September 15, 1945

Randolph Field

Sept. 15, 1945

Dear Mother:

I am a little short on letter writing time at present but I have 2 money orders here to go so I guess I had better send them while I still have them.

Pop paid 1/2 of my income tax and so will want about $65.50 from you so I guess you had better give it up.  I had hoped to put off sending in the tax money until the end of the year but it is just as well now since they will be after me for it sooner or later anyway.  I may as well pay for this war as long as I have the money.  I am certainly getting more for my money than I am spending.

Here is some hot news.  When you receive this letter I will no longer be a member of Randolph Field.  We are shipping across town to Brooks Field so we will still be in S.A.  We have been hearing all kinds of rumors about shipping out and most of them were morale killers.  Everyone thought we were headed for the sands of N.M. again or maybe North Texas.  As it stands now we are still in civilized territory if you can say that of Texas.

As for the money you can pay Pop and put the rest in the bank or any place suitable.  I don't think I want War Bonds because they are hard to get a hold of in a hurry just in case I see something I want.  I could sure use a good car.

I sent Mary a birthday present which should get there on time.  Please give me your opinion of it and be very frank.  I looked around a lot and just couldn't find anything that she might like.  Maybe I am a little too choosy but any way it has gone now and I hope it is fitting of the occasion.

Well I met a girl in San Antone.  Maybe you read Pop's letter or he told you.  She is a little younger than Mary and rather nice looking with Mary's freckles.  She seems rather proud of them too and I might say that freckles never hurt anyone's appearance.  Anne Roberts is her name and she comes from Wausau Wisc.  Her dad is a lumber and paper man; you see I am almost a member of the family.  She is a swell kid and more fun than a barrel of monkeys, and very inexpensive.  But never you fear, Mother dear, it is not the real thing and I will still come home single, I hope.  It is too bad you don't get to see these lovely creatures I get on the string so you could give me some advice.  I could really use some at times and all I have is a roommate but what does he know about women.

Well I will write again soon from Brooks Field and give you my new address.  We report there on the 17th before 23:59

With love

Autin.

July 24, 1945

San Marcos

July 24, 1945

Dear Mother:

I got your letter of the 17th and you seemed a little unhappy about not receiving any mail.  I don't blame you a bit and I guess I need someone to get me on the ball.  I guess I write a lot more to Mary than anyone else right now.  Well I will try to think of more to go in my letters and get them off more often.

Here is a good idea of just what kind of a climate we have here.  It rained today and it got so muggy that when I was standing in a breeze the sweat on my arms and hands would not evaporate.  After dinner I went to sleep for a couple of minutes and woke up with little beads of sweat all over me.  I guess it is just as they say at home, it's not the heat but the humidity.  I have no idea what the humidity around here is but it sure must be terrible.

Well I may be lucky because I didn't get a leave.  Bill Samput got his leave fixed up and now he is shipping out to go to Roswell N.M. for B29 co-pilot.  It seems that it happened to all the fellows who got leaves.  So maybe not getting a leave was a good thing after all.

Bill Samput is on the orders to go to Roswell.  So after knowing him for a couple of months more than a year we are parting.  Well we have had a lot of fun together and I have met his folks.  They were swell and I enjoyed my stays with them.

Let me tell you what happened this weekend.  I met a cop up at Addie Mae's house a week ago and he is a flying enthusiast more or less.  He asked me if I wouldn't like to go flying with him Sunday and I was more than willing to accept.  So Sunday he called the hotel in Austin where I was staying and said he was ready to go.  He has a car so we went out to an airport where he has had some in striation.

Well this is a long story but I have a lot of time.  He had told me previously that he had flown a year with the C.A.P. so I assumed he had several hundred hours.  He also said that he had flown AT-6s which made him a hot rock.  I had to get checked out in this cab which took about 8 minutes on the ground and in the air and then off we went.  

Well we got out to the point of take-off and he asked me to take it off, so I did but I thought it was rather strange that he didn't want to fly.  I took off and asked him if he wanted it and he took over.  We went flying over the city and after a while he got tired and asked me if I wanted to fly.

Sure I wanted to fly so I moved from a position of resting with my elbows on my big knees to where I could put my hands on the throttle and stick I hit the throttle and the engine quit.  Well old Timmy almost hit the roof.  He turned around, shaking like a leaf and said in a very halting voice that I had better take it.  So I grabbed the throttle and away we went.

Well from the way he flew and by his reactions I should have known more about his flying but I being an innocent pilot still accepted his word of 1 year with the C.A.P. flying the border.  Taking things for granted in an airplane does not work.

We came in and I shot a landing and then I told him to take over and shoot one.  When we got around to the final approach into the field he turned around and told me to follow him through which was OK by me.  But when he started to level out 100' up instead of 10' I really started to sweat and when the ship stalled out about 25' up and the bottom felt like it fell out I was really sweating.  I gave it the power in a hurry and we hit and made 4 hard bounces which would make your teeth rattle.

We taxied up to the ramp and got out and then I found out that Timmy wasn't such a hot rock.  He had exactly 3:15 actual recorded stick time and the rest was what he could pick up while navigating on the border.  Well let me tell you that the next time I went up with him I didn't take too much for granted and I stayed glued to the controls.  I guess you can learn something every day, even on Sundays.

Next Sunday I am going to take Addie Mae and her roommate for a ride in a Stenson 105 if I can get checked out.  I think I can so it will be a lot of fun but also rather expensive.  It will cost $10 an hour so you can see where the money goes.  "Bus man's holidays" are rather expensive.

Stenson 105

Maybe I shouldn't tell you my trouble but this climate is kind of getting me down.  I am losing weight rather fast and I don't quite know when it will stop.  Also I feel just sluggish and uncomfortable.  I only feel good when I am cooled off while swimming and only then do I feel well enough to have any fun. I hope I can get used to this climate but it is really the worst I have ever been in.  It leaves you without enough energy to live, in fact I find that I drag my feet unless I think about it.  That is getting bad when you can't find strength to lift your feet.

You probably remember the Bulova watch you sent to me more than a year ago.  Well that darn thing is more trouble than it is worth.  I have spent more on repairs for it than anything I own.  It is just not a hardy enough watch for what I am doing.  I have another watch so don't be surprised if you find this watch in the mail.  I have just l most the stem and will have to replace it.  I have too much trouble to have it around.

Well I shall send these pictures of the Samputs and me.  They are not too hot but they are all right.  You can get an idea of what they look like.  They are typical Texans if there is any way of telling.

Well I hope I am forgiven for not writing because I think of writing much oftener than I do.  

With love

Austin

July 18, 1945

July 18, 1945

San Marcos

Dear Mother:

I really don't feel like writing but I guess you are wondering what has happened to your little wanderer. I'm sorry I don't write more but it seems to be just one of those things.

I had intended to write Monday night but I got side tracked.  I probably have written that I have a pair of swim fins but I don't think I told you that I also have a pair of underwater goggles.  You know with the combination you can have all kinds of fun chasing the little underwater creatures.  If you are quick enough you can catch pollywogs and things like that.  But as I was saying I got side tracked the other night.  We decided that if you can see those fish underwater why not try our luck at spearing them; so we made some fish spears.

Goggles have come a long way, thankfully.

We went down to Sub-depot and borrowed and begged until we had what we wanted.  We made the spears out of steel rods and made brass heads for them.  We put detachable long handles on them and had a lot of fun making them collapsible, so you can put them in a hand bag.  We just had a lot of fun.  Now you know why this letter is late.

Well I guess you know I am still spending my weekends in Austin.  Addie Mae and I really have a lot of fun together.  We go out Saturday night and go dancing or just go to a show or something.  Sundays I go up to their apartment and they cook dinner for me.  I lay on the sofa until dinner is ready with my shoes off and with a T-shirt listening to the radio after a really wonderful meal, they can really cook, back to the sofa I go and listen to the radio some more and go to sleep while they do the dishes.  Boy! what a life, almost like home.  Maybe you had better look out before you lose a son in the process.  It's funny though that I can have so much fun and just feel about them as I do any other girl.  I doubt if I shall ever get married.  I have more fun finding nice girls that can cook and have big soft sofas in the front rooms.

Just because it's funny.

Well we have to fly this afternoon.  They are kind of  half hearted by putting us through the AT-7 transition school here.  We are to get 10 hours a month in these sparrows and maybe get checked out. We go up and shoot landing and go out of the area to do single engine procedures.  There is not much to flying this plane but landing it is a horse of a different color.  The controls are so touchy and the least bit of movement has a terrific effect on the ship.  Also we are supposed to make wheel landings and a good wheel landing is a bouncy landing.  In fact if you can land in 3 bounces, you are considered a hot pilot.  I am not yet a hot pilot.  They are a lot of fun to fly for a change, but the time doesn't mean much as far as we are concerned.

It is time for dinner but I don't feel much like eating.  Breakfasts don't agree with me too well and make me feel groggy.  About dinner time I feel like I have rocks in my stomach and not hungry at all.  Maybe it is because I don't get much exercise.  However I drank a couple bottles of beer last night and that may be the cause.  I was just thinking that the next time Pop rather jokingly asks me if I want a beer I will take him up on it.  I don't really like beer but you acquire a taste for such things just to be sociable.

I was going to send you some pictures but the young ladies in Austin want to see them for some reason so you will have to wait a few more days.  How mothers suffer.

I heard the "Pops" Saturday night and heard them say it was the last one this year.  I guess I was halfway scheduled to be there rather than listening 1500 mi away.  But I suppose you couldn't do everything but I could close my eyes and visualize things.  Maybe I can get home when they are out on the Charles.  That could be fun also.

It seems to me that Pop is rather busy.  I just wonder what is becoming of all the money.  Maybe he is salting it away so he can retire but I'll bet he has got some scheme up his sleeve.  As for me I am going to buy a big car and an airplane after the war and the way it seem stop be going I will be out of a job very soon.  I hope so, so I can get back to B.U. and flunk another accounting course.

So William is an old Foran man.  Well I guess he can tell you just how the thing works which is a lot more than I could do.  My knowledge of Foran is limited to what happens when you twist this and that knob and why this and that happens when this and that do-dingest goes wrong.

I am afraid my letter is getting long and boring besides I ran out of ink.  Maybe I had better call it quits and go eat anyway.  I have got to write some more letters but I haven't got time.  My mail piles up, I have to write to Lenny, besides Esther and Mary and Pop always like to hear from me, besides all my other fans around town.  Maybe I can get a private secretary to mimeograph them off.

With love

Austin

How would you like to come to Texas?

June 26, 1945

San Marcos Field

June 26, 1945

Dear Mother:

I have had several letters from Stoneham in the last few days so I will write one for a change.

This is the last of the paper for at least of the envelopes.  It has lasted quite a while.  If you remember I bought it up in Lincoln right near the end of our stay there.  I guess it has lasted longer than any paper I have had.  Maybe I haven't written enough but really it was quite a lot of paper.

I got the clipping last week that came out of Press and everyone got quite a kick out of it.  I will keep it until I get home and then whoever can get his or her hands on it can have it.  That is the first time I have ever seen that particular pose.  I think it is the better of the two.  Anyway the boys thought it was good.

Samput got himself a girl in Austin and so I went on a blind date last Friday night.  She was one of these college girls who goes to a co-educational school to study campusology and for the social contacts.  We had a lot of fun dancing but she didn't act the age she was trying to make out to be.  She wished she were 21 but was only 17.  Tell Mary I am a little disgusted with the 17 year olds also.  It's not that we didn't have fun but that she was trying to impress me with what she knew and talking about all her dates and such stuff.  She had a date Saturday so I don't feel that I have to see her again even though I probably will because Samput wants me to go on a date with  him to Dallas next week when they both will be there.

Saturday was a quiet day with nothing special to do except entertain ourselves.  We went to Austin early and went from one air conditioned theater to the next in an attempt to keep cool.  There wasn't much doing in town so it was a rather weary day.

Sunday I went out to Bergstrom Field, near Austin, which is a troop carrier air base.  They have C46s out there and I went to eat dinner and look around.  I finally wandered down to the flight line and looked over the C46's.  They are one of the largest ships I have ever been in.  They are cargo and troop carrier planes but are often used to tow gliders.  They have enough room in them to transport 44 men with full equipment or 10 tons of supplies.  They can put whole airplanes in them if they find the need.  When I got back to town a young lady stopped me to buy a War Bond but instead she got a date.  She and another girl and sold $4,000 worth of bonds.  They took another fellow and I home and cooked us a meal and topped it off with a peach pie.  We had quite a lot of fun getting the meal which we finally ate at about 11:00 PM.  We all had to be up early Monday so had to leave early.

I started this letter last night but didn't have the energy of finish it.  It is so hot around here I just spend about all the time I can resting or trying to keep cool.  If I had a job to do I am sure I could muster enough strength to do something but as it is I have just about enough energy to get up in the morning .  As Ernie Pyle said, when you have anything to do and it is hot the Air Corp makes a lazy man of you.  We have so little on our mind I doubt if I could ever take a job again. 

Ernie Pyle, war correspondent

Most every day I go swimming at a place called Rio Vista Park in town.  They have a fairly good pool and the water is very clean.  It is spring water and cool.  One of the fellows has a pair of swim fins to put on your feet which are a lot of fun to play with.  You can paddle your feet and not have to use your arms.  However when you use your arms you can really move.  You can do all sorts of things with those fins.  I think I will buy a pair even though they cost $9.00.  I think I can have 9 dollars worth of fun with them.

I have some good news.  I am coming home on leave on the 6th July.  I am going to leave here on the 6th and drive with a buddy as far as possible.  We may get only as far as Dallas or Okla. City but may get to Chicago.  From there I will have to take the train.  Therefore I should be home on the 8th.  That will give me 10 days at home I hope.  It all depends on how long it will take to travel.  Most of the the transportation in Texas is so bad that it could take a day to get out of the state and then 2 more days to get home.  I am hoping to et a ride on an airline but that is almost out of the question.  So you can make all the plans you want.  I only hope we can schedule a few days where I can feel some good cool sea breezes.  Hint, Hint.

Well we are supposed to fly that darn double breasted sparrow this afternoon.  It is going to be a very boring 4 hours which will get me nothing more than flying pay for this month.  Boy this sure is a heck of a life.  I am getting rather tired of it.

Well I have to get to go eat dinner now.  I am not hungry because it is too hot but if I don't eat I might not get home pretty soon.

With love

Austin

May 11, 1945

May 11, 1945

Dear Mother:

If this letter comes air mail don't be alarmed because it is just a ruse to make you think I write oftener.  My last letter probably got to you a few days ago and this one coming so close behind will make you think I write often. It has really been 7 days since I wrote last and I am a little ashamed of myself.  I have the time but lack the will power and the gab.

Whenever I get time to sit down I usually go to sleep or go to the movies and relax.  It is either work or play all the time and letter writing fits in neither as work or play.  So as I lay in my sack writing uphill I wonder whether letter writing doesn't get to be work once in awhile.  However I don't find it to be work but just something requiring a little effort.

We went to Dallas yesterday noon and came back this noon.  It was mainly a pleasure jaunt and we stayed in a hotel.  We didn't want to go to Sam's house because his mother would have made us come home early to bed and as I said we were down to look the nightlife over.  We stayed at the Baker Hotel which is a wonderful place, in fact it is the best hotel in town.  We had dates with a couple of girls Sam went to high school with and had a swell time.  We went to a dance and then to a Bar-B-Que.  Of course we had my pilot's car and all the gas we could use.  This we got at Sam's cousin's farm down in Gainsville.  We had a heck of a lot of fun but I feel the trip was hardly worthwhile because we were so tired today.  We were supposed to fly but the weather was bad and no ships got off the ground.

We have been through processing and according to all records are ready to ship, from the administration standpoint but we all lack about 50 hrs flying time.  We have only a small percentage of missions complete and they are giving us extra missions for another phase so we will be here for another month or more.  I can almost promise another month and maybe 2 more.  I am very satisfied to stay here for awhile longer especially if we can get more free time.

Maybe I have written about the new missions in the training.  One is a 1000 mile cross country which I have mentioned but another is a 1000 mile trip to Havana Cuba and back.  Its purpose is to simulate combat conditions like those we will get overseas.  In any event it will be a lot of fun.

Thanks for the nuts.  They were very much appreciated by all.  I had no idea how much other people enjoy such things.  I guess I am not the only one.  Also thank you for the paper and the clippings.  I had no idea that such big steps had already been take to make Boston the civilian air base of the future.  Also thank Mary for the B.U. news.  I had quite a lot of fun reading it and went through it almost as closely as I do the Stoneham paper.  The only people I really know was Prof. Scammell and a few such notables and one of the best Business Mjrs, Minna Garden.  She is in those photos of me and the gang at Prof Thompson's house.  I know Norm Whiton and wonder after such a write up and all why he is still a private.  Maybe he didn't get the breaks some of us have had.  However I still say opportunity knocks and is heard only by the men who are not deaf.  However promotions come rather hard in some branches of the army, at least a lot harder than they do in the Air Corp.

Well maybe I have found something to write about after all.  I guess you just have to stop and think for awhile.  Gets difficult at times.

With love

Austin.

May 3, 1945

May 3, 1945

Dear Mother:

I don't know when was the last time I wrote.  It must have been last week some time when I sent the money orders.

I haven't heard about the money orders yet so I have no idea if they got home all right or not.  I have been waiting for a letter for the last 3 or 4 days and I am a little worried about them.  I know they can't get lost or anything but I was just wondering what has happened to them.  Please write and tell me what you intend to do with the money or what you have done.  If you are waiting for a suggestion, you can just put it in the bank until I find something better.

We made a 1000 mile cross country yesterday and came out relatively well even though we didn't get credit for the mission.  We didn't have the navigator shoot enough sun lines to get credit for the mission.  We flew to Marfa Texas, which is about 100 miles from El Paso.  We ran into a couple of storms but our course happened to lead between them, so we had no trouble.  One of the fellows thought he could fly through a hail storm and ended up with a wrecked ship.  It was torn up so bad by the hail that he had to make an emergency landing at a small advance school down there in Texas.  They said that the hail did so much damage that the ship may not be repairable.  Well some fellows are a little bit foolish when it comes to flying and it might have happened to me if I had come near the storm.  Some things always look so harmless but turn out to be the most dangerous after you have been through them.

Another fellow had to feather an engine because he says it was running rough.  Undoubtedly it was not running properly but anyone who would feather an engine when all his instruments read properly and then land at a place called Pyote, Texas should have his head examined.  That field is a hole in the ground and a hundred miles from anyplace.  Even so he had no reason to land when he had 3 good engines.  This old plane will run on 2 engines to say nothing of 3.  This airplane commander is noted for the foolish questions and dumb stunts he pulls.  He is also somewhat of a blowhard and generally full of wind so that stunt is about like what he usually pulls.

I wish you had told me William needed shorts and shirts before because I had some brand new white ones he could have had but I have worn them now.  I can get shirts that are white ribbed and the shorts are another story.  I can get khaki colored ones some silk ones that look better but I have never worn them so I know nothing about their wearing qualities.  They have elastic tops and might be just what he wants.  Just tell me what he wants and I think I can get them or send some of mine, even they don't have holes yet.

Grandpa wrote to me the other day.  I sent him a letter on his birthday and I guess he wrote right back.  I guess he was rather glad to hear from his wandering grandson.  I told him about all these beautiful Texas girls and he seemed all for the idea.  He said to land a nice pretty one and bring her up to Maine and see him.  He seems to be all for another marriage in the family and doesn't seem to have to much cooperation from the Rounds family.  Anyway we are all still looking even though some members don't seem to be looking too hard.  Well things are not too good lately for such things.

I have been writing from the club here because I am holding down a good seat for a show they are going to have here.  It is a stag party but as usual everyone had brought their girls so it won't be very enough.  It is just a novelty show more or less anyway.

Well the way things look now N.E. won't be our P.O.E. so tell Pop to stop worrying.  Europe seems to be a closed issue now.  It might be a training ground but nothing less or more.

Well I have some other business to attend to so I will have to close for now.

With love

Austin.

April 20, 1945

Ardmore AAF

April 20, 1945

Dear Mother:

There seems to have been a long silence from this end of the line but as usual I have been busy or too tired to write.  Think today is the 20th but am not sure so don't figure the mail is coming too fast until you check further.

I guess I left Pop's letter rather abruptly the other day when we took off for Dallas.  Sam and I went down with my gunner in his car.  It took about 3 1/2 hours to go the 110 miles.  We stopped in Denton to see the town again but took off again in not time at all.  As usual we had all kinds of adventures and fun on the way.

Sam and I were sitting in the back seat and halfway to town when the door on the car blew open.  I had been in the car when it happened before but Sam almost went out through the roof.  Owen, my gunner, slowed the car down and I went to shut the door and it fell out of my hand on the street.  It went skidding and thumping along on the hinges and knob.  Well we stopped and looked at the damage and found the hinges were broken so we had to hold the door on until we got to town.  We couldn't find any hinges so we wired it on and it stayed perfectly.  It never was shook or anything all the way down.

They let us off at Sam's house and his folks were awful glad to see us.  His grandma was there and his aunt and uncle from Fort Worth came over.  We had a lot of fun talking to them and they had a lot of fun with me talking to me in German and just kidding me along about my accent.  They are all swell down there and I had more fun talking to people like them than I have had in some time.

We went to see some of Sam's old girl friends and I went along of course.  We took his dad's car and filled it up with gas.  The gas stamps were something we picked up somewhere.  We went to see a girl named Nancy Hunter and she had a visitor named Margaret Rombeau so we all went to a movie.  We had a lot of fun with Margaret because she cried all during the picture.  The picture was Since You Went Away and I didn't think it was so weepy.  This was Sunday night.

Guy Madison in Since You Went Away

Monday we went to Love Field and got our Commercial Licenses.  They were not very much trouble.  We had to take a written exam on regulations but that was about all.

Monday night we took the same two girls out to the Fair Grounds where they have a carnival going on at all times.  We rode on all the things that go round and round and had a lot of fun.  We couldn't spend much time there because Mrs. S. said we had to be in at 11:00 to go to bed.  We got in on time all right so had no fights in the family.

Tuesday we took off in the car for home at 0200.  He was so tired I had to drive most of the way.  We got back in town in little over 2 1/2 hours.  We made no stops and had no traffic so we could come right along.  His car would really go and the roads are so straight it is safe to drive that fast even though a cop might have pinched us.  Anyway we only averaged 45 miles an hour.  We got back good and early which was what we wanted.

I think I had more fun in those 2 days than I have had in a long time.  I don't know when I had take 2 days off and gone and done what I pleased and met nice people.  If you could only come to Texas you would see what I meant by nice people.  They are the very best in the country.  I am now half Texan.

I will have to put an end to this and go get those money orders.

With love

Austin .

April 14, 1945

Saturday night 2200

April 14, 1945

Dear A.P.

I got your letter the other day and deciphered it and was glad to hear from you.  I am getting so I can read your writing so you can send any kind of a letter you wish.

I am at present working in a big deal to get my C.A.A. commercial license.  All it requires is a little study on my part because I have the flying requirements.  I believe I will have the license  in a few days and will be all set for civilian flying.  The license is worth about 2000 dollars in civilian time but to me it came for nothing but a little effort on my part.  The Army really is giving us the breaks.

I have been to Dallas in the last few days as Mary can tell you.  We had a swell time, Sam and I, and I shan't forget it soon.  I get two days off starting tomorrow and we are going down again and get our final papers on the license.  Mary can tell you about Dallas because I wrote to her today and I guess I didn't actually say much about the city but more about the girls down there.  I have fixed my schedule so as to get 48 hrs off and it is going to be the first time off in about a month.  I guess I am about due a vacation.

I had to get some sleep so this is Sunday now.  We have to parade this morning in memory of our late president. It is raining to beat heck right now but we will be out just the same.  We were supposed to get today off but due to circumstances beyond our control we have to stick around.  It kind of makes us mad because i had a chance to get off until Tuesday at 1200.  We would have been able to get a good weekend off.

I have doubts if we get a leave after our training here is over.  We are now a couple of weeks behind schedule because of bad weather so we will get held over.  That may mean no leaves for anyone.  However the program is getting stalled all along the way and few crews are going overseas but are being held at DOEs and given leaves.  Our POE may be N.H. and if so I still have a chance to get home.

According to the latest poop no one goes to Lincoln after training is over.  We go to another base in Nebr. which is taking the place of Lincoln.  In that case I will get a chance to see more of the state which is OK with me.

Everything here is very agreeable except the doing of the 2nd A.F.  I am getting fat and lazy.  I must have gained back all the wt. I lost up in Lincoln and some besides.  I weigh close to 190 now and getting fat.  Flying and eating is a good weight building combination.

So you are still using the radio.  We could send to you on our V.H.F. set if we could ever get over Stoneham or nearby.  We can send about 100 miles plane to plane but plane to ground operation is not so good.

I am off to Dallas right now.

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.

Birthday - 45

Birthday - 45

Dear Mother:

I got letters from about everyone today and I really should answer them but how can I and keep up in my social life?  It is just one big whirl.  

Well Mother, you can no longer make me do dishes or go to bed or do anything but disinherit me and kick me out.  Today I am a man???  I am no longer your little boy but 21 years old, old enough to vote and pick the next president.  My it's a wonderful feeling but I feel like I did yesterday.  I know my rights now and you had better look out.

You know I don't think I will disconnect myself from the family quite yet.  I still like most of the people in Stoneham and it seems that my favorite relations live in Stoneham.  The Army still has quite an influence on me so I can't see that I have gained a heck of a lot in the last 24 hours.

The Seeleys and the Schmales were both wonderful.  They tried to give me a good time and were very successful.  It's no so much what they do as just the gesture.  It makes one feel good to know that someone cares. I doubt if we could have run into two any finer families if we had set out to find them.  How lucky I am.

Well Sam and I are giving the girls a break.  We are having a little trouble breaking their hearts but I hope they get over it and don't take their lives because we spurned their love.  After all they should feel lucky to even get a date with such an eligible pair.  We sure are a gift to the women.  We meet all comers on their home ground.

Well maybe it isn't that bad but we have never been refused since we have been here.  Once we took a girl away from a lab period and again away from a study period for an exam.  They are always too glad to come and help us spend our money.  The trouble is they don't seem to be gold diggers but rather spend thrifts.  

I shouldn't write to you about such things because you might get the idea that I will fall in love or something but that won't happen.  I am immune to women and have a fond intention of being a bachelor.  Maybe after I have made a million I will give some nice pretty home-loving girl a break but not till I find one such.

I hope you haven't forgotten the newspaper for the Seeley's.  Now about those pictures.  I sure would like some kind of proof that I had the pictures taken.  Never mind the small pictures if they are going to be a bunch of highway robbers.  What they are asking is much too much.  maybe Mr. Braynard can tell you what we should know but don't get the small pictures if they are going to ask all of what you quoted to me.

I guess I will have to leave off here and continue some other day.

With love

Austin.

February 9, 1945

Dear A.P.:

Today is the one I have waited for for just as long as I can remember.  Today I am 21 years old and am no longer my father's responsibility.  Now all the little lessons of my childhood will be put to a test and we will see if my family did the job and gave me the right start.

I am sure I could not have picked two better parents.  If I had had a chance to pick who would give me my home I might have picked millionaires but I doubt if I could have been as happy or have learned any more practical ways of living than I have from you and Mother.  No my home could not have been much happier.

Years ago I had the idea that by 21 everything would be running smoothly and my life would be settled for me.  I had dreams of having a home of my own and making enough money to be happy.  However I have lost the last couple of years to that dream and instead I have gained a very technical education that makes life's problems no easier.  Socially I am no farther advanced than a year ago or two years ago but economically and mentally I am far advanced for my time, not that I am a great brain or anything but that I have qualified at 21 for a job held down several years ago by men far my senior.  Actually my 21 years still classifies me as only a kid in this game.

I suppose by law now I am my own boss and the parental strings are about cut.  I am no longer responsible to you but to myself.  I suppose I can take the family name to glory or to ruin.  I have only my pride and pride of my name to guide me.  Yesterday I was a kid but today I am a man but feel like a kid.

Well I am meeting my share of the girls out this way some I like and others I have little or no interest in.  Most of the college girls are loads of fun and very attractive and come from good families.  The other girls on the other hand do not generally come from the better families.

You probably know that when you are looking for fun you take along most anyone who will fit in.  I met an elevator operator who looked rather nice.  We had a date then just what you can expect happened.  She fell for the shiny buttons and the wings.  She also came from a very poor family and has no high school education.  Now when you get all the facts you can practically tell what will happen but when you ask a girl for a date you can hardly ask for her references.

Another one is the daughter of the Attorney-General.  Of course she is attending college and a heck of a lot more sensible.  We met her quite by accident.  She picked us up.  We were waiting on a street corner one cold afternoon for a street car when this big car stopped at a stop light.  She rolled down a window and asked us if we wanted a ride.  We piled into the back seat and saw an Alpha Phi sticker.  We know a couple of Alpha Phi girls so we asked them about it and found out we had a couple more of the family.  So you see once you hit it off good and the next time you get caught for being friendly.

Well this birthday has been the best since I have been away.  The Schmale family gave me a celebration last night and the Suley's today.  People out this way are really wonderful.  Also all the people at home seemed to remember me.  I wish I could thank them all and I hope I get the time but maybe I won't be able to find the time.  I am really glad to have so many friends especially when some special occasion comes up.  Maybe all those little jobs around the church pay off after a while.  I never would take one for that reason but the friendships are really wonderful.

Well I hope my next year will be as happy and as successful as this one.  It has had a few minor disappointments but I have received all of the major things.  I have the wings and commission and a flying job, what else could I want.  Yes I am very happy and well pleased with what I have accomplished even though at present it look like not much at all.

With love
Austin

September 9, 1944

Gila Bend

Sept. 9, 1944

Dear Bill:

Enclosed you will find some cartoons.  I hope you get a kick out of them.  They came out of a paper put out each week at Luke.  I hope you get as much fun out of them as I did doctoring them up.

Today I sprayed 400 rounds of 30 cal ammo around the sky and only got 20 hits on the sleeve.  That darn target is sure hard to hit when you are trying.  I don't feel bad about it because there were a lot of scores worse than mine but a lot were better.  As it was I hit nothing the first mission but got 20 the next mission which shows a 100% better scoring record.  You would think that you couldn't miss the darn thing seeing I almost chewed the tail off it a couple times.  I hope to do better tomorrow.  The instructor is going to ride with me so I guess I had better.

One of my friends just finished dictating a letter to me to one of his old flames in Calif.  We asked her for a picture and everything and from what he says we can expect an answer by airmail.  She must be some doll.  I can't understand it because she knows that he is married.  I guess some guys have the old appeal.  By the way how are you and "Dot" getting along.  As for me I still am looking over the field. I hope Mother doesn't worry too much about me and the ladies.  I am not a lady killer yet.

How are you and the hush-hush coming.  We have heard nothing about it lately so you can see I have nothing to write about in that line.

We have some fellows taking the gunnery course here who graduated back in 1942 and have been flying planes around the country ever since.  They are not J.B.'s well we are but have about 2000 hours apiece.  They have flown every type plane in combat and otherwise.  you should see the formation they fly.  It is really close and looks swell.  They are better than a lot of instructors we have here.  As for their shooting they have not done any actual live shooting yet.

I will have to close to go to hit the sack.

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

September 25, 1943

Beloit College

Beloit Wis.

Sept. 25, 1943

Dear Mother,

I just got your letter and the box.  What a wonderful surprise.  The first thing I see in the box is the layer of cookies.  As yet I haven't got below that.  Your letters are also very interesting because they give the latest developments.

Today I finished all the flying that is given to the C.T.D.s.  I am glad it is over because it is a strain on the nerves and physically tiring.  I have lost about 7 lbs while flying and many hours of sleep that I could easily do with.  But yet I am not in such poor condition.  I still weigh a lot more than when I entered the army.

Flying was a lot of fun but don't give anyone the idea that is just like play.  It is really hard work. After one flight of 45 minutes I always feel like a good nap and the day that I had two flights was a bad day.  On the 2nd flight I just wasn't "on the ball".  My reactions were too slow and the plane got ahead of me.  I tried to do stalls and spins but just couldn't make the plane work for me.  I did the right thing at the wrong time.

Yesterday I was really the "hot pilot".  I did forced landings and made several perfect ones.  The landings at the airport were very good in fact they were the best the instructor had seen in some time, not a bounce or a bound.  It would have broken an egg if they had been all over the plane.

Today I had one flight and a check flight which finished one up.  As usual I got tense in the test and didn't do too good.  I do know however that I passed and have been recommended to go on in my air training if I pass classification.

I haven't said much but we are going to leave Beloit Oct 2 or 3.  Just a week or so from now.  We are going to Santa Ana and will be there from 3 weeks to 8, no one knows.  You had better send a list of my 2nd, 3rd, and 4th cousins along so I can get in touch with them out there.  You had better send me some information on how I shall address them.  It will be funny if I write "Dear 3rd cousin" when she may be "Dear 5th cousin".

I just dug down in the box some more.  The first thing I see is the jelly from our own vines.  What a treat.  "Jerry" Pozen my roommate still thinks I am a "hick".

It's too bad you wrote about the girls especially on the night of our Graduation Dance.  I have been all dated up and we are going to get "hip" tonight.  Oh well!  I guess I can have some fun tonight and it won't effect me too much.  The girls name is Barbara Burling.  I will write all about her tomorrow.

 (Note: The space I give to flying and "the girl".)

I think it is about time I send along the pictures I took while here.  There are not too many but you can get an idea what I look like from them.  There are also pictures of my roommate as well as the last boy from Mass. with me.  His name is Anthony Toschs and is from some town just outside of Boston.

Please wish many happy returns to Mary for me even though it is rather late.  I wanted to send her a present but didn't know what to send.  Anyway I was thinking of her on the 23rd.  I hope she enjoys her job as much as I enjoy mine.

Those hats (caps) you see are not G.I. but you buy if you post commander allows you to.  If I get around to it I will answer all the rest of your questions later.

Love

Austin the hot Pilot

(I guess we know where all that art talent in the family comes from.)