June 20, 1945

San Marcos Field

June 20, 1945

Dear A.P.

I keep getting mail post marked the 3rd of June and earlier. The mail so marked has been to Ardmore and then sent down here.  They must keep it up in Ardmore for a week or so and then send it down here.  This mail down here sure comes the long way and sometimes I believe it gets lost by mistake.

I guess it is about time I wrote to you.  You write very regularly and I on the other hand do not do such a good job.  We have all kinds of spare time but I just don't seem to get around to writing.

I kind of wish I were selling Real Estate rather than spinning my wheels down here.  Our navigation course is going ahead rather uncertainly and I feel that I could do just as much at home as here.  I just wish they would send us home on detached service until they need me and then I could really get somewhere.

Post War Aviation does take up some of my time whether folks at home think so or not.  Probably everyone feels that I am quite contented with my present flying but as it is it is so inadequate that my only hopes for enjoyable flying time will come after I get home on a civilian status.  Then I will be able to choose my own ship and fly it as I please.

However there is more to it than at once meets the eye.  Civilian flying has more to it than just take off and land.  The financial angle is what worries me the most, not that the initial cost will hold me back but maintenance costs and convenience of land.  Stoneham should have its own field but then again where would you suggest and just how could you get the small minded people you run into to consent to put up the money it would cost.  Air Fields eventually pay for themselves but the original outlay is rather large.

I read an article in a magazine which dealt along this problem.  It said that with the millions about to be put into Boston's Logan Field not a town with a light plane flying distance has made a step in the direction of furthering civilian aviation.  To me it seems too bad that people who can see Boston as the Air Terminal of the world can not also see that is also could be the center of private flying.  However I have seen enough of the country to believe that I don't have to come back to Stoneham to be happy.

Well so much for flying.  The weather around here is rather on the warm side.  It gets to 90 degrees every day except when a cold front goes through.  Then it gets cool for a couple of days.  I get to go swimming every day in town so I can keep cool.  After being here for a couple of weeks I think I am getting used to the weather.

They have a good swimming hole in town and I am getting pretty good.  Maybe I will surprise everyone when I get home.  In any event I am getting good exercise and a good sun tan.

It is about time to get back to class.  It starts t 2:00 PM and it's about time.  I guess I will write again a little sooner next time.

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.

August 26, 1944

Aug. 26, 1944

Dear Mother:

There is not much to do this weekend so I am sitting out a few at the dance here to write.  I should be enjoying the Phoenix night-life but that doesn't appeal too much to me at present.

So far I have had no change in orders although many of the others have.  We now have some more Flight Officers in our group and some of our original men have been removed for instructor and utility flying.  They are not considered to have gotten the breaks.  As yet my luck still holds and someday I may get a chance to ride in a hot ship.  If I do I certainly will be thrilled.  You can't imagine how much fun it will be.

Tomorrow is Sunday and I will go to church with my buddy Lt. Smith.  We will have to get up early (10:00 AM) to get there on time but that is not too much of a hardship.  Afterwards I will call the Blaisdell's house and see what they will like to do.  Maybe I can give them a little fun out at Sky Harbor Airport.  Maybe they don't trust me?  Would you?  It is pretty well known that we will go to P39 school at Victoriaville Calif and then to gunnery or vice versa.  However it makes little difference to me other than the AT6 will not be so much fun after the P39.

I bought a pair of dark glasses the other day and they started me to thinking.  You know Air Corp pilots are a rather exclusive bunch with their natty uniforms, crushed hats and swagger.  Of course they have wings but they also wear, almost to the last man, a pair of dark glasses.  I think if you see any or many pilots you would see what I mean.  You know if you are told you are the best long enough you begin to believe it and even truly you begin to show it both in appearance and action.

Ray-Ban's contribution to WWII

My buddy has finished his voting so I will have to close my letter and see what is going on.  I haven't written all that I could lately but have been enjoying newfound freedom.  I guess these little notes will have to do until I get something from you to write about (hint-hint)

With love

Austin