July 4, 1945

San Marcos

July June 4, 1945

Dear Mother:

All leaves have been canceled.  We got the good news yesterday and everyone is a little unhappy.  They are expecting some shipping orders for some of the boys and so no leaves are being given out and all those on leave are coming back.

Well I guess that kind of fixes up my little visit home.  I was kind of looking forward to it and had made some plans but everything is shot now.  I just wish this army would make up its mind and decide to do something.  If orders do come through I hope I am on them and that it is to B17s and not B29s.  Then I will be happy for not getting a leave.

Well the same old routine seems to go around here.  Up at 0800 class at 0900 until 1200 then from 1200 to 1600 and then swimming or what ever you want, the day is yours.  Yesterday we went swimming with my new swim fins.  You put the things on your feet and they cut down the motion of your feet but they give you twice the speed.  In fact your hands and arms get in the way until you get used to them.  You can swim under water a lot faster and some what farther without using your hands.  They are a lot of fun if you can forget you have spent $9.00 for them.  I believe I will use them long enough and have enough fun with them to make it worth while.

Well today is the 4th of July a holiday but here I am in class writing this letter.  Classes should have started 10 minutes ago.  (They are starting now)  Be back later.

We just went out to a class in Loran which is connected with Radar and very secret.  It was the most interesting class I have ever been to here at San Marcos.  They use Loran to shoot a line of position which will give you a radio fix anywhere in the world accurate to 1/2 mile or less.  It is accurate to 500' but because you fly down your line of position while making readings on the 2nd station you loose part of the accuracy you can get two simultaneous readings so the faster you can read the stations the better the fix.  It is really one of the most interesting things I have seen on this field.

San Marcos Field

I was a little surprised to hear that you were in the process of losing a daughter.  I had no idea that any like that was in the wind.  However I am happy to see her get away for awhile and glad to see she has the gumption to go ahead and do something on her own.  I think your younger daughter has more gumption than the other two.  I guess you will miss her and I don't blame you but I hope you can get along.  It is too bad Pop doesn't stay at home more and provide a little company.  I guess William and Esther will be around so you won't be all together without gab.

So Mary is going to go live with a houseful of women.  Boy!  Would I like to go see her.  That would turn out to be quite a date bureau, just the place for me.  I suppose the idea of the thing is kind of to keep in contact with your music and make money during the summer vacation.  It sure is a good way to keep up with your music and work at the same time.  Maybe Mary won't be able to make much money and stay at the house but what fun she can have being away from home.  She will enjoy it as much as I have I am sure.  Now if you can only get a couple more of the family interested enough to live away from home awhile you would be doing a good job.  Well two of your youngsters "have flown the coop". 

Well I am going to Austin tonight and have a date with the girl I met selling War Bonds.  Her name is Addie Mae Schwake, a Krout from way back.  She is a lot of fun but don't worry, it's not love, just fun.  Anyway it's a good way to spend the money I was going to use on airline fare.  Dancing and taxi fares and hamburgers don't cost much so don't worry about the money.

I have written enough.  I am sorry I got your hopes all up and maybe made plans but things stand as they are and who am I to change them.

With love 

Austin

December 4, 1944

Roswell Field

Dec. 4, 1944

Dear Mother:

I am going to make a stab at writing a letter but I have very little to write.  Nothing much has happened of late due to the bad weather which is keeping us pretty close to "home".  I didn't get to fly last night as I should have and so still have my 3 hours to get in.  We were just released from the flight line because of the weather and so have nothing to do.

I have been reading a few books lately partly due to a clipping Mary sent last month.  I have read "Damned to Glory" by Col. Scott.  It is a very good book but not as easy to read or as good reading as his other book "God is My Co-Pilot."

It is a series of short stories about the P40 as it has been used in the war.  The book seems to lack the personal touch he gave to his first one.  However it is very interesting reading and I will send it home soon.  I have also read "The Best of American Humor" compiled by Joseph Lewis French.  Some of the stories are really funny, others are humorous and others are a little too old and too hard reading for me.  Some of the authors are Cobb, Herford, Mark Twain, Eugene Field, Leacock, "Bob" Benchly, etc.  I got quite a kick out of the more recent authors but the humor of some of the others seemed slightly passe.  Anyway I have only read what looked good and passed the rest by.

I hope you are not too hasty sending any Christmas packages because I have hopes of getting home.  However if I don't get home and they come late I will probably wish you had sent them.  Our training here is really over and we are just waiting orders to report for the next phase of training.  Usually you get 15 days leave when leaving here which would mean a trip home.  We may get the 15 days tomorrow or next week or just stay here till next month some time before shipping.  In any event we are pretty sure of the leave some time.  We all hope it will be during Christmas but the Army doesn't care too much about our hopes.  However I would rather have Christmas at home and have it late or early rather than have it here and then go home.  Maybe I am wrong about it all.

We have quite a lot of training yet to go.  If we get sent to Lincoln Neb. which is the usual place we have 3 more phases to go through in training the crew.  You see we know very little about a crew and the crew knows nothing about its B17.  Most of them have just come out of Army Tech schools and have not yet had a chance to practice what they have learned.  Not only must we break in a crew but must teach a co-pilot the B17 inside and out.  If I am the first pilot as I have trained to be I will have to teach the co-pilot all that I know about the B17.  He may be some dumb single engine man or a B26 pilot who is disappointed with his assignment.  All this takes from 9 to 12 weeks which is not too long a time.  Well we will worry about that when we get there.

It looks like that pooch is getting to be 28 lbs of dynamite and a bit hard to handle.  Even though you write as if you were disgusted at times with her I guess you have more fun than anyone.  I think you get more of a kick out of her than anyone.  Who can tell, maybe someday you will get to tolerate her unusual antics.

Well my little note has turned into 3 pages so I guess I shall have to save something for tomorrow.

With love

Austin