June 21, 1944

Luke Field

Phoenix, Ariz

June 21, 1944

Dear Mother:

Notice the new stationary!  I got it today and found out that is is airmail.  Well I guess I will have to send you the news in a hurry now.  I guess it won't be too bad if I send a few free because the envelopes are plain.

I think I will send a picture of a friend and me sitting on the wing of a BT.  He was my roommate at Basic and sleeps next to me here.  He comes from Tenn.  and is first rate.  I got quite a kick out of the pictures you send so I looked around and found this.  It was one of the few pictures taken of me in basic.  We couldn't keep cameras till near the end so not many pictures were taken.  (I must fall out for a pyrotechnic demonstration now.)

June 23

I have got to finish this letter so I am taking some spare time before dinner.  The fireworks were put on by the Chem Warfare Dept. and consisted of gas decontamination and protection and use and value of types incendiary bombs.  We lost 1 1/2 hours of valuable sleep so we're not as eager to go as if we had left the class room.

Yesterday Maj. Bong came and spoke to us.  He is a quiet sort of a fellow and seems awful bashful and shy.  I guess he is a much better fighter than speaker.  I doubt if he enjoys his present assignment. He has a lot of interest in fighting but tight as a clam.  I guess he is just modest about it all.  He said that the fighting in his theater of operation is safer than the flying.  He said that when flying a P38 against the Japs no American lives should be lost if you make them fight our way.  Only when you try to maneuver with them do we get shot down (noon chow!)

Major Bong, Ace of the Pacific

This is one of those piece meal letters.  I have about time to finish now.  I flew 3 hours this afternoon and had a lot of fun.  We had a "rat race" which you probably know nothing about.  We went up for formation but when the instructor gets tired of flying straight and level we get the signal to "peel off" and into a "rat race" we go.  It is just a race to stay on the instructor's tail and shoot him down if possible.  It is a series of steep turns and screaming dives and climbs.  It is just one black out after another.  You lose all vision in a block out but not sensibility at least in the ones we get into.  I guess we only gray out because we don't lose consciousness.  Even so you lose all vision.  It turns into just one mad race all over the sky.  We lost altitude from 10,000' to 5500' in ours.  Often they go lower but too little altitude is rather dangerous.  All kinds of maneuvers are done just so long as you can stay on the instructors tail and that is hard because they can really fly.  You can bet we ring these planes out if we can.  you can bet it is fun.  You get wonder head aches also.

Well ground school is going as usual.  We get a lot of interesting facts and figures which will some day help us out of jams.  We are learning all we can about planes now so that later we won't be caught short.  I am again taking code both auditory and visual.  We have to pass a 6 word check to get out but I passed that on the first day.  We have to get 5 words visual and passed that also but that is a heck of a lot harder.  About 80% of the class didn't pass.  I may have to go to class nights even so.  We also get navigation, Aircraft and Naval Recognition, two engine courses, First Aid, oxygen and oxygen equipments, gunnery of all kinds figuring leads and deflection shooting as well as gun maintenance.  I guess we have everything but a course of weather.  It is very interesting.

Yesterday we practiced for the upper classmen's graduation.  They sure are lucky.  I guess it will be our turn next.  I have a friend from C.T.D. graduating.  He sure is a swell fellow and deserves to get through.  By the way, you never can tell  I might not become a Lt. but a Flt officer like Terry Lee.  I hope not.

Well I must close now.  I am getting pretty tired.  Tomorrow is Sat.  I am getting an Arizona suntan.

With love

Austin

April 4, 1944

War Eagle Field

Lancaster, Calif.

April, 4, 1944

Dear A.P.

I have received a couple of letters from you lately and have just got around to answering them.  I hope I get this one finished tonight.  I guess I should be studying but I can't study with these fellows making all the noise they are.  They are repairing a radio or what was a radio and you can imagine what is happening.

We had a little speech the other day from our Sqn Flight commander.  Sqn 15 is going to be inactivated, after we leave.  The reason seems to be that the school is no longer needed to train pilots. They are now training the replacements for the replacements and because losses are not nearly as high as anticipated the training program is being cut down.  He also said that it is more than likely that unless we pull a lot of strings or are very lucky we will never leave the good old U.S.A.  We will become members of the Air Transport command and remain in the U.S.

I suppose this is good news to everyone but it brings to mind the fact that I might not see much more of the world.  It also makes me think that I may get a chance to go back to school.  In a way that will be good but I hate to think that I will not be able to fly.  I am getting to like BTs and I can hardly see myself flying anything smaller.

How will I ever be able to settle down to an accounting problem again?  Those things used to be a constant dread to me, ask Esther if you think I am fooling.  I can just see myself poring over the books in the wee hours of the morning.  The Army may be tough but it has something that appeals.  

I know how much you want to learn code but please don't write a letter in code!  You see I hardly have time to read my mail now and code takes a long time to decipher.  It is also a lot of work and I kind of lose a lot of pleasure from the job.  You see we are getting code at 10 words/min now and I don't need the practice.  I don't think visual code practice helps me in what I am doing.

I get a heck of a kick out of our radio course.  They make a very interesting course out of something that could be bad.  I am learning a lot about radio that I could never learn before.  It is getting very interesting.  In fact I am getting some good radio books and am going into the thing a little further.  You see if I learn a lot and remember the code I have learned I could even get an amateur license after the war.  I could fly a plane with a radio.  That would be what I would want.

I am writing this letter form my bed so the writing must be very poor.  The table is covered with radios and I can't write there.

Sqn 15 has a pretty good record now.  It has had no accidents in 4337 hours.  That means that no accidents of any type have happened.  If you drag a wing or taxi into a plane or scratch a plane in anyway that is an accident and you have to start all over again.  I think we have the best record now on the base.

Last Saturday we went to L.A.  I stayed in the Hotel Clark.  Boy what a bed I had.  It felt like feather or a cloud spring.  I thought I would fall through before I hit the bottom.  There isn't much to do in town except go to movies.  I saw a triple feature of horror stories "The Corpse Walks", "Dead Men Tell" and another.  I slept well however.  Each weekend costs an average of 7 or 8 dollars.  3 dollar bus tickets $2 for a room and $1 for a meal and $1 or more for accessories.  Often you see how you can spend a lot more.  If you want to send anything home you spend a more costly week.  The overhead on a job like this is well paid for but the entertainment is what runs up the bills.  You can't live on the flying but you have to get some relaxation somehow.  During the day tension is always building up.  Unless you have a relief valve of some kind something is bound to go.  You don't just blow up but you don't give a darn and that leads to tours and tours lead to more tension and that leads to getting in trouble such as going AWOL or talking back to the wrong people which all leads to a washout.  I guess the first battle is getting along with people.

I guess what I wrote about going back to school isn't as bad as it seems.  The only trouble is that right now all I want is a month to sleep until I wake up of my own accords and not by a whistle or a bugle or some san Commanders raspy voice.  I have a rather tired feeling now.  I also have a year for adventure and a lot of excitement.  How can I slow down to an everyday prewar 35 m/h when I now drive and zoom at a mere 200?

Well it is time for taps.

With love

Austin

November 28, 1943

Nov 28 1943

Dear Mother;

A lot has happened since I wrote last.  Thursday was thanksgiving and we went to the beach for gunnery and the swimming tests.  We swam in the morning and went to the range in the afternoon.  You can bet that the water was very cold and we nearly froze to death.  I took the advance swim test and passed it.

It consisted of a 250 yd swim 1/3 back stroke 1/3 side stroke 1/3 breast stroke.  We then swam 45" under water, made 3 jumps from a 11" tower 1st at attention 2nd with a barracks bag so we could float and finally with a life preserver.  We then put on a suit of clothes (Better than the ones they issue) swam 100' took off the pants blew them up and floated back to shore.  We then blew up the shirt and floated with it.  It was a lot of fun except that is was much too cold for comfort.

We had coffee and sandwiches for dinner and left for the range.  It is constructed so that you shoot off over the ocean and many of the slags skip over the sand into the ocean.  The land is patrolled by blimps run by the Navy and the Coast Guard runs a cutter out 2 miles or so just out of range to keep small craft out of the area.  We first shot the 45 cal pistol for record.  Next we went to the machine gun range and shot 250 rounds at moving targets.  These were aircraft 30 cal. machine guns, the kind they used on all the early airplanes.  The machine gun was the most fun.  We next went and shot the Thompson submachine gun and finished with the 22 cal. rifle leading targets.  We had 50 shots.  Tell Pop that is where all the 22 shots are going; teaching us to hit a moving target.  The range was the best part of the training so far.

We came home to a wonderful turkey dinner.  What a meal. Mash potatoes, gravy, vegetable, turkey, vegetable, ice cream, nuts, candy, turkey dressing and everything.  I am sending a menu of the dinner which everyone got. (in a magazine that is coming)  I only wish that I was home for dinner rather than so far away.

Saturday I got out again and went to Hollywood to see Cousin Emma and "Cousin Will".  They are really very hospitable people and made me feel very much at home, so much so in fact that I didn't want to leave.  Their son Robert was still home from Peru and was headed for O.C.S.  They have a very nice little house with all kinds of fruit trees in the back yard.  Orange tree, fig trees, pear trees and a tomato plant that has been bearing for 2 1/2 years.  I am going to send home a pinecone they picked up in the mts. to burn in the fireplace.  Not only do the have what we have at home but the size will amaze you.  I am trying to find a box to fit it.  I will send it as soon as possible because it takes up too much space.

Thanks for the cake.  It was delicious and I happened to open it after chow when no one was hungry so I got all I wanted.  It was very good.

Tell Pop that the code is coming along but is beginning to slow up because I have hit my maximum for awhile.  If I can pass this 8 word check I have passed the course and got to the point where high speeds will be easier.

We are getting very well fed now and I begin to worry about the folks at home.  Rationing must be plenty tough now.

I have not had too many gigs since I have been here.  Things are getting tougher and you have to be more careful each day.  However our section took second place in the 3rd wing and we are very proud of the fact.

Well I am going to bed now.  I will answer Williams current letter as soon as possible.

With love

Austin.

November 23, 1943 to Pops

{For those of you who are a little rusty in your Morse Code, don't despair!  My suggestion is to print this out and write the letters on top.  I will post the translated version in a week, if someone else doesn't beat me to it.)

Nov 23, 1943

_..  .  ._ ._.      ._       ._ _.   ,

_..  _ _ _     ..       _._  _.  _ _ _  ._ _       _._.  _ _ _  _..  .        ....  .         ._  ...  _._  ...       _ _  .  

._ _   .   ._..  ._..       _   _ _ _       _  .  ._..  ._..      _  ....  .       _  ._.  .._  _  ....       ..      ....  ._  ...   .          

._ _ _  .._  ... _       _ _.  ._.  ._  _..  .._  ._  _  .  _..          _  _ _ _    _  ....  .         _ _ _..      

._ _   _ _ _  ._.  _..  ...      ._       _ _  ..  _.  .._   _  .         ...   .  _._.  _  ..   _ _ _   _.           ._  _.  _..    

._  _ _        ...  ._  ...  ..  _.  _ _.        ._          ....  .  _._.   _._          _ _ _  .._.         ._       _  ..  _ _  . 

_  ._.   _._ _  ..  _.  _ _.      _   _ _ _       _ _.  .  _         _ ....  .        ._.  _._ _  _   ....  .   _ _        _ _ _  .._.      

_  ....  .      ...  ._ _  .   .  _..             ._ _  ....  .  _.       ..        _. _.  ._  ...  ...  .  _..         _  ....  .       _ _ _..

._ _   _ _ _  ._.  _..        _._.  ....  .  _._.  _._         ..           ._ _  ..  ._..   ._..          ....  ._  ..._  .      

._ _.   ._   ...  ...   .   _..      ._  ._..  ._..          _  ....  .       _._.  _ _ _ _   _..   .           ..         ._ _   ..  ._..  ._..

....  ._  ..._   .        _   _ _ _         _._  _.  _ _ _  ._ _          _  ....  ..  ...        ._ _  ..  ._..  ._..       _.   _ _ _   _                 

_...  .         _   _ _ _  _ _ _              ....  ._  ._.  _..                 

._  .._  _   .   ._.         _._ _   _ _ _  .._          _ _.   .   _         ...  _ _ _       _  ....   ._  _        _._ _   _ _ _  .._ 

_._.  ._  _.        ._.  .  _._.  .   ..   .._          _ _ _..        ._ _  _ _ _  ._.  _..  ...        ._        _ _  ..  _.  .._   _   .

._  ._..  ._..        _  ....  .         ._.  .  ...  _         ..   ...         ...  .  _._.  _ _ _  _.  _..        _.  ._  _  .._  ._.  .

..      ._  _ _        _ _.  .  _   _   ..  _.   _ _.          _  ..  ._.  .  _..           _ _ _  .._.       ._ _  ._.  ..  _  .. _.  _ _.  

_  ....  ..  ...        ._ _   ._   _._ _        ...  _ _ _   _ _ _   _ _ _   _ _ _

I am finding code a lot of fun because you advance when you are qualified to.  When you get good at it you hear a sound and write before you think. Some of the fellows can take 20 words per minute and the instructor can take about 40.  At that speed you can't write but have to take it on a typewriter or in short hand.  That seems beyond my grasp.  8 words per is the toughest place to pass because it is the stage between thinking and automatic action.

..      ._ _  ..  ._..  ._..       _._.  ._..  _ _ _  ...  ..         _.  _ _ _  ._ _          

._ _  ..  _  ....         ._..  _ _ _  ..._   .

._  .._  ...  _  ..  _.

November 15, 1943

Nov. 15, 1943

I have just finished debating whether I should do my homework now and go out to the movies tonight and I have a good chance of flunking a test tomorrow or stay in and write this letter and study tonight and pass the test tomorrow.  I have decided that the letter choice is the better So;

Dear Mother:

We have a little time off now before evening chow because most of the cadets are over seeing Joe Louis and the rest of us have free time.  I guess the letter should be written because I owe more than one to you all by now.

See Brown Bomber Joe at 1:00.

I have gotten those 2 packages you sent.  I would not advise you to try to feed all my friends because when boxes come the friends multiply to unheard of numbers.  If I can keep it out of sight I can be sure of keeping the contents between 6 or 8 of us.  The Independent came regularly for 3 weeks and I haven't got any since I got to pre-flight.  I guess it will catch up with me.

I read the article in the Saturday Even. Post and thought it was very interesting.  The test that fellow took was one to determine the altitude a fellow is qualified to fly at.  None of us will take such a test until near the end of our training days.  He told about the bends coming on slowly after an hour or so at 38000'.  This is the height that we went too but stayed for only a very short time.  The article was on a whole very much like what I would have told if I had written it.

I am very glad that Mary likes her job and glad to hear that she got her promotion.  I haven't heard much about her "night school" work.  I wish she didn't have to go to school nights.  I should think that she would find it very tiring.  I wouldn't want to do it.  She seems to be the one that is really working for an education.  Tell her to send along something she has done.  I would like to see it.

So you got a map of the camp.  Well that is more than I have because such things are restricted around here.  Each day we get confidential information which we are not supposed to pass on.  However a map of this camp for those in the camp can not be too dangerous if they are handing them out to the parents of the cadets.

I am glad to hear that Ralph has passed his exams for Air Crew training.  It is just the thing for him and I am sure he can take the rugged life that my be before him.

You are getting to be a airplane spotter.  The P38 really whistle when it comes down.  The other day one dived on the P.T. field.  It really screamed and when it pulled out a black trace was left behind that came from the wing tips but immediately disappeared.  It looked like smoke and I thought something had happened.  The explanation seems to be that is pullouts at high speed the air over the wing tips becomes so jumbled up that it can be seen.  Maybe William can tell you what happens.  I really don't know myself.  I have a very good airplane spotters guide here and I will send it along when I get to the post office.

Can you go in an Army-Navy store and get me something?  What I need can't be purchased anywhere on the camp.  They are the little

  and the 

that go on an officers uniform.  Get the real brass ones that can be polished and get at least 3 pairs.  They will probably cost you 2 dollars but don't let that bother you.  They are worth a lot more than that to me.  Be sure you get the officers and not the enlisted man's badge that look like this:

  They are not what I want and I can not wear them any longer.  I hope I haven't confused you by drawing the enlisted men's set.  They are worth their weight in gold around here.

I am sending a "Cadet Patch" along which you or any one can sew on an old coat or something.  It is from some the fellows threw way because they are the wrong size and color.  Ours are blue and orange.

Now what do I think about Christmas presents.  Well right now you could get me a nice furlough and a plane ride home for Christmas and I will be satisfied.  That is just a dream  I have very few needs as you can well guess.  My clothing needs are well taken care of an it would take a couple of barrels of food to feed my friends.  Those insignia would be a good present.  What can I send home?  That seems to be the real problem.

Well I have spent enough time for a while.  How is the weather at home.  It is very foggy in the morning an hot afternoons here.  I will write soon I hope.

. _ _  ..  _  ....      . _..  _ _ _ ..._  .

Austin.

November 9, 1943

11-9-43

Dear A.P.

I got your letter that was written Nov 3.  I guess it takes a long time for mail to come and go all this distance and some of the things you write bring back memories rather than present day happenings.

I am able to write this letter chiefly because today I am the Fire Guard.  The F.G. is the hardest working white man on the base.  He is on a 24 hour shift and has the whole barracks as his responsibility.  He keeps it clean, salvages waste paper, keeps butt cans clean, shines brass, empties waste barrels, and has all kinds of duties the purpose of which are to keep the place looking as well as possible at all times and helping the others clean up so no one will get giggs.  It's a rough job and very little rest comes till after 2000.  The big catch is that you miss classes which are impossible to make up.  However most of the squadron is on detail and today was a repeat of yesterday.

We have Battle Ship Identification, Elementary Math, Ballistics, Military Courtesy, and Code.  The code is the big catch and even though we get an hour a day most every one has trouble with this class. We try to learn 4 new letters a day; after this it is just a period of speed up until you can take 10 words a minute.  We have a few who have code before and can take 25 words, which is very fast for most anyone.  They take the letters by the length of the sounds on a whole rather than the little individual sounds as you learn them.  These fellows help us out somewhat.  One of the Sgts. that teaches can take 40 words a minute and they say that at that speed it is just a continuous series of sound.  I will never attain that speed.

My money is beginning to pile up.  I don't know just what to do with it all.  I could buy War Bonds but can never get to the office where they sell them.  Is there any suggestions you can offer for my present situation?  I can always spend it when I get out but it will be just wasted, but you don't have to worry about me wasting my money.  It comes too hard.

I don't know what to do about the watch.  I really need one but can't get one unless I am lucky.  Then I don't know anything about watches so I am a little cautious about spending $25 or more.  

The army has a funny way of paying.  They give you $57 and then take back 10 or 12 for different expenses you have acquired along the way.  Each month we get $2.50 taken out for grass seed and other misc.  You get credit for $.15 a day but they take that back for use of the mess hall equipment.  You can't complain because no one seems to know anything about what goes on higher up.  As each pay check is made out somewhere else no one can tell what goes on.  you have to take it unless you are short $20 or more.

Well I have got to get about my duties. So

With love

Austin.

July 1, 1943

Dear Pop,

I got your letter in 2 days which is very fast for mail coming this direction.  Even airmail takes as long or longer to get here.  I can't understand how it came so fast.  The train doesn't come faster than the mail so you explain it to me.

Thanks a lot for the code.  I had forgotten a lot of it and I wanted to finish up on it so I could be a little ahead of everyone.  A lot of the fellows know code as it is.  Especially the fellow who was in the R.C.A.F. and shot down the German planes.

If you should compare the handwriting in some of these letters you would find that some parts are not written at the same time of the preceding parts.  Just now I got back from the Service Club.  Before going there we had our Tetnus shots and we had that on a full stomach.  I started the letter this noon but am writing it at 8:00 tonight.  Some span of time.

The Service Club is new and its a swell place to go and write letters.  It is a 5 minute walk away and not too convenient.  But the girls that work there are really fun.  They are of course Missouri girls and don't talk Yankee talk.  In fact they have a language all their own.  Everything is O.K. to them and it sounds funny when they way it.  Some of the fellows sit at the soda bar and order and reorder just to hear the girls talk. You really have nothing better to do with your money.

You may have a lot of money but just what can you do with it.  You can go to the P.X. and buy things to eat and drink but you soon fill up.  You can't go out and spend it because you need a pass to get off the post.  You can buy things to send home but most of the stuff is Air Corps stuff and I sometimes wonder if I will make the grade to fly.  Anyway the money problem doesn't trouble me very much.

Our "Conditioners" (physical training) is really tough.  They really wear you out if they can.  You start off with exercise of the arms and shoulders.  When they are tired you work stomach muscles and when they are tired you do push ups in cadence.  About half the time is spent running the 1 3/8 mile or the obstical course.  You then get rope climbing, pull ups, and combatitives.  They are a series of personal combat exercises such as Indian wrestling and ends in Jujitsu training.  Before you can fly you have to be able to chin yourself 9 times with your hands on the bar so that the backs are towards you (the hardest way).  You also have to do an agility exercise.  This starts from the position of attention, bending putting the palms on the ground the elbows between the knees, throwing the feet to the rear so that you are resting on the ground on your hands and toes.  You then do a push up and return to a position of attention.  You have to do 15 of them in 20 sec.  That will really be tough.  We also have coordination exercises that are not tough but are a test of your power to act on what you think. With a little practice you get so that you can do them.

I am sending some of my laundry out now.  Some of the stuff I just don't have time to do.  Our coveralls get so dirty I don't get a chance to do the work on them they require.  When you swet and then lay in the Missouri dust you get mud that gets too hard to wash.  Right now there is as much as 2 inches of dust in spots.  We haven't had rain for so long (4 days) we expect the pace to go away in the next big wind.  When the rain does come it will be a cloud burst and wash all the dust into the valleys.

With Love
Austin

{For a more complete discussion of the physical training, check out the Art of Manliness's article.  Are you as fit as a WWII GI?}