December 28, 1944

Roswell Field

Dec 28, 1944

Dear Mother:

I haven't written you in a couple of days so you must feel a little slighted.  Not much happens so I just can't write about nothing at all.

It snowed here last night and it really looked grand.  Things always quiet down so when it snows and everything looks so clean.  It was only about 1 inch of snow but it was 1 inch more than a lot of the fellows had ever seen.  Of course there was a snowball fight first thing this morning and quite a number more until the snow was all gone.  Everyone had a lot of fun out of it and I wish it had stayed for a couple of days.  Maybe the next one will stay longer.

Actually it is not cold enough here for heavy clothes.  However it seems awful cold so I don't know what I shall do if I get home soon.  It must really be cold where you are and I hope to be soon.  I can't remember if I have any heavy clothes to wear.  Probably William has them all and I will freeze.

We are going to meetings at 10:00 and 1500 each day just to see that we are still on the post.  It is the same old deal that we had while at Luke Field.  We have nothing to do so they have a little get together twice a day to see that we don't have too much fun in town.  It gets to be a pain in the neck after awhile.

We go to the movies every other night because we have nothing better to do.  The pictures are usually very good and recent Hollywood releases.  It seems that the Army Posts get to see the films first, maybe to see how well the public likes the pictures and maybe because they figure that seeing what a great sacrifice we are making we should see them first.  Then after we come back from overseas we can go to the neighborhood theaters and catch up where we left off.  Most of your pictures are rather stale when I see them listed in the paper.

A good friend of mine got married on Christmas Eve.  I believe he is a Protestant and his wife a Catholic so we have our fingers crossed.  She is a School Teacher whom he met here in town about 3 months ago.  He claims he loves her and she is rather quiet about the whole thing.  She is about 4 years older and at one time engaged to a fellow lost over Germany in a B17.  The boy's folks are separated and he was one of those fellows who lived half a year with his mother and half a year with his father.  We all wished him all the luck in the world and I imagine he really will need it.

Well enough for the scandals.  I am about to do some washing and then go to bed.  Maybe I will be home soon, sooner than you think.

I hope!!!!!!????

With love

Austin

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 19, 1944 (2)

Roswell Field

Dec. 19, 1944

Dear A.P.

As I write this letter you and Mother may be making your last minute plans to go to Chicago.  I hope that is so.  This letter should get to you about the time you get home or ahead of you.

I cannot get home for Christmas and get only a pass from Sat noon to Tues-noon which in my poor opinion is a very poor Christmas leave.  I probably will go to Dallas with my friend and spend the holiday with them.  If that is the case it will be the second year way from home each time with friends.  Last year it was with Mother's cousin and this year with friends of mine.

I wrote to tell you about the horses we rode the other day.  They were regular cow ponies and really spirited animals.  After we got on they went into a trot and continued to do so no matter what we did. We galloped them so much after that that I guess we wore them down to a walk but even so they were awful jumpy.  The one I had was so jumpy that when I kicked him in the ribs his hind feet almost slid out form under him in his efforts to get going.  I tried to remember all you had ever told me about horses so I guess we didn't hurt them any.  We only had trouble taming them down because they just couldn't stand still.  I doubt if I am a horse man but if I had a horse like one of these I'll bet I could fool most of you easterners.  They had very small feet and had smooth shoes.  They even slipped on the paved road to say nothing of the frozen snow on the roads.  We rode through the woods in about 3 inches of snow as much as possible and then let them go.  We could steer them by laying the reins against one side of their necks, no pulling but just pressure. 

What surprised me was the way they ran with me 185 lbs and them so very small..  They are really rugged little nags and would make any owner back home proud.  They were awful looking having none of the shiny hair and well kept manes but they were not kept in stables and had real thick coats.  They were the best fed horses I have seen.  They weren't in the least bit bucky making no attempt to buck or bite you.  I don't know but I guess you must have seen them when you were out in this part of the country.  I would really like to own one of my own.  Maybe when I get home we can go for a ride together and you can show me how.

We had a lot of fun last weekend and hope to go up to the Ruidoso again.  It is a winter resort with ski trails and toboggan slides. It would be fun to get on the snow again and have a snow ball fight or make a snowman or something.  It would be more fun to do in Stoneham but your week ends come where you find them and you can only be in one place a short time so you might as well get your fill of everything because no two places offer the same opportunities.

Well I hope you have had a lot of fun in Chicago.  Tell me what you think of that big town.

With Love

Austin

December 18, 1944

Roswell Field

Dec. 18, 1944

Dear Mother:

I started to write this letter last night and got as far as the date and then quit because we had a couple of visitors. With all the gab and the tall stories flying I just couldn't concentrate on a letter.  I guess you have the same trouble.

I want to tell you about Ruidoso N.M. We were going down to Mexico but didn't get our plans made early enough to make the trip.  Now I guess we will never get there.

The bus going up leaves at 1230 and our last class ended at 1200 so we figured it would take a lot of hurrying and fast talking to get in on time.  We had to get a pass in the form of a V.O.C.O. and had to sign out.  We also had to wait for a ride so we missed the bus.

Well seeing the next bus was at 2000 we decided much to my dislike to kind of stand on the side of the road and look very hopeful and maybe get a ride.  We got a ride all right with a young lady traveling from Nebraska to San Fransisco.  She was going to see her husband who is in the signal corp stationed out there somewhere.  She was a very attractive young lady and I might say that she had a lot more courage than a lot of women I know.  We asked her how tall she was and she said 5 ft and weighed 94 lbs.  She said that she wished we were going to Calif so she could rest from driving all the time and know that there was someone to change any flat tires.  Her car like most women's cars was a little rickety but I am sure it would get her to Calif all right.

She took us to the junction to the town and from there we took a taxi.  The two of Ruidoso is not anything wonderful except that it is very quaint and a typical movie town.  Except for a few modern buildings which would look out of place the town could be taken for a real live 1890 boom town.  It has one theater, 3 bars, 1 pool parlor, and a couple of drug stores.  There are novelty stores about every five steps so there are plenty of places to buy things.  They have rollerskating rinks to go to but the were not open.  Of course this town survives because of the tourist trade and therefore there are about a thousand cabins in and around the town.  The principle residents of the town are ranchers, Indians and the bar tenders and waitresses.

We got into town at about 3:30 PM and got steaks at a drug store and they were the best I have eaten in a long time.  They were cooked on a grill in the window of the store.  This drugstore had most of the amusement in town as it had a jukebox and lots of hot chocolate so we spent a lot of time here.  The owner also didn't mind us talking to his waitresses as long as we drank hot chocolate and played the music.  It was rather cold so we didn't do too much running around. 

Right now there is a slack season because there is no summer crowd around and not enough snow to draw the winter crowd.  We looked around and found skis and toboggans and sleds in all of the lodges so when snow comes we will go back.

I had the softest bed I have ever slept on.  I sat on it and almost disappeared into the mattress.  It was one of those beds I have dreamed of, one that you don't need covers on because the mattress flows over the tops of you when you get in.  Of course that stretches the point a little bit it was a very soft bed.

We went horseback riding Sunday (By we, I mean, me, Sanput and another buddy, Ernest Punis from Tenn.)  Sanput the Texan had never ridden and neither had Punis.  I had ridden once in Phenix so I got the most spirited horse.  They were western cow ponies and very small compared with what we have at home but I'll be they would take on all comers for their spirit.  We had no more than got on when off they went in a trot, which developed into a gallop with no urging on our part.  You don't steer these horses by pulling on the reins but by pushing them from one side of the neck to the other.  The harder you push the sharper they turned and we later found out that the only way to stop them was to put them into such a sharp turn they had to slow down to turn.  These horses gallop at very little urging and stop only with the greatest effort.  I think they find it easier to run than to walk.  Most of the horses I have ridden before had to be really stung before even trotting and then you got the roughest ride of your life.  These little ponies gave you the easiest and smoothest ride I have ever had.  The horses in Phoenix are old fans in comparison to these.  We rode for 3 1/2 hours in our shirt sleeves and half the time in a trot or a gallop.  I think I shall some day be a horseman.

It is known to be rather cold up in the mts so we bought a pair of long underwear.  I remember how many times you had tried to get them on me and my excuse was always that it wasn't cold enough.  Well it was only 38 degrees F up there and we had them on.  We were riding without our blouses but that made little difference.  I had on that sleeveless sweater which was a great help.  I went it quite a lot under my jacket and find it swell.  I had no idea what a wonder it would be when I got it last year.

We skipped our first class this morning and go caught at it and will probably be restricted to the post a couple of days.  It is quite a price to pay for staying in the sack an extra hour but we got what was a due so I am not too mad and have learned my lesson.

I always look forward to mail from home.  My little mailbox is often empty for days on end and that is a disappointment and a morale destroyer.  You wouldn't want me to go AWOL just because I don't get mail from home do you?  I am sure I won't if you keep up the letters.

With love

Austin.

December 10, 1944

Dec 12

Dear Mother:

As you can see by my beautiful stationary that we are down in El Paso Tex.  I guess you are wondering just what is coming off and I will tell you.  We got so tired of Roswell we decided to come and see the bright lights again.

We came down yesterday on a 7PM bus and had quite a lot of fun looking around the town.  A gentleman packed us up in his Buick and took us around to see the sights.  Actually there are not many things to see but we had a lot of from just riding around.  We are going back tonight on a 9PM bus and sleep most of the way.

Hotel Cortez

Modern day office building

Maybe you wonder who my companion is.  Well he is William J Sampert of Dallas Tex.  We do a lot of traveling together and we both get a big kick out of it.  By the way he has invited me to his home on my way next leave and I have accepted him.  I plan to spend about 2 or 3 days there before coming home.

You know Sat we had nothing to do and decided to go somewhere.  We went to the bus station and took the first bus out and here is where we ended up.  Some fun.  It really is fun to just take off and go somewhere and have and leave no responsibilities behind.  Guess I have an itchy foot too.

With love

Austin.

Not to brag or anything

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 23, 1944

Roswell Field

Thanksgiving

Dear Mother:

Here it is the day I had hoped to be home but thousands of miles away.  Well that's the Army for you I guess.

I hope you had a celebration in spite of my absence and had a big time.  I can just imagine the fun you could have if everyone got together again like we used to do.  Maybe in a year or so we can get back to normal again.

Military Thanksgiving slide show here

My Thanksgiving day here is about routine.  We got up at 4:30 to fly the first mission which was a Bomb approach mission.  There is not much to the thing except setting up the auto-pilot and following a P.D.I. (pilot directional indicator) on the instrument panel.  The Bombardier puts a correction on this instrument from his position in the nose and you follow a little needle.  It so happened that we flew a course of 90 degrees to 100 degrees most of the time and ended up at Hobbs N.M. about 150 mi away.  We then decided to fly some cross country and did this the rest of the time. We flew from Hobbs to Big Springs Tex to Marfa Tex down to Mexico then back over a big girls school to Pecos Tex to El Paso and then home again.  We flew the last 3 hours at 13 thousand indicating 190 m.p.h. which gave us a ground speed of 230 m.p.h.  I guess we covered well over 700 miles in 4:30 min.

Something like this, but as a B17 flies instead of by roads and international crossing stations.

When we got to Marfa which is an advance school we chased a couple of AT17's around for awhile.  This old B17 will go most any speed you want if you want it to.  Those AT17's didn't have a chance.  We were up solo with a bombardier for an instructor and usually they are rather afraid of the Pilots but this guy got quite a kick out of those A.T. 17s.  We flew the whole way without suitable maps and only used the radio compass.  I don't know what we would do if we lost that compass.

You should only of received one bond since I came back because that is all I have bought.  When we got here we were asked to buy one a month so that is what's happening.  Maybe I should buy more seeing I am going to have about $160 left out of last months pay.  I guess you can get them as well as I can if you don't object too strongly.

I just couldn't imagine what the Home Front could send which would interest me.  The package was so small I thought that it must be one of those little tiny games.  I guess the folder with the pictures was a very happy unsuspecting surprise.  What better gift could a fellow get from home and such an organization.  I must really congratulate the one behind the idea.  They are really on the proverbial ball.  Really I have been looking for such a thing for a long time myself but have never been able to find one.  I think someone with a brain was behind that gift.  This will be a constant reminder of the Home Front and the work they are doing.

The Blaisdells live in a little house about half the size of our downstairs.  They have no attic and no cellar but keep everything in that little 5 room house about large enough for 2 persons.  However they manage rather well considering Mrs. B is not too well.  They have one large cedar Box into which all the odds and ends go and everything else has to be thrown away I guess.  They have lots of walls for the size of the house so I think if you tried to cover it up with N.E. scenery they would like it.  I am sure they would appreciate some of the remembrances  of their "home" in Stoneham.  Their house is really rather nice inside because Fred has put a lot of work into it.  The kitchen is the only bad feature since it is too small.

I half guess that my cross-country will be made to Houston Tex.  We did not have too give a chance to pick what we wanted so I decided to go where my roommate and his buddies went.  I could have gone to Phoenix or Chanute Field but I decided against it.  I think I shall stay down where it is warmer.  I don't think the cold and I will get along too well when I get home.  You had better have plenty of oil and the heater going when I come in.  I will not set any dates this time because they are so likely to fall through.

I guess I have written enough for a day.  Mary's letter is the next if she is wondering.

With love

Austin

November 15, 1944

Roswell Field

Nov. 15, 1944

Dear A.P.

Have a little time to write in between P.T. and gas mask drill.  Every Thursday is gas mask day so P.T. is very short.  As it was we ran around the field with our masks on which is very strenuous exercise.

PT drills in gas masks

We flew last night and will again today if the weather clears up.  Last night we went on a 600 mi cross country and it took us a little more than 3 hours.  We ran into rain and snow about half way around accompanied by low ceilings so had a rather rough time.  A couple of our radios went out so we had a pretty unhappy trip.  Night cross countries are pretty easy.  You take up the general direction you are heading and then take out the drift by the radio compass.  It is all pretty easy.

Today the weather is socked in so the first flight this morning did not get off the ground.  Maybe we won't either so I am not planning anything this afternoon.

This weekend we get a 36 hour leave so we are going to see some of the country around here if things go as planned.  They have a big summer and winter resort up in the mts about 100 miles from here so we are going up and see some snow.  It may be a little expensive but we don't care too much as we haven't spent a heck of a lot of money lately except upon movies.  It will be a pretty good change.

We have been having personal affairs lectures lately and they tell us that we should have a will made out if we own anything of value.  However they tell us to have it made at home rather than here because of the lack of suitable witnesses to such.  They say that many of the witnesses we get here would not be available if it were to be executed some time in the future.  I think that it is better to have it made out at home when I get there soon I hope.

Do you think we could arrange a short trip to Maine when I am home again?  I sure would like to see Grandpa and Aunt Emma.  Maybe we could use some of those fish reels you found.  It sure could be a load of fun if we could.

Do you know if Mother got my last bond a short time ago.  She should have.  We are asked to take out a bond a month here and they twist your arm a little to see that you do.  I don't mind buying bonds and really think it is a good way to save money but this high pressure salesmanship is what gets me.  I guess I just hate to have people tell me what I should do with my money.  Maybe they have our best interests in view.  We are buying them anyway which is what they want.  Incidentally the officers have a 100% subscription on this post.  

I kind of wish Mother had found the time to see the West last month.  I guess I didn't to to sell the idea enough.  All she needed was a little more pushing and she would have come.  Maybe I fell down on the job.  This is a poor time of year to come because the weather is getting bad.  It is getting cold and damp and a lot like some of our March weather.  Mrs. Blaisdell in Phoenix says it is still swell around there and that they still get 80-90 degrees everyday.  However the nights must get cold even though it warms up during the day.

Last Sunday we went to the First Methodist church in town.  I'm sending along the calendar which you can give to Mother if she is saving such things.

Since I have started writing I have been to dinner and been to the flight line.  We did not fly because of the weather.  It doesn't make me too unhappy to stay on the ground but you rather hate to spend the time and not get the flying in.

Well I guess I shall go into town and get my watch cleaned and maybe but a book to read.  Do you have any good suggestions?

With love

Austin

November 14, 1944

Roswell Field

Nov. 14, 1944

This flying 5 hours a day is beginning to wear me down.  We have to get up tomorrow morning for another siege so this letter can't be too long.  We solo out tomorrow if nothing happens.

I am sure Mrs. Blaisdell would like most anything I could send.  I think a calendar would be very good because it can be hung up out of the way and not get stumbled over in their tiny house.  Please send what you think would fit the occasion because I am sure they would be glad to receive something from me even though she won't mention anything.

So you are wondering where my money goes.  I am sure I have little idea where it goes myself.  I have threatened to keep track of it but I just never get around to it.  However I have $200 right now which will come home next month.  Actually we have a lot of expenses and if it were not for the extra $75 a month I don't know how I could save much.  We get $246 a month out of which comes $35 a month board, $18 for a bond, $6 insurance and another couple for Red class or War Funds whatever they happen to have.  We also have Officer's Club dues and fees which run into $10 a month.  That takes 1/3 of my pay before I even get started.  Then we go to movies and to town and eat steaks and just plain ordinary pleasures.  Now I have received officer's pay 3 times and sent home $300 besides the $200 I have now.  Now if you add it all up you will find I have spent right now about $25 on actual pleasures in the last 3 months.  Of course I had a little when I started in  but that went into traveling which cost about $200.  Now you tell me where it all went.  I forgot to say we have cleaning and laundry bill.

Well I am beginning to want to see home again.  I sure would like to see some snow and some real snappy weather.  I saw Pop's picture in the paper and I did show it around.  I don't think much of that picture you sent.  I guess I should never had it sent up.  That reminds me that some day I must have another taken before I leave here.

I have been thinking about Christmas and need some suggestions.  Please send the powder in the next box.  I can always use it!!!?  We are still trying to get the paper off the taffy in the last box. 

With love

Austin

November 10, 1944

Roswell Field

Nov. 10, 1944

Dear Mother:

I have missed my chance to go to the movies and see "For Whom the Bell Tolls" so I am writing this letter before going to bed.  We fly the early mission tomorrow so it is early to bed if early to rise.

For Whom the Bell Tolls Trailer

This letter may reach you a day ahead of A.P.'s in which I stated I hope I pass my instrument check.  Well I came through by the grace of someone and the check rider so I guess I have a chance of getting through all right here.

Today we went up and shot landing all day.  About half were 2 and 3 engine landings and very strenuous.  You really need all the P.T. we have been taking the last year or two (it seems).  Anyway I am about worn out and feel like getting some "sack time".

We have had 10 hours of flying in 18 so you can see how tired I should be.

We are really having some fun now.  This is hard work but not so intense and never racking as instrument flying.  We also have a chance to make solo lands soon so we are kind of looking forward to the day.  It will come soon if we don't wear out sooner.

I am learning a lot about N.E. chance in Post War Aviation from your clippings.  It seems quite possible that some day Boston will again be the center of world transportation as it was 50 years ago. If so I guess fellows in my shoes may have a chance to make something of all the training they are acquiring along the way.  It is so valuable I can't see how it can be wasted.  It seems to be one of the best sources of ready made pilots who should by all authorities become the pilots of tomorrow.  Even so I am pretty new at this game as is most everyone here.  Thousands of hours are needed instead of hundreds such as I have.

I can remember when I used to look up at the airplanes that went over and wonder what kind of a man could fly them.  I could not visualize a common ordinary everyday man up there but rather someone who was a hero and had hero all over him.  He was always someone far away and never someone next door.  I could never recognize a pilot because it did not especially show on him.  He was no superman but rather probably a quiet spoken person who didn't think too much about the admiration of others.  His flying was like our driving and he probably admired our driving.  Yes everyone on this field who flies the B17 could have flown those DC-3s and we have some awful seedy looking pilots.  We have some boys also who look like hot pilots.

Well I don't have much to write about.  Nothing much happens.  We have no accidents to talk about.  I could gripe about the food because it is getting rather poor but I am gaining weight again and weigh 185 so I guess the food situation won't get much sympathy.  We get P.T. regularly and classes fill in our spare time so we are pretty much on the go.  Time flies so that we seem to be constantly getting ready for the weekends. They have a little snow up in the mts now so we are going to see it at our first convenience.  Class 44-4-J is here and ready to fly next week so what else can I say.  I guess I have run out of gab and paper.

With love

Austin.

November 8, 1944

Roswell Field

Nov. 8, 1944

Dear A.P.

I have finally broken down and decided to write again.  Even though we are on a tough flying schedule we don't have too many ground school classes and get a pretty good chance to sleep in the morning.

We are getting an average of 2 1/2 hours a day lately and are going on a 5 hour a day schedule tomorrow.  It gets awful tiresome but at this rate we are now going we will finish ahead of schedule.

Tomorrow we get our instrument check so by the time you get this I will know if I am to be a pilot or a co-pilot.  If I don't get checkitis or something I will have it made.  It will be tough concentrating for 2 1/2 hours but I guess I can stand it.

I may even get home for Thanksgiving if I am lucky.  We are due 7 or more days at the end of our training here and the end should come up in a couple of weeks.  If it does I will make tracks for the first plane going East and there should be a lot of them.  We may have a great Thanksgiving even yet.

Mother has been sending a lot of clippings from the papers about the problem of making Boston the center of air activity after the war.  If Boston is made the stopover on flights across maybe fellows like me can have a chance to find a job in what we like after the war.  Even though the competition for flying jobs after the war will be stiff the further I go in this training the better my chances get.

I was glad to hear you got down to Bridgeton last week.  I hope everyone was well and from what you wrote Grandpa seems to be his old self alright.

We got Radio Tokyo on our Liaison Set today and got quite a kick out of their broadcast.  They really have a lot of propaganda but it doesn't seem convincing to me.  We get it on 13.5 megs if you have a set.  You might get a laugh out of it.  They have a lot of good music anyway.  

For a recording and more details about Tokyo Rose, click here.

Well this is a rather brief letter but I am out of paper.  Well have to write again soon I guess.

With love

Austin

November 6, 1944

Roswell Field

Oct Nov 6

Dear Mother:

I have just received your box.  I guess it came through about as you expected.  Even though most of the cookies were broken I really like eating the crumbs.  However they were not too badly broken up so that I couldn't recognize what you had sent.  I like molassis (you know what I mean) cookies and my room-mate likes the Toll-House cookies so I guess we can get ride of everything.  You can thank A.P. for thinking of the candy.  It is really very good.  Yes the box is being enjoyed by all. (The whole barracks).

I have got a bad cold again.  I have all kinds of nose drops and listerine and inhalers but it still persists.  One of my friends had to go to the hospital because he had a temperature.  He had a couple of swell days talking to the WAC's and nurses.

WAC Recruitment Poster

You may wonder how I spend my Sundays when I don't fly.  Well it is very simple.  I try to enjoy myself in a quiet sort of way as far away from the Field as possible.

Yesterday we went to church which is a swell way of getting away from it all.  I like to go and sing and just listen to the music.  I guess the services don't mean a heck of a lot as you can see by the types of places I go.  First the informal Church of Christ and then the more formal less radical Presbyterian Church.  I really enjoy the newness of the services.  However I would still much rather be at home listening to Mark and George.

We next try to get something unusual to eat.  I don't go much for hot Mexican food so I got half a fried chicken which was rather tough but not bad. There are about 5 good eating places in town so we kind of make the rounds.  One place you get steaks, another for supper.  Then we go to a little bakery that stays open Sundays and get whatever we take a fancy to.  Yesterday we bought cookies and a donut shaped fruit cake then went across the street  to an ice cream stand which is really the from of the town's creamery and bought a pint of ice cream and ate our cookies and cake along with some wonderful peach ice cream.  I'll bet it looks funny to people to walk by or come in to see a couple of 2nd Lts eating ice cream and cookies out of a box but a couple of 16 year olds at the counter goggling us.

We spend a rather simple Sunday so I guess we are getting simple minded.  Anyway we enjoy ourselves so what more could you ask.

Some weeks and when we get a little more time we are going to the next town of Ruidoso up in the mts.  They have all kinds of cabins and all kind of things to do.  Soon it will snow up there and they have quite a few winter sports.  All I want to do is see some good clean white snow again.  I haven't seen any in a couple of years.  I also want to see some ice and teach my buddies from Texas how to skate or slide on a sled.  They don't know what they have missed.

Click here to watch a live camera feed of the town.

We are really getting a flying schedule this week.  Fly every day but Tuesday and 2 days next week.  5 hours a day for 7 days straight.  That is kind of taking a good thing too far.  At the end of that time we will have about 70 hours and ready to solo out.  We are going to pull a couple of buzz jobs.  Maybe we will get caught and sent to B24 school but I doubt it.  B17s don't have any numbers on their bottoms so no one can catch us.

I am going to apply for instructor at William's field if I have a chance.  I will again be near Phoenix and near enough to the West Coast to go out on anytime I get off.  I will also begin to build up my flying time and get out of the Jamion Birdman class.  I am not anxious to get overseas but would like to enjoy myself for a few more years.

Well it is time to dose my cold up some more.  Here's hoping it gets better soon.  I won't be able to fly too well if I can't concentrate on flying.

Thank you again for the cookies and everything.  Say who's idea was the apples?

With love

Austin.

November 1, 1944

Roswell Field

1 Nov 44

Dear Mother:

Well here are the money orders I have been promising for the last month.  They are the main reason for this letter so don't expect anything long.

I want $200 dollars put directly into my bank account so that the next time I am home I will have something to get to my new station on.  Also in case I run short of money I can have a little ready who knows I may land in Boston again with only 10 cents.  The other hundred is to go into War Bonds and the difference is yours to spend as you see fit.  You can use it on my expenses to you while I am away or you can buy yourself a new hat, do with it as you please but do something with it.

Bob Hope was here yesterday and they made a gala day of it.  You may or may not have heard the radio.  In any case I was there and saw the whole broadcast.  Hope is really a character and a heck of a lot of fun to an audience and to his group.  He is a born clown and can crack jokes about most any situation.  When a couple of fuses for the stage lights failed he had everyone rolling in the aisles with his wisecracks.  He also put on a show at the Officer's Club afterwards which was very much on the funny side.  Some of the jokes were a little shady and probably aren't able to be on the air but everyone enjoyed him immensely.

Bob Hope and Gale Robbins

Well slowly but surely we are getting in our time.  I guess I have about 40 hours now and about 20 more before my instrument check.  You had better wish me luck because I will really need it on that day.

I will close now because I am writing this between a Navigation class and P.T.

With love

Austin.

October 30, 1944

Roswell Field

Oct. 30, 1944

Dear Mother:

I am glad you like your "chews" but as for cementing foreign relations with gum I only hope it works.  You know that was a rather poor pun.  Don't get discouraged I am sure you can do better.

You know those little lion cubs are rather cute.  The first thing I thought of when I saw them was that they would make swell mascots for some unit overseas.  However I guess they would eat too much and might scare too many people.  on second thought they are much better off in Paul Greggs hands feeding off the taxpayer's money.

Tomorrow I am going to Bob Hope's radio show here on the post.  I was lucky to get a ticket as only 69 out of 300 got a chance to go.  My number happened to come up so I am jumping at the chance.  Here I have a chance to see a real live movie star.  This would never happen if I were any other place.  Maybe Roswell has it's advantages.

Bob Hope

Say, do you think you could send me a little jar of that dandruff killer.  My head is getting into rather bad shape even though I wash it every 3 or 4 days.  If I had some of that ointment I might be able to do something for it.  I don't want to take any $3 treatments like some of the fellows are doing.  It seems like such a waste of money.

I still have that check for $300 and I guess I will send it along soon.  You know a lot of money like that gives a kind of feeling of security.  I guess it would be a lot more secure in War Bonds and in the bank.  I will tell you how I want it put away.

I write to Mrs. Blaisdell right along.  You know for a person who can't get around too well she seems to enjoy life an awful lot.  She writes quite a number of letters to Freddie's buddies and some of her friends in Stoneham and seems to get a lot out of life from them. She asked me what I wanted for Christmas and even though I feel I shouldn't ask for anything it might make her feel bad.  I think she gets a big kick out of making cookies and things for her boys.  She really is such a swell person.

Time seems to pass so fast here.  I guess it is the schedule.  We keep going from sunup to sun down.  If you fly in the morning you see the sun rise through the clouds and if you fly at noon and after you see the sun go down through the clouds.  If you fly at night you just see the moon and if there is no moon you don't see a thing.  In fact this is the darkest country I know.

We had to fly Sunday afternoon.  There had been a little ground fog all morning and we had hoped that it would soak in so that we would stay down but no such luck.  We flew 5-10 which made last Sunday seem like any other day.  I guess that is the reason time flies so fast.

We still get ground school 7 hours a day on the days we don't fly but it is not so bad as it was the first week.  We are getting all kinds of subjects thrown at us so that we can run the whole ship by ourselves.  In fact I don't see the need of a crew if they had pilots who could get around fast enough.  All a B17 needs is an automatic pilot in good working condition and a good first pilot.  They have good automatic pilots but not so many good first pilots.

Maybe I have written that they have a B29 in the field.  The instructors are being checked out in it so that soon they can begin to instruct.  Roswell will soon become a B29 school so maybe I can get in on a new deal.  Maybe I don't want it after I hear what has happened to some of the so called super flying fortresses.

You know soon I will have a chance to go to most any city in a radius of 1000 mi. from here.  What one would you select if you had a chance.  I think New Orleans or San Francisco would be my choices.  What do you say?

I am glad Mary is enjoying her school so much.  I am sure if I could have liked my Accounting a little more I could have liked school a lot more.  Right now I can't see myself settling down to it again even though I may have to.

With love

Austin

October 21, 1944

Roswell Field

Oct 21, 1944

Dear Mother:

I have just received my final Independent in quite some time.  I didn't realize how much I missed it until I got this one.  I also got a letter from Grandma and one from Mary so I have had plenty to read today.

Today is Saturday and I really beautiful day.  We flew the first mission this morning which was instruments.  For the next couple of weeks we will fly instruments and if I wash out of here it will be because the B17 and the A.T.6 do not fly anything the same.  I just have any awful time with the ship.  I don't know if it is my poor instrument technique or if single engine men are just poor instrument pilots.  I have always had trouble flying "under the hood" so it may be just me.  The change from one engine to 4 is just too much for me to handle.  I only hope the instructor realizes my situation and has a little patience.  Anyway I have always had my troubles this way and expect to for some time to come.  Every thing seems to be one long haul after another.  At least I have the wing and commission.

We have classes till 6:30 PM and then we are free from 36 hours.  I could do a lot in that time if I knew just what I wanted to do.  If I could get a little more time I could go up to Carlsbad Caverns or go to see a famous summer resort the name of which I can not remember.  Anyway I will probably go to a U.S.O. show here on the post and then go to town and go to a Walt Disney feature.  "Saludo Amigos".  It is supposed to be a good picture.

Saludo Amigos Trailer

To get back to the paper it looks like the boys in the service get most of the paper except in the ads.  It don't seem to carry much about the goings on in town as it did before the war.  I guess things are pretty quiet in my little home town.

Time for class now.  So I have to run.

With love

Austin

October 19, 1944

Roswell Field

Oct. 19, 1944

Dear Mother:

I should be studying my procedures for tonights flying but I all do it a little later and instead write to you.  I have written to William so I guess it is your turn again.

I have two sticks of gum in my pocket and they were what prompted me to write.  Maybe it is a good idea to carry gum so you can get more letters.  I hope you like "Beeman's".

Tonight we fly again.  We are going up for instrument work.  The instrument course here is about 60 hours long.  That amounts to 12 or 13 rides and about 3 to 4 weeks of work.  We will then be qualified to pass the stiffest instrument test the Army can give.  That is of course if we are successful.

You know I am not worried a heck of a lot about passing this phase of training.  If I pass I will be a first pilot and if flunk out I will be a co-pilot.  Either way you fly the Lumber Wagon B17 if you like it or not.  They only way you can get out is to get 50 missions in combat and come back and apply for single engine training.  Some future.  After 50 missions in this ship they should send you home to rest for the duration.  Maybe I am just bitter but I still don't enjoy flying this ship.

Well I have been spending money rather freely lately but still have last months $307 check and one for $32.90 and if I can hold out another 2 weeks on $30 I guess I can send it all home.  What am I going to do with all my spare money.  I guess the bank and War Bonds are the two best ways.

You may wonder what I have spent my money for.  Well I have bought a new pair of swell looking shoes, a jacket, some socks, under clothes, a new O.D. hat and a few incidentals.  It is rather nice to go into a store and know you can buy what meets your fancy.  I don't know what I will do when money is not so free and I have to work for a living again.  I believe school life would be rather dull for a time if I had to come home right away.  I doubt if I could sit still long enough to work out an 8 hour accounting problem.  I have been gone so long.

Well it must be getting cold now.  I haven't seen the real old N.E. fall now for 2 years.  I wonder how many more I will have to miss.

With love

Austin

October 15, 1944

Roswell Field

Oct 15, 1944

Dear Mother:

I am not specially short of time but have several more letters to write so I guess I shall have to make this just a gesture.

Friday night I met Richard Hunt Lt Sg of the Navy.  He was in a small hotel and I happened to notice him and thought he looked familiar.  He was rather surprised to see me and I guess a little glad.  we had a short talk and he told me that he was on his way to the West Coast.  I just can't imagine what he was doing in Roswell unless he was going through by car.  Anyway I had a pretty nice chat with him.

I guess the same day you wrote me last you also addressed a letter to me from a Mrs. Thompson of Tenn.  Now I was as much surprised to get that letter and just as curious as you must have been.  Who in the world did I know down there.  Well it was the former Barbara Colburn.  She is married to a recent graduate in the Air Corp and wanted to compare notes with me.  So I gave her a big line and cock and bull story which she will probably swallow hook line and sinker unless her husband gets hold of the letter.  He is at present going through a B24 school down there.  How I pity him.  Know You Know!!!???

Well I have been thinking of your plight, a poor woman with nothing to keep her mouth working (except a poor excuse for a dog) so I am sending along some of the only gum I could buy.  If you don't like it you can give it to some one else.  However if you are as bad off as you state you will keep this gift a secret or chew it all at once so you can have it all.

I am glad Mary is enjoying school.  I hope the newness of it will not wear off and leave her disappointed.  If she needs any money or anything like that please tell her to ask for it.  The next money order I send home will probably be for about $200 or more.  I have little need for all the money I am making.

Well keep me informed of the latest developments.  You know you should notify people of all my changes of address.

Hurriedly With love

Austin

October 15, 1944

Roswell Field

Oct 15, 1944

Dear Mary:

Seeing this is Sunday I thought this would be a good time to dash off a short letter to you and send you a couple of more charms for your bracelet.  I don't know yet how I shall get them in the letter but I will figure out some way before I am through.

These charms come from Phoenix and not from Roswell.  I bought them the last day in town just before I shipped.  I guess you can make out what they are so I won't have to tell you what I think they are.

Yesterday I flew that "Big Bird".  I'll admit that there was a novelty to flying it for the first time.  It was an awful lot of fun but more hard work than I had ever imagined.  It flys worse than a truck in that you can push and tug and puff and blow and still nothing will apparently happen.  Then all of a sudden you overcome the resistance of the thing and the whole 30 tons of it begins to move.  And then you try to stop it.  You push and tug and puff and blow and it begins to stop and finally when you have thrown all caution to the winds and are ready to give it up for a bad job it stops and flys along so peaceful you wonder just what all the cussing of the seconds before could have been for.  Now I know why they have been so serious with the physical training in the last few days.  I am afraid I have not been trying hard enough to become a second "Superman".  

Every two weeks the Officer's Club tries to put on a show for the post entertainment.  2 weeks ago today they put on the Edgar Bergen radio show and last night they had Woody Herman and his Orchestra.  I guess lots of people like his music but I don't think he is so sharp.  His vocalist is not too good and I didn't think his trumpets were anything to brag about.  All in all I would say that he has about a second rate band.

Edgar Bergen on What's My Line

Woody Herman recording of the GI Jive from 1944

You know that letter you sent last smelled just like you smoked cigars.  Could it be?

Yes I recognized your stationary just as soon as I saw the seal. "Universitas Bostoniensis" means quite a lot to me and I shall never forget my freshman days there.

Thank you for the picture.  I am looking for a suitable frame for it.  It will have to be an awful good looking frame.

With love

Austin

(I hope I didn't ruin this letter)

{The letter had multiple holes punched in it, most likely from the charms that he sent}