go to a warm climate or get out of the army before I can stop spending.  I have yet to buy some real winter clothes to wear.  I have nothing I can wear off the post if it rains or if it is very cold.  I guess like the women that get good jobs I too am about to become a "clothes horse".  I must have about $350 tied up and another $100 needed but what can you do.  I have very few things that are unnecessary and uniforms complete for two seasons, Summer and Winter.  I imagine that except for replacements and such things as pajamas and bath robes and slippers I will not have to spend much any more except for replacements.  My only hope is that I can wear some of this stuff when I get out of the Army because I have so much tied up.  Maybe a good big fire in the barracks just before my discharge can solve the problem of getting rid of a lot of uniforms and getting a lot of money instead.  

Well I have to hit the sack now.  I have to get up at 10 00 tomorrow and it is now 2200.  You know 12 hours of sleep is about enough for an active youngster they say.

Love

Austin

PS Give the match covers to the man in your office whose daughter saves them.

December 4, 1944

Roswell Field

Dec. 4, 1944

Dear Mother:

I am going to make a stab at writing a letter but I have very little to write.  Nothing much has happened of late due to the bad weather which is keeping us pretty close to "home".  I didn't get to fly last night as I should have and so still have my 3 hours to get in.  We were just released from the flight line because of the weather and so have nothing to do.

I have been reading a few books lately partly due to a clipping Mary sent last month.  I have read "Damned to Glory" by Col. Scott.  It is a very good book but not as easy to read or as good reading as his other book "God is My Co-Pilot."

It is a series of short stories about the P40 as it has been used in the war.  The book seems to lack the personal touch he gave to his first one.  However it is very interesting reading and I will send it home soon.  I have also read "The Best of American Humor" compiled by Joseph Lewis French.  Some of the stories are really funny, others are humorous and others are a little too old and too hard reading for me.  Some of the authors are Cobb, Herford, Mark Twain, Eugene Field, Leacock, "Bob" Benchly, etc.  I got quite a kick out of the more recent authors but the humor of some of the others seemed slightly passe.  Anyway I have only read what looked good and passed the rest by.

I hope you are not too hasty sending any Christmas packages because I have hopes of getting home.  However if I don't get home and they come late I will probably wish you had sent them.  Our training here is really over and we are just waiting orders to report for the next phase of training.  Usually you get 15 days leave when leaving here which would mean a trip home.  We may get the 15 days tomorrow or next week or just stay here till next month some time before shipping.  In any event we are pretty sure of the leave some time.  We all hope it will be during Christmas but the Army doesn't care too much about our hopes.  However I would rather have Christmas at home and have it late or early rather than have it here and then go home.  Maybe I am wrong about it all.

We have quite a lot of training yet to go.  If we get sent to Lincoln Neb. which is the usual place we have 3 more phases to go through in training the crew.  You see we know very little about a crew and the crew knows nothing about its B17.  Most of them have just come out of Army Tech schools and have not yet had a chance to practice what they have learned.  Not only must we break in a crew but must teach a co-pilot the B17 inside and out.  If I am the first pilot as I have trained to be I will have to teach the co-pilot all that I know about the B17.  He may be some dumb single engine man or a B26 pilot who is disappointed with his assignment.  All this takes from 9 to 12 weeks which is not too long a time.  Well we will worry about that when we get there.

It looks like that pooch is getting to be 28 lbs of dynamite and a bit hard to handle.  Even though you write as if you were disgusted at times with her I guess you have more fun than anyone.  I think you get more of a kick out of her than anyone.  Who can tell, maybe someday you will get to tolerate her unusual antics.

Well my little note has turned into 3 pages so I guess I shall have to save something for tomorrow.

With love

Austin

December 3, 1944

Roswell Field

Dec 3, 1944

Dear Mary:

I guess it is my turn and about time to write to you.  I have been intending to write for a long time but just haven't gotten around to it.

Well this is Sunday and a very quiet day.  The weather has been bad for several days with the ceiling at about 500' so no flying.  The sun just came out so I expect it will be good flying tonight so I will get in my last ride here at Roswell.  As far as flying goes I have but 3 hours more to go and I will finish that tonight.  We have finished ground school and nothing is left to be done.  We will have a few weeks of administrative school if we don't get shipped out in the next week.  I rather like it here and hate to pull up stakes and move again.  It seems that every 3 months it is the same story.

Counting it up I have been on 7 different posts in the last 18 mos.  That has been a move every 2 1/2 mos.  I just wonder how many more jumps I will make.  It has been a lot of fun nevertheless and I have found something new on every station.  At each place I have made new friends and each new change has meant leaving more behind  I would rather like to make a longer stop at one of these places and get to know a few more people.

It is fun living away from home on your own resources.  I guess you learn about living a lot faster.  You learn to depend upon yourself and to think for yourself.  There is no one to tell you to take your raincoat and you have only yourself to blame for the consequences.  If you get sick it is because you didn't use good judgment somewhere but if you are well and happy you can only blame it on yourself and no one else take the glory away from you.  I guess you might say that you can make or break yourself, at least you are the sum of your own efforts.

However, home looks very inviting.  No time schedule to make on if you don't want to.  You don't get a court marshall if you don't show up on time, it may go hard with the professors but they will overlook human frailties.  Home is the place where all your real friends and loved ones stay.  I guess home looks like heaven from here but it sure can be it's little bit of hell.  Anyway it is always somewhere pleasant to go on those 15 day leaves.

What do I want for Christmas?  Now that is a very good question.  How about a 30 day leave or a nice beautiful blond.  To be serious I do need something suitable to wear to bed, I also need  appear of all purpose slippers.  Actually I have most all the clothes I can ship around.  Every time I move I must take everything or throw it away.  I do need a pair of "Pink" pants to go with my blouse but that is about all.  I intend to buy a coat when I get home because these out here are not too good.  Really I guess I could get along without very much.  I don't know what I want so I guess you will have to guess.

What would you like this year?  I have an awful time thinking of  presents for everyone.  In fact I have nothing for anyone and I will have to start pretty soon.  This Christmas problem is really a big one and even though I know you don't expect anything I would hate to forget anyone.  I am sure if I were in Boston I could do better because Roswell is not very well stocked with things to send home.

I am glad you like B.U.  Your letters are very good advertisements for the school.  I am sure that if I had the enthusiasm for my accounting that you have for some of your subjects I would not have flunked it.  I guess that it is just one of those things.  Maybe someday I will go back and redeem myself.

The sun is out good now so I guess there is no doubt what I will do tonight.  I guess I haven't written much and have nothing more to write so

With love

Austin.

November 20, 1944

Roswell Field

Nov. 20, 1944

Dear Mother:

This letter will have to be very short and sweet.  I hope it gets out in the morning mail.  My coming home for Thanksgiving was just a lot of wishful thinking as it turned out.  I am sorry that I got your hopes up but I had not intended to.  As the schedule was posted we should have finished up here but that is not the case.  We fly on Thursday just like any other day and have a celebration that evening here on the post.  I am very sorry to have gotten you excited but it would mean a lot to me to get home.  I guess all I can say is that other things stand in the way.  Just think of me and I shall think of you all. Let me wish everyone a very thankful Thanksgiving because we all have a lot to be thankful for.

Thanksgiving Day in Italy, 1944

I received one of the firstest and bestest Christmas presents yet. I refer to the Home Fronts small but wonderful effort.  I will write to them personally and see that they get their just reward which could not be enough.  I think they made a perfect choice when they sent that little folder.  I will think of their efforts for a long time to come.

This will have to do till tomorrow when I will write again.  You are not being slighted but just put off in the regular Rounds fashion; but only put off till tomorrow when I can write.

With love

Austin