September 6, 1945

Sept. 6, 1945

Dear Mother:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

With love

Austin

May 22, 1945

May 22, 1945

Dear Mother:

Another dull night and nothing special to do.  We have had nothing special all day so I took the chance to get a good tan and read up on the news.  I had an hour of Link Trainer today and that accounts for all the work I had done.  Some life!

I realize tomorrow is William's birthday but have had no chance to get a suitable card.  The ones in the PX are not what I would send so again I am caught with nothing too late, typical Army.  I think he is going to be 23 but am not sure.  I guess I am getting more and more out of contact with you all.  

If you don't hear from me again for a short time it is only because we have left the state of Okla. and have moved on.  It is likely that we won't ship out as crews because of the training we will be going into.  Th pilots all expect to end up in B29 schools from co-pilot transition.  The navigators and Bombardiers do not have any idea what will happen to them other than eventually they too will be in 29s.  We all hope not but since V.E. day everything points that way.  I had hopes of flying 17s some more but now I don't know about anything.  I am pretty sure we are going out soon because the will no longer take our laundry which indicates shipment.  Maybe I am about to see some more of this here country.

We really had to feather an engine the other day and it happened much like I explained to you in my illustration.  Our oil pressure line broke and started spraying hot oil all over the inside of the engine.  It started out under the cowl flaps and really looked bad.  It was a brand new engine if we couldn't have feathered it we really would have ruined it beside probably catch the plane afire from the oil on the white hot super charger.  As it was we feathered and came right back to the field and had it fixed in about 1 1/2 hours.  When you really have an emergency, you really learn a lot.

I hate to write anything about leaves but every indication points towards one.  Please don't take this the wrong way because nothing is sure.  All we know is that others have had leaves before going to B29s and that we are subject to one.  Nothing is definite but I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Flying is more or less routine now.  We have certain missions to complete and the requirements are more or less cut and dry.  Lately we have been flying high altitude formation and having fighter camera attacks.  The fighter makes a gunnery pass on the ship and we take pictures of him trying to give him the comet lead and deflection.  It is training for the crew in aiming and firing their guns from their stations.  We have to have 20 hours of height altitude formation before we are completed and that is merely learning to fly the B17s at altitude where it responds a lot differently.  At 20,000 the ship has a tendency to mush in turns and to be very slow in accelerating and decelerating.  It requires much more skill to fly at 20,000 than at 5,000.

B17s in formation
Link leads to show article on B17s and checklists.

We have been flying in very large formations.  Most of them lately have been 16 and 18 ships.  In such formations a lot of fellows get a chance to lead which is the very best experience.  We have led a couple of times and of course it is a lot harder than just following someone else.  Even so it is a lot of fun.

I am not show on writing time but rather short on writing ideas.  Things are getting so more or less stagnant I am afraid I am getting that way too.  I don't seem to care very much about what happens and don't take time to think about tomorrow.  Everything is taken care of for us.  I can't get another promotion for 8 months, the army will send me where they need me most, the training I get here is relatively worthless to a civilian who plans to go back to college and fly a light plane so I just have a feeling that ti am spinning my wheels and burning things up.  I am spending the "best years of my life" away from home in an occupation I fully enjoy and would enjoy more if I was flying a different ship and doing more of it every day and not one every 4 days in 6 hr doses.  I like my army life and I doubt if I would give it up right now but I am getting tired of working like a dog 2 days and doing nothing the 3rd.  Maybe I just can't see how green the grass is over on my side of the fence.  A lot of fellows would give anything for my chance.

Every now and then I wonder just what will happen when this thing is over and we can all go home.  I will probably begin to cash in on the free education offered to servicemen.  That will mean a free education plus $50 a month for personal expenses.  It will mean I can use all the money I have saved as I see fit.  I can spend it or save it or burn it or just anything I please.  My education won't require any of it and my living expenses will require very little of it and I am therefore a very rich man.  Probably richer than I have ever been before and will be again.  by the way about the 10th of next month will bring along some more M.O.s if we don't throw a big party or something before that.  I have been living this last month on about $7 which is good for me.

Well I am near the end of my book.  Please give William a Happy Birthday for me even though it is late (Damn it).

I sure do love to get Mary's letters.  She really makes them very interesting and I get a kick out of them.  Don't let her worry too much about the men because when we all come home again she will really be surprised at the choices she will have.  Right now most of the good ones are away and are still not snared.  Wait till I sic my handsome navigator on her then she will really have something to say.

Well I guess it is closing time and bed time.  I hope you have been able to wade through all of this even though its the same old bull with its tail twisted a little.

With love

Austin

April 24, 1945

Tuesday 

April 24

Dear Mother:

I haven't got anything else to do so I will write a letter.  Nothing to do tomorrow so I can stay up all night.

I was very much at a loss as to Harold V. latest misfortune.  I might say that I lost all faith in women for the time being at least.  I had the opinion that he was very happy and that there was to be an addition to the family. I thought the Varny's would be happy having another grandchild but as it stands they must feel very sorry and rather unhappy about the whole affair.  I am a little disappointed in Harold because I thought he had a little better sense than to jump into something he couldn't finish.  However maybe everything is turning out for the best.  I really don't see any special way to avoid such situations since you usually don't use your head when falling in love (I am told).  Maybe there is more to the story than has come out.

I am rather lax in writing to people I should.  I haven't written to the Suleys lately or to the Schmales or Blaisdell's or anyone.  It seems that when I get a chance to write anyone it is usually someone at home that gets a letter.  I should write Betty also but I just don't think of it in time.  I may do it tonight but if not you can tell her the next time you see her that I am thinking of her.  Also give her the old line that I am busy.  It's always good for a stall for awhile longer anyway.

They had an accident down on the line which was not serious but could have been.  A man loaded his station in the ball turret and then proceeded to time the solenoid on the gun and consequently fired 14 wild shots.  They struck the runway and ricocheted into the wing and ratio room of another ship.  The other ship had two men in the radio room and they got grey hair as the slugs went through.  It tore up the ship a little and cause quite a disturbance on the field when the news got around.  It just makes you feel a little more strongly that those pretty little shells really can do a lot of damage.

I hate to admit it but I have been wagering my nickels and dimes against the one "arm bandits" in the club.  To date I am aprox. $3 ahead of the game.  I have put in one dime and one nickel a day and have been getting all my luxuries at the machine's expense.  It can't last long but my luck has just run with me.  The money just seems to run out at my bid and call.  This is probably putting me in a position to lose my shirt any one of these days.

I wish I didn't have money around because people come and want to borrow money.  My pilot borrowed $20 and the navigator the same.  Also a friend has $20 so come around pay day I will be rich again. This month I will again send home about $150 so at the rate I am going I will have a small bankroll when I get home.  I guess you were rather surprised when I sent all of $400 home.  I only wish I had some way to put it to work so it could make more money then I would really be in big business.  With the education the government promises us after the war I guess I can become a play boy for a couple years and spend it all but I guess I can't really because I was brought up too well for that.  I guess I don't regret my good bringing up when I see the fellows around here who are broke all the time.  They will be the ones after this thing is over who will look to the country for a job.  Maybe it is like the ant and the grasshopper and I hope I shan't be left out in the cold.

 

The Ant and the Grasshoppers Silly Symphony

I have been reading about the chances of civilian aviation becoming a big thing in the future.  A great many of the experts believe that it is a thing of the future and something not to be overlooked.  Too many people are two dimensional and have no idea what the 3rd dimension, up, has to offer.  I am sure that with a commercial license I could find a lot of fun or maybe a good occupation in flying.  I have my eye on a job but I need 4 years of college for the job and also a few breaks.  If private flying doesn't get too big before I get my 4 years of college I am sure I can talk someone into giving me a job.  An airline pilot put the gun in my ear and if I was good enough for him now I will be good enough for me when private aviation gets going.  I also believe my present experience meeting people and handling men will help a lot.  Maybe I am getting more form this training than I thought at first.

I just seem to ramble along and not say much.  I guess I never write about my troubles but I am getting a little hard boiled.  One of my men got a little out of line and he is getting company punishment for his little oversights.  Could have prevented this getting the 104th article of war but he has just taken one step too many in the wrong way and something had to be done.  I got a little tired of trying to set him on the right road.  Now he will have to stay on the post and not see his wife for a week.  I feel rather sorry for his wife and kids but after all I am now in the position to pass the buck to someone else and it was either her or I and I enjoy leisure enough to guard it a little.

Well I will have to quit for a while.  I am a little tired and it is 2300, time to hit the sack.

With love

Austin

April 9, 1945

April 9, 1945

Dear Mother:

I have been intending to write for two days but just haven't gotten around to it.  Today I got the box with the cake and the hat and cookies so I had to write.  I haven't had time to eat any yet or go through the boxes very well so I can't compliment you on your wonderful cooking but everything at least looks wonderful.  The frosting is not sticking too badly so everything is in good shape.  The hat has about another thousand hour crush so the right thing got crushed.

See the bottom of the linked page for an explanation of the thousand hour crush.

I also got a notice that my clothes are in town at the Railway Express station.  They didn't come to the field as I expected they would because they are coming C.O.D.  Whenever they are shipped that way I have to go in town and get them.  It would be rather hard if I didn't know where I could get a car to haul the box in.  My pilot has a car and he can get everything.  Thank you very much for being so prompt, so much so in fact they are here a little early.  I don't need them for a week or so yet but probably they will need pressing.

Yesterday we flew our high altitude for the second time while here.  We had a swell ship for low altitude but not so good for the cold.  It was a -20 C up there which is really only about -10 F so really not so bad.  We had no heater and I had no warm boots so I nearly froze my feet off.  I finally had to get up and put my feet on the warm inverters which act as generators.  I stood on them for five minutes and melted the ice between my toes.  Even so my ankles were cold and I was chilled to the bone.  We were at 20,000' for 4 hours and finally the heat was all gone from in the ship.  That was when I began to get cold.  I did have gloves and a heavy fur jacket so it wasn't so bad.  Next time I will know better and take my boots too.

Our turbos froze up so we couldn't climb above 20,000' but we sure could come down.  We came down slow and had a lot of airspeed.  I don't know what our ground speed was but we started down and came 100 miles in less than 25 minutes.  We really dropped the bottom out from under that box car.  We got home so quick the navigator is still wondering where we lost all those miles back there some where.

Sigmund Romberg

Now to continue tracing back what has happened I find that last Friday we went to see and hear Sigmund Romberg in town.  He really put on a big show for all of these Okies and they really loved it.  What I can't see is how he could afford to play at such a small town. We had the best seats in the house (nothing but the best for us) and it was only $2.10 so he couldn't have made an awful lot.  I will send a program to you if I can locate it in time for the next letter.  Do tell me where he finds those girls who sing.  Not only were they easy on the eyes but they had a good set of pipes.  He said he prides himself in knowing a good voice when ever he saw one.  Even I couldn't do better and I am younger.  They were really talented and good looking.  What a combination.  Maybe Mary knows some at school that way whom I could meet next time I am home.  I will bring my navigator too because he also approved of them.

An evening with Romberg 1945

Well things run along more or less routine and not much happens.  I haven't spent any money on anything for so long I am just loaded with money.  I am trying to get my $400 check cashed to send home but I can't find time to go over when the feather merchants have the place opened.  The war ends at 4:30 PM for them and my war lasts a little longer.  One of these days when we have to stand by at the flight line I will get a lot done.  Tomorrow we may stand by so be looking for the money.

The only excitement of late was a P63 from this field crash landed in a field.  He came in with wheels up of course and an "Okie" runs up and asks him why he landed here.  He also asked if them thar things don't have wheels on them.  I got a big bang out of these poor dumb creatures you meet down this way.  I guess you can't blame them because most of this country is in bad financial shape and pretty much run down.  The soil looks good and they have rain but they just can't make things grow.

I was kind of wondering how much my total assets were.  I have a few bonds and some in the bank.  Maybe you could get Pop to find out and send me the bad news.  It doesn't have to be in a hurry or anything so don't worry but I kind of would like to know.  If I am much short of $750 in bonds and bank account please write after I send the next money order.  I should have at least that.  Maybe I haven't saved enough even so.  I have tried to save my flying pay and I don't know if I am short or not.

I have been writing this letter from the Club and as usual there is a lot of confusion.  We are setting up on a balcony overlooking the dance floor and stage so are away from a lot of it.  This is a pretty good club as clubs run but not the best I have been in.  The one at Roswell was about the best but this one isn't too bad.  I guess I never write much about our home away from home. You might be interested in something about this club, they loose money on everything except the slot machines and they pay for everything.  They make an average of $100 a day on them so they can afford to payout some money on other things.  Last month they got $3,300 on the slot machines and about $1 of it was mine so this is almost a free hang out.  Of course we pay $4 a month dues so it is really very inexpensive especially when they have free sacks and beer or cokes Saturday.  I don't have a lot to do over here so don't get all the benefits I could.

Well I guess I have chewed the rag enough.  I guess you don't get much information from my letters but spend a lot of time decoding them.

With love

Austin.

March 26, 1945

Mar. 26, 1945

Dear Mother:

I haven't written to you for quite some time it seems.  Maybe I am neglecting you.  If so I hope you don't mind too much this once.

We are definitely going into Summer uniform next month so send mine as soon as you can.  I will really need them next week.  I will be looking for them pretty soon too.  It is getting rather warm here with temperatures around 70 or 80 every day.  I guess they figure it is warm enough now.

I suppose by now the trees are beginning to bud and things look like spring again.  I guess everyone is glad to see it coming after all the snow you had.  I kind of wish I had seen some more of that snow. By the way I will send those negatives so you can see the pictures you took.

We had a little excitement up in the air today.  Usually after we have ground checked the ship for take off the crew chief gets out because he doesn't fly.  When getting out he always turns off the auxiliary power unit which we call at "putt putt" which is actually a small generator.  However the crew chief was not the regular man and when getting out left the generator on.  After take off the tail gunner started back to his position and accidentally stepped on the leads and shorted one of them out.  It made a lot of sparks and set the insulation on fire and burned a 1/2" hole in a rib.  The first I heard about it was that we had a fire in the waist.  I turn immediately back to the field and gone an emergency landing.

Inside of a B-17 with Lt. Bob Welty

Although I knew the fire was not out I had no idea whether the whole waist had burned or if someone had started a fire in his clothes, so it wasn't till after we were on the ground and parked did I get a chance to see what actually had been done.  We really didn't damage anything very much because a little tape fixed everything but what might have happened doesn't make me feel good.

The wires on the generator are usually covered with gas and oil because they don't take too much care how they fill the engine.  The mount is also pretty well soaked and made of wood.  With all that gas and oil and those red hot sparks made by the burning aluminum it is a wonder nothing caught.  The aluminum-magnesium skin really burns and is actually impossible to extinguish so we could have had a wonderful fire if we had given it a chance.  The crew was right on the ball and had it out before it really got started.  However the hazard is in every ship on the field.  Next time we will know better. Experience is a hard teacher but it sure leaves an impression for a long time.  I'll not forget my lesson for a while.

I wish you could go to N.Y. and just see what there is to see.  If nothing better just go for a ride on the buses and go to the end of the line and come back.  I had more fun doing that than doing most anything.  Sometimes it looks a little silly but who cares.  You will never see any of the people you meet on a bus again so who cares.  Then you can go and see Radio City and all.  I am sure if I went I could find loads to do and lots of places to go.  I think in most of the cities I have been in that if you go looking for something you can't exactly identify like just plain adventure or excitement that when you least expect it it pops up.  I have had a lot more fun walking around waiting for something to happen than seeing some of these famous places.

Too bad about the man power shortage.  I wish I could be home to putter around but if I were it would be the same story, man power shortage.  I wouldn't be able to sit down long and probably cutting bushes and grape vines would not look too good.

I only wish you would pull some stunt which would make the family wonder about you.  They expect to see you every night when they get home but if you didn't show up some night and left only an ambiguous message I am sure they would not take you so much for granted.  I guess such things are for young people only and after you get your responsibilities you have to stay around.

I just had a bright idea.  Why don't you go down and see my navigator's mother.  She lives down in Conrad and would probably like to see you.  It would be a chance to get away and someone to go see.  It's a chance to go somewhere and have an excuse.  If the idea sounds good I will get his address and he will write his mother.  At least you could write to her.  He says that his mother also sounds a little bored with the same old thing every day.

Well your bright idea boy must sign off and go to bed.  I really need the sleep because my head is beginning to ache.

With love

Austin XX