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 .

March 29, 1945

Mar. 29, 1945

Dear Mother:

I suppose you have now been to N.Y. and back by now so have a lot on your mind.  I hope you had a pleasant trip and I am sure you have.  I wish I could have gone because I know I would have had a lot of fun.

You wrote about Mary having a tooth pulled and I felt rather sorry for her.  Well yesterday I had one yanked which was pulled purely on my own say so.  Since I am 21 they can't pull my teeth unless I give them the go ahead. I guess I am glad it is done but 24 hours ago I was wondering about the wisdom of my momentous decision.

The tooth was in bad shape and was giving me quite a lot of trouble.  It was quite painful at altitude and I had reason to believe that the filling was bad and not the tooth.  Usually they have a paste that is very irritating which causes pain at altitude, and some times it is just a pin point of air under the filling.  The "doc" made an X-ray and said that the tooth looked bad but not until I told him I had frequent tooth aches did he recommend that it be removed.  He didn't say it would have to be removed, and said that a non-flying member of the army could get along for some time in its condition.  However he said that flying aggravated the situation and that it would get worse until in a matter of months or a year it would have to go.  I don't know where I will be in a few mos or years so I told him to go ahead.

Well he got out the hammer and tongs and the big needle and put the whole right side of my face to sleep.  Of course when he went to work he didn't spare the horses and got it out but I almost went out too.  He said I was a good patient because I didn't scream and scare all of the others I guess.  It had the biggest roots on it I have ever seen and it must have left my head hollow.  When he got it out and looked down into the hole he said that it was abscessed and was a good thing to have gone.

At least I won't wake up nights and wish it were gone, it won't prevent me from getting sleep I should have.  It was a kind of bloody thing and I thought I never would stop bleeding but last night it had pretty nearly stopped.  I didn't sleep too well and I finally took two little pills this morning and got about 3 hours of sleep when no one was looking.  The weather socked in around here so I haven't missed anything.  I have no idea what they put in those little white pills but they almost put me to sleep on the spot.  I don't know what plans are being made for a replacement so I will have to go see the dentist pretty soon and see what's up.  I hope that now I have one gone my other teeth will get a little more space and maybe be easier to take care of.

Last night was the first night I ever dreamed of starving to death which goes to show you how hungry I was.  It seems that no matter what happens I am hungry.  I guess I could eat even if I were too sick to see the food.  Maybe I just inherited a few things form my pop.  Actually the food around here is none too good although we pay $1.50 for it.  It is not too well prepared but I guess plenty of it.  The meals are well balanced so you get your calories but sometimes they are unidentifiable.  They have pretty girls serving so maybe that is why I eat so much.  I don't think I have gained any weight and if not my clothes are just getting small however not much smaller.

My pilot bought a car yesterday and I financed him to the extent of $160, which may be a foolish thing.  However I expect him to be around for some time and he says I will be paid on Monday.  Payday comes up pretty soon so I shan't be short of money be a long shot.  At the rate I have been saving money in Lincoln and here I guess I could finance year at B.U. in a couple of months.  You can expect some money to come along very soon.  I don't know yet what I shall put it into but War Bonds and the bank seem to be two rather investments in these times.  Maybe you can find something better.  I think all this money is spoiling me for good because it will be hard working for a living.  (you will have to wait while I go eat).

If you waited while I ate you would have waited a long time.  I went to the show last night and to a show at the club.  I went to see "God is My Co-pilot" and I might say that it is a good show.  Of course they have too many technical errors in it for anyone in the Air Corp to swallow whole but as a picture it follows pretty closely to the book.  All of the shots taken in the air are taken over Arizona about 10 miles from Luke so all of the ground and mts. look very familiar.  In fact I could identify a lot of the places where I had looped and dived and rat-raced just like they did in the movies.  I have flown off the runways they pictured so the picture was not so exciting to me.  It is a picture you should see if you want to see the old AT-6 in action because that is all they use for Jap.  I enjoyed the picture and I guess you would too.

Clip from God is My Co-Pilot

I have got to go fly in 1/2 an hour.  We may not fly because the weather looks bad but we may get up. It makes little difference to me.

 I will have to close now and go mail this so until I have some more time

With  love

Austin

December 28, 1944

Roswell Field

Dec 28, 1944

Dear Mother:

I haven't written you in a couple of days so you must feel a little slighted.  Not much happens so I just can't write about nothing at all.

It snowed here last night and it really looked grand.  Things always quiet down so when it snows and everything looks so clean.  It was only about 1 inch of snow but it was 1 inch more than a lot of the fellows had ever seen.  Of course there was a snowball fight first thing this morning and quite a number more until the snow was all gone.  Everyone had a lot of fun out of it and I wish it had stayed for a couple of days.  Maybe the next one will stay longer.

Actually it is not cold enough here for heavy clothes.  However it seems awful cold so I don't know what I shall do if I get home soon.  It must really be cold where you are and I hope to be soon.  I can't remember if I have any heavy clothes to wear.  Probably William has them all and I will freeze.

We are going to meetings at 10:00 and 1500 each day just to see that we are still on the post.  It is the same old deal that we had while at Luke Field.  We have nothing to do so they have a little get together twice a day to see that we don't have too much fun in town.  It gets to be a pain in the neck after awhile.

We go to the movies every other night because we have nothing better to do.  The pictures are usually very good and recent Hollywood releases.  It seems that the Army Posts get to see the films first, maybe to see how well the public likes the pictures and maybe because they figure that seeing what a great sacrifice we are making we should see them first.  Then after we come back from overseas we can go to the neighborhood theaters and catch up where we left off.  Most of your pictures are rather stale when I see them listed in the paper.

A good friend of mine got married on Christmas Eve.  I believe he is a Protestant and his wife a Catholic so we have our fingers crossed.  She is a School Teacher whom he met here in town about 3 months ago.  He claims he loves her and she is rather quiet about the whole thing.  She is about 4 years older and at one time engaged to a fellow lost over Germany in a B17.  The boy's folks are separated and he was one of those fellows who lived half a year with his mother and half a year with his father.  We all wished him all the luck in the world and I imagine he really will need it.

Well enough for the scandals.  I am about to do some washing and then go to bed.  Maybe I will be home soon, sooner than you think.

I hope!!!!!!????

With love

Austin

October 8, 1944

Roswell Field

Oct 8, 1944

Dear Mother:

Worry no more about the box; it arrived today.  I was somewhat surprised but pleasantly so.  I did not know I had such beautiful sisters.  In fact my roommate and my buddy next door were very much interested.  I doubt if I will send them home; I shall find some way to get them in a folder and put up so I can see them.  I still doubt if they are my sisters; they look too much like someone else's children.

I got the ring out and then didn't know which hand to put it on.  You know I can put it on the left hand and turn it over and then fool all the girls.  It sure could be a safety measure to make sure I get home single.  Maybe I am just an egoist; nobody but my mother would have me.  Anyway it is a swell ring so thank William, Esther and Mary for me. Maybe I should write each a separate letter.

Now your handy work looks really good.  I have not put them on yet but will just as soon as I get cleaned up enough so that I won't get them soiled.  I am really getting to be a clothes horse.  I only wish I had more so I could wear my good clothes all the time.  I would have an awful cleaning bill but I guess I can afford it.  You may get a couple of more some day with all the instructions.

The powder came through but not quite intact.  It was a good thing that it was well wrapped because some of it spilled out and really would have messed things up if it had a chance.  I guess you have had experience packing such things before.  You see once I packed a can of powder in the middle of a  BKs bag and found out just how thoroughly it could get into things.  Well I guess you can't guess how glad I was to get the box.  I was a little anxious for a while but everything came through all right.

Well I don't know what I can write about what I am now doing except that we are getting an awful lot of ground school thrown at us in preparation for flying this week.  Our first class was at 7:00 this morning and the last one ended at 6:30 this evening.  You can see that we are going pretty steady and strong.  We are getting a lot of engineering and engine courses with radio mixed in all over.  We have to learn to use 5 set instead of the one as before.  It is a awful big plane and we have to get about 72 hours on the ground before we can even go up.  They are throwing things at us so fast I wonder if I shall remember any of it.  I only hope my memory is a little better than I think.

I had time to go to a movie tonight.  The movie came between the beginning and end of this letter.  We saw "San Franscisco, I Love You."  {Actually San Diego, I Love You. Check out a clip with Buster Keaton.}  It is one of the funniest pictures I have seen in a long time.  I don't know what the critics would say about it but I do know I enjoyed it more than any picture in a long time.  I think everyone would enjoy it if you all had a chance to go.

I do get time for a movie now and then and I hope you don't mind my going rather than writing the letters you look forward to.  It's not that letter writing is a burden because I like to let you know what is going on but that I like to relax and forget what I am doing once in a while.  Maybe you should be able to live thing thing 24 hours a day but I just can't live it 7 days a week without a break.  I must say that the life I lead is a very easy one and one I like.

Well the "sack" looks very good to me so I will "sign off" for the evening.  "Station Austin going off the air for the evening"

With love

Austin