June 27, 1944

Luke Field

Phoenix, Ariz

June 27

Dear Mother:

I got your last letter last Saturday and here it is upper classman's graduation day so we have time to spare.  I can think of nothing better than to write because I am thinking of home again.  Of late especially since those pictures came home has been on my mind.  Maybe I am getting homesick??

I get quite a kick out of the pictures.  Someone got a hold of that one 10 years old and got a kick out of me.  I think I shall return it because it is valuable.  I noticed that you are still wearing the same clothes you wore a year ago.  How about spending some of my money on yourself and get your picture taken so I can see what you look like in something new.  I wish you would take some of the money because it means very little to me.

I have a chance to go out today if I want but instead I shall stay on the post and go swimming and try to improve on my tan.  I am getting a swell brown in fact I think I look a little black.  Is there any black blood in the family?  You can get a sun burn around here in 1/2 an hour.  Of course I don't sun bathe all the time but try to do underwater acrobatics.  Sunday I banged my head on the bottom and it made my head ache.  Maybe I should take better care of it.

(I have just come back from supper)

I left this letter about 8 hours ago and have been swimming and to the library.  I haven't done much except get more tanned and read some of the book "The Strange Woman".  It doesn't seem to be much of a story and is much too big for me to read.  I have got a headache as it is.  

{ed note: The book was made into a movie in 1946 and can be seen in full, online}

I haven't told you much about chow lately.  I haven't eaten a piece of bread for over 5 weeks now.  We have so much more to eat.  We get all the vegetables we can eat.  We also get a lot more fruit.  Oranges and grapefruit are very plentiful.  We are still getting multiple desserts and cake for breakfast.  I think I eat too much.

I put a penny in a scale the other day and weighed 186.  I guess with flying clothes and a parachute I must run pretty close to the 200 lb crew weight in these planes.  I must lose a lot of weight during the day because it is so hot.  You don't sweat because it is too dry.

I am still thinking of coming home but I hardly think I'll have a good chance.  I know you would like to come out but you should consider everything before you come.  you know that T.W.A advertisement looked pretty good.  However I might find a B24 and crew heading the right way if I am lucky.  I must get ready for bed. Tomorrow is a big day.

With love

Austin

June 21, 1944

Luke Field

Phoenix, Ariz

June 21, 1944

Dear Mother:

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

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

June 23

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

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

Major Bong, Ace of the Pacific

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

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

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

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

With love

Austin

June 4, 1944

Luke Field

Arizona

June 4, 1944

Dear Mother:

I really have the best intentions in writing but as in every other place time is short here.  We start about 7:30 in the morning and finish about 8:10 in the evening.  In between that time we fly and have school and all our meals.  After that time we have time to our selves.  As it is now we are preparing questionnaires so I can solo tomorrow.

Last week has been rather uneventful.  I haven't yet received any letters directly from town but I guess I should get one or two tomorrow.  (I can't find a good position to write in)

Saturday I went to the dentist and got my teeth fixed good and proper.  He filled 8 little holes in my head.  He had quite a time but said when he was finished I was done.  I sat in the chair for more than 2 hours and you can bet I felt done before he was.  The dentist ruined my Saturday schedule and made it impossible for me to solo.  Well tomorrow I will get off the ground in a hurry and solo and then go up and see what I can make this AT 6 do.

AT-6 Trainer

The AT6 is one of the best training planes in the Army.  It handles like a dream.  You don't have to move the controls you just think about 'em and they move by themselves.  You can fly by using pressures and don't have to make any noticeable movements.  It has retractable wheels and hydraulic flaps.  It has all kinds of safety devices to keep you from fouling up the works.  However it is a fighter pilots ship and much too hot for a bomber pilot.  It must be the easiest ship to ground loop in the Army so if I keep away from ground loops I will get through all right.  I have just go to get through.

I can just see that this phase of training is going to be the one to "sweat out" but be the most interesting one yet.  It is all in the plane.  It really is a wonder.  You can train it to fly straight and level and level and then you can fly it at any speed you want and not break an arm trying to control it like you did in that old B.T.  May the Lord help me if I have to become an instructor on BTs.  You can do everything with this ship you can do with a tactical ship. Spins near the ground are dangerous but with plenty of altitude you can do anything.  You can even do slow rolls going straight up.  When I get a little more familiar with it I am going to have some real fun.  "Rat racing" is in order here so we are really going to have fun.

This post is a regular GI post but has quite a number of "feather merchants" working in the hangers on maintenance.  Also they have WAC's but we hardly see any of them.  They have quite a lot of military discipline but it hadn't bothered too much yet.  The food is about the best you can get anywhere.  We really live off the fat of the land.  The only trouble is that the fellows waste more now.  I must admit I waste more myself than if I were starving.  We get pie and ice cream or cake for dinner or supper every day.

Would I like to get home!  I still don't see much chance for  quite some time.  We have heard that 1/3 of the class will get a 10 day leave when we graduate but 10 days will do me no good unless I could fly both ways and plane reservations are hard to get.  Well maybe the rumors don't mean anything.  They also say we will fly P47's or P39's before we get through.  

Well I have got to write to my old primary instructor so....

With love

Austin

May 26, 1944

Luke Field

Arizona

May 26, 1944

Dear Mother:

Here I am in Arizona again.  I have been here 2 days and I have neglected to write because although I am not doing much I am getting acquainted with the post I am to spend the next 2 months or more on.  Actually we will be here about 10 weeks and then maybe I will get 15 days to come home and see everyone again.  I will have been gone more than a year when I do get home.

We had a rather uneventful trip down here.  We left Bakersfield Calif. about 1800 Tuesday and arrived down here at about 1100 Wednesday one full day ahead of time.  We got a 20 hour pass so I got to see some of the city of Phoenix and found it a rather pleasant place to spend a pass.

Air Field at Luke Field, Arizona

The first thing that I saw that really opened my eyes was the number of P-40's buzzing around here.  I have hopes of getting into one before my training is over but I think chances are very slim.  The graduating class got a number of hours in them but they are being taken from the field and may be replaced with P39's which I do not like.  That 40 is what I like the looks of.

Today I sat in the cockpit of a grounded mock up of one.  The engine had been removed because of a damaged right wing.  I kind of thought I might be too big but found out I am not.  I need all the room available but I still think I could be very comfortable.  Of course there are are a lot more gadgets and dials but I would be glad to be inside when they come to life.

We will not start flying until early next week.  Then we will find out if we are military pilot material all over again.  They have a pretty high wash out rate around here for an advance school.  They may get 20% of us and maybe more.  They have that many out of the present class so I guess I better not get my hopes too high.  Most of them wash because they can't solo out or that they ground loop which is a very easy thing to do in these planes.  Well if I get the normal breaks and keep my head out of the cockpit I guess I can get through all right.

Curtis P-40

This is the base where I will really gain weight.  You get all you can eat of good food an all the milk and cream you can drink.  Ice cream 2 meals a day and I bet we could have if for breakfast if we wanted it bad enough.  Just think of eating a dessert of pie a la mode and chocolate frosted cake at the same time.  I bet I weigh 190 before I leave here.  I only hope it's not all fat.  They must starve civilians to feed us this way.  We get all the green vegetables we can consume.  We get raw carrots and cabbage each meal as well as boiled peas and carrots and sometimes beets.  Of course we have potatoes and meat but I think the green vegetables are better when you can have all you want.

This is swell country here but it gets too hot for my money.  We have the coolers going full blast all the time and it is hot and summer is still just around the corner.  They say it gets to 140 degrees in the shade around here in the summer and the shade is scarce.  I hope they don't want us to be too active when the hot weather gets here.

Just because we are not too busy now does not mean that we will not be in the near future.  In fact they have civilian help here that cleans our barracks and latrines so that we will have more time.  When we get on schedule we get 7 hours on the flight line, 3 hours of classes, 1 hour of PT and 1 hour of drills each day scheduled.  Besides that we have to eat and keep busy on homework and our own personal house cleaning.

I was going to write last night but I met a fellow I went to CTD with who is a class ahead of me.  He told us a little about what was ahead.  One of the things I like the sound of is a 300 mile cross country with a maximum ceiling of 200' ft.  Most of the time you spend looking up at the cactus and chasing each other up and down the washes in the desert.  You also get a lot more formation and "rat racing" term applied to chasing each other all over the sky.  It's a wonder they don't have accidents here but I guess by now most of the fellows can handle a plane pretty well.  I could handle a PT pretty well when I left primary but that BT still has me stumped.  It was more or less like driving a truck I guess and I can never like that.

Well I have been writing from my bed which may explain the illegibility of this letter.  I hope they are not all that way.  We are not very well organized yet.

I am putting in a money order for $100 which you may put in the bank or buy bonds with and remove my recent expenses from.  If you buy a bond make it out to the usual beneficiary.  Please hurry the watch on its way because I am lost without it.

With love

Austin

November 23, 1943 to Mother

Nov. 23, 1943

Dear Mother:

I suppose you are wondering how I found ca.... Cousin Emma.  Well that is a long story.  I really intended to see her bur headed in that direction a little too late.  What really happened is that I over estimated my ability to get out of camp.  When it is Saturday night 10,000 fellows have the same idea.  Let's go to L.A. and one bus line with all special busses can not take care of the rush.

Many of the fellows found that they could get rides out of camp to L.A. for $2.50 but I decided that was too much to pay for a ride of only 30 miles.  As a consequence I got to L.A. too late to go anywhere.

We went to the end of a long line of fellows trying to get to Santa Ana to get the Pacific Elective into the big city.  We waited here for over an hour and got real hot thinking of the time we were wasting.  When we did get to S.A. we had to wait again for a long time so instead of waiting we paid $1.50 for a ride to L.A.  The regular fare is $.75 so we didn't get to bad a ride.  It was very late when we got there so had very little time to get a room and get settled.  I did get a chance to see the city a little but it was after dark.  

Same picture as on Nov 21.  The card is bent from writing on the bottom diagonally to the top right corner

I am sending a picture of the place we ate.  I marked the table on the picture and you can get some idea of the places they have here and they are inexpensive.  I had a very good meal for $.90 and had music to accompany it.  The music and singing came from a little balcony you can see in the upper right hand corner.  The place was a rather good place to eat and I think I shall eat there again.  The little yellow (orange) paper I picked up was in the middle of each table for those who wanted them.

I forgot to tell how you enter.  As you can't see where we got our food.  You entered at the front and walked around the side in a kind of long tunnel that was lined with gold fish cages.  The tunnel is between the falls and the table.  The falls were very beautiful and viewed through a curved glass window so that it looked like no window at all.  William would have really loved this place if unique mess is his fancy.  I don't think you will see anything like it in the East.

You seem to find such things all through L.A. Nothing quite compares with them.  You would really love the country.  Is is all so different that I can hardly believe I am so near to home.  I feel near home although I guess I am really a long way away. 

I am sorry that the card got broken but a young lady sat on my lap and crushed it.  Now I suppose I will have to explain that.  Well, we were walking down the street when a car with two delightful girls pulled up beside us (5 boys) and asked us if we wanted to go to a party.  Well I kind of hesitated because I didn't think all western hospitality was this but the car looked good, the girls looked all right and a party seemed the thing so we all piled in.  They were U.C.L. girls and they took us to a college dance.  It seemed that men are scarce out here also.  They had all uniforms at the dance.  Navel ROTC and Marine ROTC and a few regular Navy and the Army Air Force (us).  We met the house mother who was a kind old soul and helped us get a room up town to sleep in.  Guess what they drink at such parties.  Hot tea, with fruit juice.  Not very wild.  However we had a swell time.

Seeing we were a mile from the center of the city we convinced the girls that after the dance they would have to take us back to the city.  They decided at 12:00 PM (civilian time) that it was time to close down the dance so the 5 boys and 4 girls piled into the car (result: crushed picture) and went to a small diner in a ate some hamburgers and drank pop.  They left us off up town and we went to our room for a good nights rest.  It was about 2:30 and I was glad to hit the hay.  We slept till 9:30.  It sure is wonderful to sleep late once in a while.

There wasn't much to do after getting up Sunday so we went and did a little shopping and got some insignia (if you got the ones I asked for and haven't sent them you better keep them).  We came back early and slept on the train all the way.

It sure is a kick of a way to spend a weekend.

Now; "What is the difference between the Army Air Corp and the Army Air Force"?  Well you may ask a lot of people in the Army Air Force and they won't know but from what I have been able to find out it goes this way.  The Army Air Corp is the branch that corresponds to the United States ARmy and the Army Air Force is the same as the ARmy of the United States (You don't see.)  Before Pearl Harbor the Air Corp was very small and was only a part of the Army but now it has expanded to such an extend that is is a force in itself and is almost a complete, self sufficient outfit.  Don't let it worry you because in most places they are the same and the expansion is the reason for the change.  I don't think anyone cares about the difference.

I don't know anymore answers because I forgot all the questions so if I don't write the answers to your questions, ask again.

That watch will be very valuable out here because everyone elses is in the repair and you have to hunt to find out the time.  I hope you get the most for your money and get William's ideas on the subject because I will know what I want that is round.   Well I leave the rest to you and the family.  Don't spare the money because there is a lot more where that came from.  The government has lots of it and I have got a raise in pay.

The food is a lot better now.  It seems to come in spasms.  We get Roast Beef quite often with mashed potatoes and gravy and vegetable.  I am just keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for the buest bu not one can tell.

I will have close now because I have a lot of other things to do.

With love,

Austin

November 21, 1943

Clifton's "Pacific Sea" Cafeteria
Olive at Sixth, Los Angeles

Nov. 21, 1943

Dear Mother:

We got out of camp on pass Saturday night and this is the place we ate supper.  It was really good and one of those places where they have music and singing while you eat.  It was swell except that you had to pick up your own meal.

November 19, 1943 (2)

   Dear (oh well I started now!) Nov. 19,

Esther:

What a mistake!  My mind must be wandering terribly.  I am thinking about what I shall do my first night out.  Shall I go to Los Angeles and see the town?  Shall I go to San Diego and see Don Towse?  Shall I go see mother's cousin in Hollywood?  Well I don't really know just what to do.  I might go see one of Pop's relatives in Onterio (or something).  Why didn't Pop tell me about his relatives rather than Aunt Emma?  Really what would you do?

It really is about time that I thanked you for the box that came the day before yesterday.  The sweater was quite a surprise and a very pleasant one at that.  My friend from Belmont asked me who made it "my mother".  When I said it was my sister he was really surprised that sisters did such things.  Evidently in his home his mother does all the favors and the sisters are little or big pests as the case may be.  It really is the thing I need because the cold weather is setting in and the sweater looks heavy and wooly.  There is only one catch.  I can't wear it outside so everyone can see it because G.I. clothes only are worn in plain sight or for any formation.  It looks like I can wear it under my blouse.  I am sure your handwork will be put to a good purpose even though I won't be able to show it off.

The candy was a surprise also.  As I stood admiring the sweater I didn't realize that there was more in the box.  Not until I lifted it out to put it on did the kisses fall out and in the scramble that followed I got 3 pieces of fudge and a couple of kisses.  They sure went fast.  The fudge reminded me of the nights after you got paid with me around helping you eat your box of Sullivan Sq. candy.  It really was good.  I shouldn't have opened the box just before supper.  When these fellows are hungry nothing from home in the way of eats can satisfy them.

You can tell Pop that I passed my first code check but just barely passed it.  It was called a 4 word check.  20 letters a minute in 2 weeks.  It is a check to see that everyone is progressing in one of the hardest subjects we have.  Next we work on 6 words a minute until we can receive 12 to 14 a minute and then we can graduate without worrying. Code in it's self is not too tough it is just certain letters that screw up the works.  I have trouble remembering W and V and U and K.  I can do the rest all right.

Things are running along pretty smoothly and my worries are few except for the ever present little "demerits".  Down here you get gigged but each gig may have attached 3 or 4 demerits so you have to stay on the ball.  So far I have been fortunate as I have had only 5 demerits since I have been here.  I found out what they wanted and did what was wanted so the Sqn. Commander is happy and I don't get gigged.  Some fellows have tours and plenty of them.  One fellow has 24 tours and he is happy because he can get out in 3 weeks.  Well I find it easier to keep a good record and have my overnight passes.  By the way we have the best under classman pre-flight group.  We have the best commander.  We have the best everything.  We are "On the Ball."

Well I don't know what to write except that the further I go in this business the better I like it.  I have picked out the plane I want to fly.  It is the A-20A Boston Bomber.  Get William to show you one. 

A-20A Boston

 It is a plane that has one pilot, a Bombigator and a couple of crew men.  As I am too large for pursuit flying this is the one for me.  Oh well that is a long time off.  If the Sqn. keeps up the way it is I will have a good chance to fly it as the best Sqns to get wing get to fly what they want.

With Love

Austin

October 31, 1943

                                                                                   

Oct 31, 1943

Dear A.P.

            I was very glad to get your letter the other day and seeing yours was the last I thought that I would answer it.

            We are not doing very much important but are just biding our time until Pre-flight opens next week.  When we get there our program will really start.  Right now we are doing details one day and classes the next day.  The classes are not anything to talk about except the code class and that is just there to give us an idea of what is to come.  We are just learning numbers and no letters.  We go into a large room with tables covered with earphone and they are connected to an automatic sender.  They give a number ten times and then change for about 4 numbers and then run through the series 5 or 6 times and then give you the numbers in a mixed order.  Not much too it.

            I haven’t done much talking about the meals around here because I thought that may be they would get better as the time went by.  But that is not the case.  I am really loosing weight not fast but steadily.  You can’t get enough to eat under any circumstances.  Maybe all the food is going to the Army but very little is coming here.  It seems to me that there is some poor management somewhere.  For example.  Here we are in the heart of the orange growing country but our fruit consists of Oregon apples and S. American bannanas (not many) and other fruit that is grown outside the state.  To show how much some fellows want something to eat, several fellows have been washed out for trying to buy food from the mess sgt. and the sgt was caught later selling pies to certain people whom he knew well.  Well, I hope we will get fed better at pre-flight but that doesn’t seem likely because we drew M.M (KP to you) in a mess hall at pre-flight and didn’t get fed any more than usual.  Well food isn’t everything anyway.  California is a pretty good state.

Original WW II P38 Training Video

            You would think after awhile that we would be tired of looking at airplanes but on the contrary we look up as much as ever.  I have got so that I can tell a P38 and B12 by the sound of its motors.  We also can tell these Basic Trainers by the roar of the motor when the prop is in low pitch.  Otherwise it sounds just like any other plane.  Today we saw some of these new Navy “Corsairs” that are doing such a wonderful job in the South Pacific.  Those fellows just dive the plane straight down when they want to come down.  The P38 is the one that really whistles as it comes down and when it flies close to the ground over the barracks, the whistle is one way of identifying it from the others.

P38 "Whistling Death"

            Maybe I haven’t told you about the visual education we have had so far.  It seems that the army is try to train men by showing “stills” or motion pictures.  The reason seems to be that they can reach a lot more men with less wear and tear on the vital instructors.  Also they say that it is much easier to remember pictures from a screen rather than pictures set up in your mind that might be false.  Before we had the high altitude test they showed us some pictures of the effects it has on the individual.  They were very good.  Along the same line are books that are composed mainly of pictures with a little explanation of the picture.  It was from a book like this that we read during that hour at 30,000’.  It seems much easier to comprehend the story when you have pictures to along with it.

            Our Physical Training is much to talk about except we are getting in condition for Pre flight where we will really have to work again.  It would be tough hitting P.T. after doing nothing for over a month along that line.

            I am glad to hear that you got the potatoes in all right.  I wish I could have been home to help.  I also saw your add in the Paper so I guess you are trying to get them off your hands. Tell Mother not to send any.  There are too many hungry boys here for her to feed.  Well good luck with them.

With love

Austin

August 15, 1943

Beloit College

Beloit Wis.

Aug. 15, 1943

Dear A.P.

This is Sunday again and I thought I would dash off another letter before I go on "open post." This week end is the first time that I have been officially out and I am going to make the most of it.  

Last week I had to walk off tours.  That was because I received 13 gigs.  Whether I explained this or not the system is that if you step out of line a little, like looking at the ground when in formation, or wavering your eyes while in formation you get what is called a gig.  If they find dirt on your bed or on your chair or desk or anywhere in your room you get a gig.  Of all my gigs that week I got 11 in one day and only 2 the rest of the week.  I got 11 on the first inspection because we didn't know how to hang clothes, fix our chairs etc.  You can bet we found out after that.  You can bet that don't happen again.

One fellow here Hoboken N.J. Has 51 tours to walk off before he gets out on open post.  He will probably spend 8 weeks at it if he walks the maximum each week.  As for me, I am going to spend my week ends in Beloit.

It says in the "student bible" that there will be no hazing at any time but you can bet that can be gotten around.  It isn't hazing here; it is discipline and we get a lot of it; not so much from the upper class men as from student officers.  They really get tough and know how to make you wish you never thought of joining the Air Corp.  Last week we did very poorly in a retreat parade. Although it was not our fault but more the fault of the officers you can bet we got it in the neck.  They really tightened up on us and handed out gigs left and right.  We had some pretty stiff drill along with it but now we are the best outfit on the campus.  Even the older fellows can't make a showing the way we do.

We have had our pay day and on that day I received $38.95.  It was a lot of money and I know I can never spend it even if I wanted to.  There are a few things I need in town and I plan to get them.  I am going to buy a wrist-watch and try to get an American movement as Mother suggested.  I am also going to get a pair of good dress shoes.  That is about all I need or will need for some time.  The watch is really needed because everything around here is done on schedule and the shoes are something that will help keep up my morale.

We have quite a day here compared with the life of a student at B.U.  I get up at any time between 5:00 and 6:00 according to the amount of work I have to get done.  Revielle is at 6:15 and early chow at 6:30, late chow at 7:00.  We go to early chow so that I don't have to shave before breakfast but you must have a good shoe shine and neat general appearance.  After chow we have until 8 o'clock to do all our work around the room, shave and perform special details like cleaning the bathrooms, the halls, the dayroom and such things, and get to first class.  We usually start a day by a period of Physics or 2 periods of Physics lab.  We then have English or math according to what day it is.  This is usually followed by a period of Geography or History.  It turns out to be 4 periods a morning with history one morning and Geography the next; English one morning and Physics lab the next.  We always get back for noon chow about 5 minutes late so that means we get no time to clean up for the shave inspection we get at noon instead of the morning.  After noon chow we wait for 1/2 hour to go to P.T.  The wait is because the other half of the group is eating.  From 1300 to 1500 is P.T.; from 1500 to 1600 is supervised study and from 1600 to 1700 is drill.  At 1700 we go to chow again and have until 2000 to do what we want which means shine shoes and prepare for the next day.  At 2000 we study and this is really tough because you have to prepare 3 to 4 subjects homework in 2 hours.  At 2200 we get ready for bed and at 2230 lights are out.  I didn't think many go to bed right then but most are in for a bed check 10 minutes later.

This is too good a description of my day but it does give the time order of things and you can get an idea of just what the tax payers are paying for.  It is really a great life and even thought it is hard to do a lot of things and have them done on time a lot I am learning will come in handy in the future.

Tell Ralph to join the Air Corp if he can make it.  Even if he don't think he can tell him to try anyway.  Remember I also didn't think I had what it takes.  If you are healthy and have half decent vision the army can take care of you.

Right now we are doing a lot of running during P.T.  We run the 1 1/2 miles and the mile until you can qualify.  I ran the 1 1/2 miles in 9:55 minutes which is not too bad considering it was the first time I ever ran that far.  I made it way under the qualifying time so I don't have to run it anymore.  The qualifying time is 10:40 minutes.  I also qualified in the mile run by running it in 6:18 with a qualifying time of 6:40.  I did the mile after playing a good game of basketball and was all tired out.  we had about 5 minutes to rest before starting.  My legs hurt all the way but my wind held out pretty well.  When I get home I'll be a physical specimen.

If you could use the rifle you can.  I don't know where the cartridges for it are but they were in my drawer when I left.  Maybe Mother found them and hid them  or maybe William has them.  I am sure I can't use them.  I would rather shoot a carbine or a Garavel like I had at J.B.

Well I guess I have written enough.  I am inclosing a card I got from Stoneham.  You might get a kick out of it.  Everyone I read it to thought it was quite a joke.  "We hope you like army life."  Oh well I suppose it was sent in the best of faith and should be treated so.  Still the fellows got quite a kick out of my description of the dear miss that sent it.

Tell Mary to write and tell me about her job.  I am really interested to hear about it.

With love

Austin

A.C. (Air Crew)

July 22, 1943

Pvt Austin Rounds

Sq A 29th T.G.

Jefferson Barracks, Missouri

June 22 1943

{He's having a really 

hard time remembering that

 it's July and not June}

Dear Mother

I suppose you wonder why you are getting this letter from J.B. after such a long wait.  Well! that is a long story so I might as well begin at the beginning.

Last Wednesday (more than a week ago) the first bunch from Boston shipped out for parts unknown.  I didn't ship with them because I don't have the right name, at least my name didn't start right.  Alphabetically everyone up to P went and we poor rookies (geeps) who were not favorably blessed stayed behind and waved them off.  That was tough but we didn't mind too much because we were going to gin in the next shipment (we thought).

Friday a new shipping order came in and we were the happiest bunch in camp.  The first thing you have when put on shipping is a teeth check.  I didn't favor so well.  I was classified as I.R. (immediate treatment) and because of the classification I was scratched form the list.  What made it worse was the clothing check and the removal of our barracks bags to a warehouse.  This left us with little more than the clothes on our backs.  Clothes, soap, towels, toilet articles, everything was gone, and what could I buy?  I had just run out of money and had to borrow everything I used.  By Monday I was a sorry sight after having not been able to change my under clothes or wash them, or have a shave.  Monday was a bad day.

Tuesday I got into the warehouse and got what I needed and my morale went up a notch.  We also got the news that the other bunch would not ship and we had hopes of going with them.  Their morale went down but ours went up.  I felt better that day but none too well of the situation.  

Wednesday a new shipping order came through and I was not on that for some unknown reason.  Only headquarters knows who will ship and why the remaining don't.  My teeth were not the reason because I had them fixed.  That same day the second bunch left for Burlington Ver to go to college, 32 of us missed it and 20 of us had never been put on the order.

Today we got orders to move into different huts because the 32 remaining were spread over 3 streets.  we packed our barracks bags (we got them when the other bunch went out) and moved.  We had no more than made our beds and got back from a 2 hour detail than we got orders to move again.  This time to a different squadron down the street and as far as we know we are just "up the creek".  We may have to start our basic all over or we may ship out in a few days.  At any rate we have taken about all the bunk the army can dish out in a week and we don't like the way we get treated.  They say that the morale of a soldier gets pretty low at times but we will get over it.  Well I will get over it if and only when I leave J.B. and get to a college and can find out what goes on.  Here no one knows what the next one is doing.  In my opinion no one person is to blame for our situation but that there is too big a turn over of men each week and no one can get anything straight.  There is too much red tape involved and not enough men who can straighten out the mess.  The army seems to be getting too big to handle.  We are getting to hate it here because they don't give you a break and don't try to consider the individual.  I have lots of suggestions to make but I, alas, am only a lowly "buck private" and this is the Army Air Corps run by the Army Engineers.

Now what of the pleasant side of life.  Last night I got my last injection and it was a tetnus.  They always give a funny reaction.  They attack the nerve around the spot where the needle went in and make the arm numb.  This affect is almost instantaneous.  The arms feels as if you have been hit on a muscle and you can hit yourself to tell what that feels like.  This only lasts about 15 minutes and you get no after effects.  I would rather have that than the typhoid which gives a rather high temperature.

Last night I also went to the main service club.  Compared with our huts this is a palace.  It is a ugly constructed building from the outside (as all army buildings are) but has all the luxuries of home inside.  You can get good meals for a low price, you can get all the ice cream you can eat and all the pop you can drink for a moderate price.  You can bring your girl there when she is on the post and sit in the guest corners or take her to the lounges on the terrace.  You can keep your girl there for a few days or you can just go there and enjoy free entertainment.  All around the main floor there are soffers (sofas?) and above the floor is a balcony with easy chairs.  It is a perfect place to spend what leisure you have. (Leisure - what a laugh!)

Now what of your letter.  I got it on Wednesday one day or rather about 14 hours after I had been paid so the $5.00 was not so needed as it should have been.  I think I will return it because too much money is a bad thing around here.  I was very glad to receive it but I would rather see how long I can live on the $24.40 that I received.  That was last months pay and after all deductions you can see how much I am making.  Money again doesn't seem to bother me.  Even if I received $100 I doubt if I would have known what to do with it.  Too much money tempts and I don't want to loose any.  I might even get to gambling if I had too much and I don't want to do that.

I am glad to hear that Mary is working but I wish she could get something more to her liking.  House work doesn't seem to be quite the thing I would like to do if I were in her place.  I hope that she can make enough money to go to school or at least help her to go to school.  Everyone so far has had a try at it so why shouldn't she.

Pvt Hargove would probably be very amusing but our time for amusement is limited and we would rather spend it doing something unusual rather than reading.  As it is I have several things to read but not the time.

Keep me informed about the potatoes and the farm.  I rather feel that I left part of me up there and I want to know how things are coming along.  

Pop may try to gain weight on vegetables but out there they gain weight on meat and good food.  Even though the "Army Mess" is a mess and often no one can tell what they are eating, the goodness is there and you can grow on it.  Here is a typical mess, they really threw the ice box in this one.  Lima beans left over from dinner, potato from the same meal, meat from the previous day, gravy from some unknown meal, string beans, from a previous supper, carrots from a previous dinner, all cooked together and called stew.  If you don't eat up all the breakfast you get it for dinner in the form of seasoning, like bacon to season string beans or carrots, then if you don't eat it all for supper you get it for breakfast and if you still don't eat it you can be sure to get stew sometime in the near future.

I got my K.M.L news and was glad to see it.  I saw the notice that Jimmy was in the hospital.  I also saw Williams letter and I wonder how he did it.  He did a swell job and should have done it sooner.  Give him plenty of encouragement.  As for my writing I am afraid I am usually in too much of a hurry. I will say this however I am now writing more that I have ever written before.  I doubt if I will ever develop into anything great.

I really wish I could get home for a short time to see how brown the grass is and how bad the garden looks.  I doubt if I could yet eat Hot Dogs but the lemon pie would no longer turn my stomach.  You will be surprised at what I can eat now.  Even I wouldn't have believed that I could eat such a variety.  Even so my skin is still rather rough but that is due to too much soft drink.  I like them and know they do me no good.  If I quit them I know I could clear up most of my trouble.

I suppose you can write to me again.  I don't know what the score is so even if I move before your next letter you can be sure it will be forwarded to me.  Just remember my new address.  I am now in Sq. A not Sq. C.

I sent my suit coat home today so it should arrive soon after the letter. I am sending the $5.00 and hope that it arrives safely.  

I am tired and need a shower so I will sign off for a while.

With Love

Austin

U.S.A.A.F.

July 6, 1943

June 6, 1943

{Has he forgotten the date?}

Dear Mother,

I didn't write yesterday because we were on K.P. and were restricted after we got through.  They made us get up at 3:50 a.m. and that is an early hour even around here.  It was late even so, we had to fall out right away.  The hut was a mess and we were restricted.  We really didn't feel like doing anything but we had to G.I. the hut before we could go away.

Tonight we are going to throw a party!  Most everyone including me (many thanks) got food from home.  We are going to break a few rules that say you can't have bottles in the huts, but going to the P.X. and buy soft drinks bringing them back and eating and drinking.  The only trouble is that we have a lot of work to do before a special inspection tomorrow at 5:30.  Something always wrecks the parties and makes them difficult to hold.  I am trying to write early so that I can have some fun.

I got the box today at the noon mail call.  I expected it but I didn't know what to expect.  I guess you collaborated on it.  Pop must have sent the peanuts and you and someone else the soap and cookies.  They are really good.  We are going to use the cookies tonight and I want to use the soap also but even so I doubt if I will have time.  My clothes are dirty but I may get some clean ones from the laundry.

I should tell you something about the meals.  Aside from the weather meals are the main topic of conversation.  Of course our mess hall is really pretty bad in the way of cleanliness and the mess officer doesn't seem to care to much but lets talk about the food.  Now, in the morning you get 2 little bottles  

{the second page of the letter is missing}

They probably hoped the party would be something like this.

It was probably a lot more like this.

June 30, 1943

Jefferson Barracks

Missouri

June 30, 1943

Dear Mother;

I try to read your letters as soon as possible and write an answer.  Often it is hard to do just that but for once I have found time before supper to write.  This is not written by street light as most of my letters.

I have bought a book on aircraft spotting.  It shows views of both Amer. and Jap planes.  William might be interested in some of the models we see once in a while.  These are not models made by civilians but are a cast plastic and are much better than other models.  They are cast to size.  As yet we have had no instruction in aircraft identification and we don't expect it for some time.

About that business in the Sat. Eve. Post of the PX's, I haven't had a chance to read it.  Each week one of the boys on the Post comes around and sells them.  Each time I buy one and set it away in my foot locker.  I have read only 2 articles in the 3 magazines I have bought.  I am glad you brought it to my attention.

I don't know whether I wrote or not about our day room.  We are about the only ones in camp without a day room.  Our room was taken over and everything removed to make way for an office staff who does a little of the work on the red tape the army is wrapped up in.  Down the street they have a room with pool tables, books, soft drinks, easy chairs, tables and everything to make you comfortable.  It is really the place to go after dark if you have nothing else to do.

I went to St. Louis Sunday.  It is really quite a place.  It takes about 1 hour and 15 min. to get in and, out it takes longer because it seems every soldier comes home at the same time.  I didn't get a guide to the city as I didn't know just where to find one but I will get one if it is possible.  St. Louis people are so nice they will tell you anything you want to know or do anything for you.  At the U.S.O you can get all kinds of things and invitations to churches and organizations.  Everyone has a wonderful time and most everyone goes back.

Harold was the one who saw to it that I got started in the right direction.  We got separated just before we got on the first bus.  I was stopped by an M.P. who was checking up on the fellows leaving from the 29th.  We had to show some identification and I had only a Mass. driving license.  I thought sure I would miss the bus, Harold and my first chance to get out of the camp.  He did not go all the way with me but went to his girl friends house.  He sure has it bad.  I don't think he is a wolf however.  He is a lady's man alright.

We see a report of temperatures every once in a while in the St. Louis papers.  I guess you have had some real hot weather.  Our hot spell is broken and I slept under 2 blankets last night.  It was cold all day and a swell breeze flew.  I didn't swet at all today even when we drilled 2 hours, had conditioners for 2 hours, and ran the obsticle (sic) course and 1 3/8 miles.  I think I could like it here if it wasn't for the food.  Now we eat in a mess that is a mess. The plates and silver are greasy.  This is something I am not used to.  

Your letters seem to arrive in pretty good time.  The letter you wrote June 26 came today in the mail call at 11:00.  I keep writing about things that I have written before.  I don't know just what I have written about.  I can't realize sometimes how long it takes to get mail home and back.  Sometimes my letters must be rather incoherent because of the hurry I write them in and partly because these guys are always making a heck of a racket.  I sign off now.

With love,

Austin