November 8, 1943

Oct 8, 1943

(most likely meant Nov)

Dear Mother,

            This is the first real opportunity I have had to write since I got down here to the  Pilot-School.  Sunday nights are no longer free to write as we have G.I. parties each Sunday which are real work.  Also we have home work from each of our classes each night. You see therefore that time is getting scarcer and scarcer and that is how the letters are coming, slower and slower.

            I got the box of cookies today and they look very good to me.  I don’t have to eat them like the last box because down here at the school we really are getting fed again.  When I had K.P. down here I didn’t think they were so well off; but now I know they are taking care of us and that is what I mean.  The food is really good too.  We get the food the civilians don’t get now and it is good compared with what they get at the Classification Center.

            I have got another haircut that is better than the one before.  This one is really short.  I was put in the 3^rd Wing down here and they have the shortest hair cuts off all the cadets.  They sat that 1” is all you need but if I have got 1 measly inch I’ll eat it. I’ve got a half inch and feel bald headed.  My hair sticks up and gives no protection to my head.  I always wanted a wiffel and now I know what one is like.  Now I can’t come home for months because you wouldn’t recognize me.

            I have just found out that a couple of more Stoneham fellows are here.  Crocetti is here as well as is Joe Fraser.  They are both in the C.C. area and under quarantine so I can’t see them and obey the rules.  I feel like going up and see them anyway.  Spencer Bobson is heading this way I hear but as yet hasn’t got here yet.  This is just a rumor.

            We are beginning to get gigs again and for some they are coming thick and fast but for me I have got 3 in 4 days.  If I can hold out till Thursday I won’t walk any tours.  That I will like very much. It means I have a good chance of getting out a week from Saturday.

            I just got up to see the fire in the mts off in the distance.  You may have read about them in the paper.  They are getting pretty bad and we expected to be alerted to fight them but as yet we haven’t.  You can really see the glow in the sky and at times it looks like the whole horizon for some distance is red.

            I am the last one of my group from Mass. to be going ahead.  The only other one who started with me is still unclassified and may be washed out.

            I must close now to do homework

With love,

Austin                         a/c

{ed. note - I can't find any references to a wildfire in November of 1943, but there was a large fire in Hauser Creek, California where 11 members of the military died.  They were not trained to fight fires, but were called upon anyway.}

October 16, 1943

                                                                                                            SAAAB

                                                                                                            Santa Ana Calif

                                                                                                            Oct 16, 1943

Dear Mother,

            I haven’t written for several days but I was very glad to get your letter.  It came in 3 days all the way across the country.  In fact it came a day ahead of mail sent from Beloit when they forward it to us.  Anyway the mail seems to be coming through pretty well.  I am now beginning to realize that I am far away from home.

            Well M days are continuing although all of the tests are taken and the results are coming in.  Some of the fellows have been “eliminated” already and the rest of us are beginning to hear about our tests and some of us are rather worried, in fact everyone will live under a strain for the rest of the M days.  My roommate was washed out by the psychiatist (no dictionary) and the reason seemed to be that his nervous system was not built to stand the strain the cadets will have to go through.  He was very disappointed but still has hopes of passing when he goes before the board today.  The examiner seems to be able to tell just how you will adapt yourself to training as well as tell if you can complete the kind of training you want.  As for me, no news is good news and if I don’t get called with the names on the list today I can feel a lot safer.  There will be 25 names today from 270 men.  I have got my fingers crossed.

            I never told you about the hair cut I got.  It’s a beaut and that’s what I mean.  When you get here you really get a GI hair cut and they took more hair of my head than I have ever had cut before.  I’ll even wager I had more hair when I was born than I had when I hit the door to get out of the barber shop.  I have a wiffel or something.  I can’t get my hair to sit down.  Even when wet it stands on end.  I can’t part it and it seems rather unruly to me.  However I don’t have to comb it any more and I can wash it every night.  My head don’t itch any more and I may not get bald because I don’t scratch my hair out anymore.  I sure would hate to go home now and let you see this mop-less head.

            I better explain that film.  Before we left Beloit our flight got “off the ball”.  We fooled around too much and just because we were leaving some of the fellows got wise with the instructors and everyone in general.  As a result instead of getting a lot of free time the 4 days before we left we got nothing but hard work and a lot of grief.  We got up at 6:00, cleaned our room went to chow and came back to do our details.  At 7:00 we fell out with gas masks for drill. We had drill to 12:00, 2 hours of which with gas masks on.  We then had chow and had our first class at 13:00 and another at 14:00.  From 15:00 to 17:00 we had P.T. and from 17:00 – 20:00 our time was taken up with evening chow and other duties.  We had to study until 22:00 and then could go to bed only if we didn’t have more than 3 giggs for each week.  Other wise we went out for 2 more hours of drill.  Therefore our day ended at 24:00 (if you weren’t on the ball).  It was rather rough and you can see time for picture taking was nill.  Also our open post for the week was taken away.  We were going to get out Friday night to say goodbye to everyone and get out Saturday morning at 9:00 to go to town and do our shopping for the trip.  We got neither.  The biggest slap in the face came when we got just 1 hour to go to town and get back.  It took us at least 20 minutes to sign out, 10 minutes to get to town and back giving us a mere 30 minutes to do all we wanted in town.  That was not enough time to do anything but the bare necessities and you couldn’t hear many kind words around.  You can see therefore that I just couldn’t use the film that was sent because I did not foresee our future at Beloit to be so strenuous.

            Well it is still foggy around here and the aerial activity has been cut down some.  I haven’t been able to see the hills for several days. Usually about noon and after enough sun comes through to allow take offs and landings and we see a lot of B17’s in late afternoon. Often in the morning the fog is so heavy that you might think that it was raining.  It is much like the dewy days we have at home some times.

            Well I don’t know what to write.  I wish that more news would come and I am glad that you are going to have the paper sent. Of course I won’t all ways be in this squadron as long as I am here but will move from the C.C. area (classification center) to pre flight.  They will get the paper to me and I can send my new address when and if I get one.

            Please write more news about what goes on in the neighborhood if you can.  Probably you do write as much as you can think of there probably is much going on.  Well I have to get to fall out soon so I will close.

            With love,

            Austin

June 28, 1943

Jefferson Barracks

Missouri

June 28, 1943

Dear Mary;

I first want to thank you for the letters and of course the yearbook.  It certainly is the best one I have ever seen.  I like very much that last bunch of pictures that were taken by everyone.  I recognized that picture of Jack and Maryanne. I like that picture of "Doc" and "Wild Bill" Miller.  The book was especially interesting to the fellow from Woburn as he knew some of the fellows in your class.

Of course they wanted to see your picture.  They were a very surprised bunch when I showed it to them.  They couldn't see how I could have such a nice looking sister.  You better look out or you maybe getting letters from the bunch.  The only trouble is they all have steady girl friends.  They were really amazed at your picture.  My G.I. haircut must make me look like an ugly duckling. {For a few pictures of Mary, check out the Family Pictures tab at the top of the blog}

I hope you haven't forgotten that box you were going to send along with mother.  Most of the fellows have received boxes from home and I have been eating goodies of from them.  I really must repay them some way.  Most of the boxes have candy but some have things I have never seen.  For instance one had stuffed prunes.  They were stuffed with nuts and some kind of candy.  Once we got some real Italian candy.  It was very sweet, almost like saccarin. Another time we got some cakes with frosting all over them.  All these were really good.  Probably the box is on the way anyway.

Stuffed prunes? 

I went to St. Louis yesterday. It was really great but is nothing like Boston. It is the most incoherent city I have seen yet.  You see a beautiful building like the city hall and almost 1/2 a minute walk from it you find a slum district.  That is the way with everything I saw there, a very beautiful place bordered by a poor section with old down-and-out men in the streets.

We went to the main U.S.O. and had one heck of a time.  They do everything they can to make you feel at home. Free cookies are on tables but you have to buy all your own drinks.  The U.S.O. provides music, entertainment, reading, writing matter, and girls.  The girls are what most of the fellows wanted to see after being in camp for 2 weeks.  Every once in a while an announcement came over the loud speaker saying that 4 boys or 3 boys were wanted for a tour through St. Louis or some boy would be taken to supper by someone, or a party is being given to honor someones birthday. They had pool, billiards and all kinds of games.  There is nothing that you can't do.  I only got mad once.  I had fun shooting at airplanes and had a terrific scare when they played the National Anthem.  Of course I had to stand at attention and watch 8 flights out of 15 go by giving me just a fairly good score.  I had a wonderful time and I will go back when I go to S.L. again.

Thank you Norman Rockwell for expressing it like no one else could.

We left the U.S.O. and went to get supper.  We went into a little place and really got taken in.  I payed 83 cents for a terrible supper.  We had chicken friend in oil (tasted like motor oil) greasy mashed potato, a terrible mixture of vegetables, a good tomato salad and greasy spaghetti. The silver just lid through your hands and the dishes looked bad. I won't go in there again.  It's a wonder I wasn't poisoned.

I am sending to you and Mother some pamthlets that I picked up in the Jefferson Hotel.  You may be interested so when you come to see me you will know where to stay.  The hotel was a really beautiful place and we just wandered around to see what we could see.  We walked into a ballroom that has floor shows down near where the people eat and a stage in back just like the pictures in the movies.  It must have been very expensive. I also got the coldest drink of water I ever had. It made my lips numb.

Sure would love to find room rates like this today

I saw a little of the Mississippi in St. Louis.  Here at J.B. we have to walk 1 1/2 miles to see the river.  Near shore it is really muddy and out near the middle almost blue.  I have never seen anything like it.  Where we are it is about 1/4 mile across but in many places it widens out more than that.  On the other edge it seems to have trees growing in it but that must be because the water is still high and has not left the low land by the river.  No matter where you look you will find something floating in it.  If it is not a tree it may be a branch or a box or can or most anything.  I don't know whether the reason for the stuff in the river was the flood a couple of weeks ago or it is that way always.  It is really a mighty river.  I could only get a 1:00 a.m. pass or I would have taken a trip down the river on the "Admiral", a river pleasure boat.  You may see a picture of it in that group I sent home.      

Not his picture, but a postcard found from about that time period.
The Admiral sailed the river all the way up until it was sold for scrap in 2011.

We have changed our eating place and what a change.  The food is terrible and the silver and trays look half washed, grease on everything.  There are flies everywhere and the table and chairs are a mess.  What a messy mess hall.  I feel that I can now complain about the food.  ( I just heard the "Admiral" whistle about 1/2 a mile away by the crow flies)  We really were fed well in the other place.

We went to camouflage school today.  It is really wonderful how they hide things the way they do.  Guns, trucks, tanks, and everything in general can be concealed from observation from airplanes at a reasonable height.  They also showed us the best way to conceal onesself in battle.  They use everything available that is natural like trees, shrubs, rocks and attempt to break up shadows and shadow effects.  It is one of the most interesting subjects we have studied.

Well I don't know what to do.  I have some washing to do but I am to tired so I guess I will let it go until tomorrow.  I may not have to do it then.  You really don't have time for everything.  However I will try to write again sometime.

With love,

Austin

June 13, 1943

From Pvt. Austin L. Rounds
Squadron C 29th T.G.
Jefferson Barracks, MO

To Mrs. A.P. Rounds

15 Wilson Rd.

Stoneham, Mass.

Jefferson Barracks

Missouri

Sunday 13, 1943

Dear Mother;

I am sorry I didn't write yesterday or the day before but we have been busy.  I don't know just how the new mail is coming through because I have not received any mail yet but I expect some.  None of the fellows have got any mail yet.

This is really a great life.  Although I like it and feel fine I don't believe I will stay any longer in the army than possible. We are fed well but the hours are terrible - 5:15 to any hour of the night.  We have to be all up til 4:00 p.m.  Often they are an hour or so late and we don't get a chance to have a shower before supper.  That makes things very uncomfortable.  These first few days have been tough on some of the fellows because some come from very luxurious homes.  

It sure is hot out here.  I don't know just how hot it is but this is the first place I ever swet (sic).  And do we swet (sic).  The fat and the thin all swet the same.  I have begun to get a heat rash on my legs and under the heavy wool stockings.  The P.D.s ( a kind of legging) are made of canvas and are the hottest darn things you ever saw.  I have got so that I swet through a heavy undershirt enough to soak my shirts. My arms in my sleeves are always soaking wet.  Even with the heat we get no change in schedule.  A few of the boys I have talked with are from Texas and they say that they never were so hot in their life.  It must be the humidity.  It rains so often the ground is usually damp.  We are also on the Mississippi river.

You may get my clothes in a few days.  They are supposed to be sent free of charge at the government expense.  I am so tired and we are having a heated discussion.

Sincerely

Austin

Jefferson Barracks

Missouri

Monday 14, 1943

Dear Mother;

The two of these letters are coming together because we got into a hot discussion last night and I didn't have time to mail the letter before I went to bed.

On a whole I have not written too many letters so maybe I better explain and have you set up a memeograph (sic) and make copies to send around.  If you haven't already done so I wish you would write to Grandma and to Grandpa.  I hardly have time to write a letter.

(As you see my letters are a little incoherent.  This is because I no more than get a line written and we get the orders to fall out on the "double" and that means in a hurry.  Our new sgt is rather tough but a swell fellow.  Even so everyone gets a great kick out of the way he takes care of us.  He really does a wonderful job.

"There have been some changes made".  You ought to see the G.I. haircut I got.  If Pop would send some film and a camera I will take some pictures of the place and you can get an idea how I look in our "Class A's" and "Class B's".  I sure would like to have a portable radio and a lot of other junk, but that seems impossible.

You should get my clothes as I sent them home today.  I have run out of paper so you will have to wait till I get some from the P.X.

Sincerely

Austin

{For more information about Jefferson Barracks, since I can't find any pictures that Grandpa took, check out the Jefferson Barracks home page.  There's a short video about it too... just in case you're interested. Jefferson Barracks, Answering the Call.  If you've ever been there, we'd love to hear what it's like! }