April 17, 1947

Thursday

Dear Doc,

I have been wanting to write you for quite some time but honestly I have been busy, really busy.  Mores. Ladies, my patients has been desperately ill.  Gosh, I thought she was a goner.  She is much better and now I can breathe easily again.  Enough about her, heavens I see her all day.  I hate special duty, never would I go on it unless to nurse a charming young man with vitality.

Jo is not at home, she is staying with Elinor in Valparaiso.  The Stevens' family has a wonderful addition.  A boy, who Jo writes is a darling.  I'm anxious to see him.  Guess I'll go down for the  week-end.

Oh Doc, let me tell you about the Roller Derby, better still I'll send the rules so you may get some idea of the game.  It's wonderful fun.  You'd love it.  Really is more exciting than the wrestling matches we attended in S.A.  It gets pretty rough when the women start slugging each other and pulling hair.  Oh boy, just my meat!  The skaters travel at a terrific rate of speed.  Oh yes, another good thing about the Derby - Beer  - plenty of good cold beer is served ---- Have you little wonder?

I surmised your letter was written with a new Reynolds "ball point" pen.  I have been trying to resist temptation to buy one but now I'm convinced.  They are too "thick".

Good heavens, Doc, you have no reason for feeling badly about the prom invitations.  I'm sure you shall have no difficulty "rounding" up a date.  Say how about "Honey"? I'd love to come but if it can't be arranged there is nothing to be done.  So I shall say no more. Have a good time and tell me all about it, if you'd like.

Hope it is nothing serious with your mother.

Explain what you mean by "I'm a damn Yankee and the blood runs deep."  I've never heard that expression.  Haven't heard about Damn Yankees since S.A.  Got this piece of so called poetry from a long lost friend who is still stuck there.  I consider it all the untruth.  Guess I'll write one on the virtues. I have plenty to say on S.A., I mean.

I must tell you about Ursula, one of the nurses.  She is a German refugee and oh, what a fine, sincere person.  Monday she and I attended the concert.  Heard the Chicago Symphony.  Was De Fauve's last concert with the orchestra and I think his best.  Saw him once before but thought he was rather dull and flat, not flat musically - but disinteresting.  (I'm having a slight difficulty with disinteresting).  The program was fine and the company superb.  We really had fun. It really is a pleasure being with her.  She know music very well, plays the piano beautifully - having given several concerts in Germany and also while she was in a concentration camp.  I tell you, man, she's fascinating.

I don't know how long I shall continue working at the sanitarium. Probably until the later of May.  Being is I really need a vacation.  Don't know what I want to do but this I know - I'm going someplace I've never been before to do something different.  Feel rather weary - which is a signal for a change.

The beer, scotch party sounds like fun.  I'm dying to go on a good stinko party.  I want to get all out of my system.  Something to compensate for the months of quiet living.  Mother had a charming little party for me when I was home, one martini and I was ready for bed. Incidentally, Doc, I am 21.  It was sweet of you to remember - you see, I read Jo's letter.  Feels no different but I can drink beer with a clear conscience. 

I'm dead - must get to bed - will write more tomorrow - Night!

Friday

Just got off duty and I've made myself very comfortable in bed so I shall continue as I am going to the Derby this evening.  Sunday is the last day so I'm going to get as much of it as I can.

Guess I've been doing a lot of photo promising so I shall submit.  These are some "right queer" ones we took while at the cottage last fall.  Was a good afternoon - very pleasant.  Jo and I were demonstrating some of wrestler Morallis's famous last holds.  That is Michael with us.  He's darling, don't you think?  Guess I was saying "peaches."

No rest for the wicked, Doc, so I will have to leave for now.  Must go down to the village before dinner.  Excuse please!

Returned and I shall try to make a favorable attempt at finishing this so as I can mail it.

It is raining - not violets either.  I got pleasantly soaked but it was good.  I enjoy walking in the rain, I have fond recollections of many fine times in the rain with you - Remember the evening we  walked to Evie's and stopped for fruit - some of Burbank's freak creations.  What was it?  Plum and something else - can't remember!  Was fun - Sometimes I think of some of the crazy things we all did and really wonder - We really did just as we pleased - not really caring what anyone thought.  That is as it should be - I'm a firm believer in doing as one thinks best for oneself.  Something or anything that will make that person happy.  Because you know, what might mean or bring happiness may not necessarily be happiness for someone else.  That is a poor way of saying what I want to say but I guess you can gather what I'm trying to convey.  Don't mean hurting others to please our own desires, because if it is a good, noble intention it will be good for us as well as others.  Heavens, how did I get started?

I've said my bit - 

Received a letter from the doctor.  He has quite a practice in progress.  For the present he has his office in the Medical Arts Bld.  You know where it is, do you not?  Same place Jo had her tonsils removed.  He is well and happy.  I'd like very much to see him.  It's unfortunate there are such few people like doctor in the sorted place we live.

Tell me, have you heard from Bill?

You asked about Ruth, she is still at Holff and Marx. In the Junior Section.  Oh boy, what a junior!  Guess she's alright, haven't heard from her - news via Evie.  She's a good kid, a lot of fun.  She certainly had some rough times.  Ah ha, Bandera - 

I really must close - Be good - Write soon

As ever

Anne

August 28, 1945

Aug 28 1945

Dear Mother:

Saturday I got your letter from Maine post marked the 14th.  It had taken 10 days to find me.  That doesn't say much for postal service.  I don't know if any more letters will come that way or not but I will look for them.

When you wrote about that camping trip I just wished I could have been there.  Boy I would have had more fun getting wet and then dry again.  I would have been just one more male to run you ragged but I would have had a lot of fun.  When you go camping you have to run into a little rain or something or else it takes all the fun out of getting soaked.  But I guess my point of view is not quite like mine on such matters.  I wish you would write some more about the trip because I got quite a kick out of picturing the thing and I am getting a vivid imagination.  Anyway Pop must have enjoyed relaxing for a day or two.

I suppose you are all wondering just when I get out of the army and all.  Well to tell you the truth no one around here knows very much about us and information is rather hard to find.  They have three lists of men to be discharged in the next 6 weeks but they are from groups A and B which the army has set up.  I am in Group H which will be the last bunch to get a choice.  Last Friday we signed a statement as to our preference and I indicated that the earlier the better but that may be many moths away.  We don't fly B29s anymore but get our time in the AT6's which makes me very happy.  We get 4 hours of ground school now on the B29 and cruise control of the B29 but it is just to keep us busy and have no great value to me.  They are continuing training principally for the fellows who have indicated their wish to stay in the post-war Air Corp and there seems to have been quite a few who wish to stay in.  Financially $240 a mos is a lot more than any of us will be making of a good many years.  However the longer you stay in the longer it will take to get started over again.

Mary writes once or twice a week and to me it seems that everything is all peaches and cream.  I guess she has been taken into a society much to her liking.  I am really so glad that she is happy away from home for a while.  Maybe you feel that you have lost a daughter now but never fear because home always looks good.  Even I after 2 yrs look at Stoneham as the place for me and as soon as I am free again I will make tracks for 15 Wilson Rd.  It is too bad William and Esther can't drag themselves away for awhile and see how the rest of the world lives.  Maybe you don't like the idea but remember you were away from home for a year when you went to school.

We have had the most wonderful weather down here for the past few days.  Starting last week it got really cool, enough so that we slept under blankets or sheets.  It rained a couple of times and then we began to get warnings of the tropical storm headed this way.  The storm never got this far but we were in the area of strong winds and it has just been swell.  We have had a cool breeze all day and the nights have been wonderful.  It is too bad you and Mary could not have been here to see what Texas can be like when it tries.  In fact I am a little surprised myself.  I had no idea it could be so nice and cool.  I hope it stays this way for awhile.

Yesterday I looked at a chart that gave distances from one place to the next and noticed that I am aprox 2010 miles from Boston.  That is a lot farther than I had thought.  But when I get travel pay home it will amount to about $160 plus meals etc.  Not a bad price just to see some more country.

This is an early morning letter.  I got up special so I wouldn't have to write last night.

With love

Austin

December 30, 1943

Santa Ana Army Air Base

Dec 30, 1943

Dear Mother:

I have a lot of spare time now so I am writing and spending the time the best way I know.  Of course I could have written last night but I wrote to Cousin Emma in Hollywood.  I think I hsall go there over the New Year weekend.  She is really so nice I really enjoy the visits very much.

In a week or 2 or more you will get a package of stuff I have collected here in California.  There will be old letters, cards, etc. along with books, papers and other junk.  The reason I am sending them you may be able to guess.  We are sure to be shipping out in a short time and although I am not positive I will go I am not worrying as  much as these fellows who got low academic averages and too many giggs.  They have washed out a few fellows already for too many giggs.  My grades in school were not too bad and we don't know just how the averages came out because some classes got more credit than others.  Anyway I got a 95% in Physics, 87% average in Math, 93% average in Aircraft Identification, 93% in chemical warfare, 85% average in gunnery but fell down in Navel and at 78%.  I had one midterm examination that was very poor and it pulled the whole average down.

One thing I do know.  The squadron will be broken up and different sections will be sent to different fields.  We were not good enough to stay together.  I was going to leave a lot of friends anyway because a lot of fellows are being held over for some reason or another.  Only 7 from one section of 46 will leave.  In our section however (No I) we got all good averages and will have only 1 holdover if things all go well.  Our section by the way seta  few records around here.  We got the largest number of superiors in class (43 in a row) that has ever been recorded.  No one failed code, another record.  Got the highest marks in Aircraft Identification of any class (above a 90% average).  We carried the E flag for 4 straight weeks.  Oh well, we did pretty well but I only wish the whole sqn had done better so we could stay together.

There has been a rumor around that we are going to ship out of California to Arizona or Texas or some such place.  The reason is that the last class has not received enough flying time to leave for Basic and therefore we shall be shipped to some clear weather states where we have a chance flying.  This is a poor time of year to be flying out here.  Last week there were only about 1 1/2 fly hours per student and that is not enough.  You have to have at least 20 to get out. Well it really isn't too bad to see such rain if you don't have to fly but if you want to it is disappointing to see all the rain we get.

Maybe the Chamber of Commerce has fooled the whole country but not the natives around here or the soldiers who are training here.  We fall out at 5:45 and find a clear star-lit sky but it is usually raining by 8:00 and not later than 1200.  It isn't a bad rain but a slow drizzle that always seems so cold and penetrating.  Out here however they are warm and do not chill so much.  Some times it really pours and then it really rains.  The water comes up about an inch every where so that it is impossible to keep the feet dry.  We wear the wet shoes to dry them out and because they will dry out no other way.  The only trouble is that socks wear out fast and with no mother around to mend we just have to buy new ones.  It is terrible waste but then we figure our time is worth more than the stockings.

So far I have been very lucky and have lost only a few minor articles of clothing.  I have only lost one O.D. hat with the insignia on it.  I always thought that you would lost more than that but it seems that I am in with a picked outfit and they don't swipe so much as the regular "run of the mill".

I seem to be just rambling along here and not answering any of those questions you are always asking. Cousin Emma asked me if I ever got questions from home and if I ever answered them.  She said that her boy Robert hardly ever answered her questions and I guess I must seem that way to you too.  I gave her the only answer I know and that is that whenever you write you never have the old letters available to get questions from.  Right now I am C.Q. and don't have letters available.  I guess if you have anything you want answered you will have to write it on something special that I can carry around for reference.  By the way, the Independents are coming through very well and I have received the last 3 or 4 issues.  They are really swell; I must write something some day to put in.  You wrote that old Seward got his commission.  Well if I don't become a pilot I will look like him when I get home.

With love

Austin.