October 2, 1945

Brooks Field

Oct. 2, 1945

Dear Mother:

I have been waiting to hear from you before writing because I didn't know just what the opinion was at home.  Well I got your letter today and so will apply for leave to become affective about the middle of the month.

 I have been wanting to come home for some time but I have been having so much fun that I guess I just needed a little persuasion.  It also looked like a long way and rather expensive.  However I will come on the Air lines and that will make the distance seem shorter but the expense will be a little greater but in time saved I believe it will be worth it.  It will cost 1 1/2 times as much but I can save 5 days and the money will be well spent.  Anyway money ceases to be an object anymore.  

I was a little afraid to send Mary such a birthday present because I had no idea what her taste along that line was.  Also it is awful hard to send perfume to anyone knowing before hand that she doesn't use it a great deal.  I know she would like it but I had a lot of doubts in my mind as to the advisability of such a thing.  In fact I doubted at first if you would approve.  She also has written so I am very happy that it turned out O.K.

It is too bad you can't meet the latest lady fair.  She is such a lot of fun and so full of mischief and fun everyone would like her.  And she enjoys doing everything we do.  She likes to dance but loves to go to record stores and listen to classical records.  We went to the "Opera" last Friday to see Sigmund Romberg's "The New Moon" put on by the S.A. Civic Opera Company.  It was strictly an amateur production with three of the leads taken by  Mt. Opera Stars so it wasn't too hot.  But we all got a big kick out of it.

Gordon MacRae singing "Stout-hearted Men"

Wanting You by Jeannette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy

There are so many things we like to do together that I hardly have time to write.  Really there is only one catch to the whole thing and that is she is Catholic.  I have no wish to get mixed up in any such deal so don't worry.  That is also very strange because she is also so bitter about her religion and makes no bones about it.  It is the first time I have seen anything like it.  Usually they are so indoctrinated that it is almost impossible to talk to them but Anne is just the opposite, even though her parents are such firm followers.  Anyway we have a lot of fun together and you have to have something to do in your spare time and we have a lot of it.  I just feel fortunate to have met such a swell person.

We went out to eat one evening last week and she suggested the "John Quattle" because as she says "it has atmosphere".  Well it really was a nice little place outside of town not too far from her house.  You eat outside in a kind of garden but the best part of it was they have a violinist and a cellist who play requests.  They just wander around and park themselves where they can.

We ordered a couple of steaks done Mexican style which are really delicious, you probably have never eaten much Mexican food.  When we were about done the two gentlemen came over to serenade us and were we thrilled.  I guess we acted a little spell bound and I could just imagine how Mary would have liked that.  They played Jealousy and something else by Fritz Kreisler.  Anyway when we left I knew just what she meant by atmosphere.  So that is the way it goes her in S.A, I really do enjoy it because everyday is different and entertaining.  Do you think you can compete?

Jealousy Tango

I haven't written much about S.A. to you because there really isn't much to it.  It is one of the most crowded but still deadest towns I have ever been in.  They have so few things interesting to do that entertainment is scarce.  The movies change once a week and I have seen all of them, we went up to the Alamo but there isn't much to see, if you are not a native of Texas you can't see an awful lot to do.  Since I am interested in everything I do get more enjoyment than a lot of people.  I have found out that a town is no better than the people in it and the Mexicans around here are not my idea of good neighbors.  They have an average of 3 killings a night and all kinds of hold ups and knifings.  Frankly I am a little afraid of the place and may buy myself a gun to carry.  Perhaps I would get a false security from it and then really get into trouble.  Anyway when you have good company you can have fun in any town.

I am sending a picture taken in town a couple of weeks ago.  As you can see we were very happy, just whistling along.  It is not much of a picture, but that is what we look like in our afternoons off.  One of those sidewalk photographers caught us and gave us a little card and this is what we got.  Even though it isn't much I can always get a larger one out of it later on, maybe 40 years from now.

Taken September 20, 1945

I also have one take of Anne on the street which is really terrible and I shan't send it because I am sure you would get an awful impression.  She is an awful good looking girl but the picture has her scowling and looking rather unhappy which is just the opposite of what she is with me.  She may be different than I think but I doubt it.

I am going to send Mary the program from "The New Moon" so if you want it you may have to show her the picture.  Maybe that is a good way to be sure everyone hears what happens down here.

Well I have just rambled on and on and haven't really gotten anywhere.  I don't really have to get anywhere because we are staying in tonite.  I am getting tired of going out and coming in late every night anyway and I think they need a rest.

Well I will keep you informed of the latest developments but don't make any plans until you get definite word and that may not be  until I come up the back walk.  Maybe that would be a good trick to play.  Just because I am coming home don't forget to write.

With love

Austin

January 30, 1944

Ryan Field

Tucson Ariz.

Jan. 30, 1944

Gee Bill,

I guess I haven't written you in some time so I will tell you a little about life out here.

We are having a whale of a time because we all have the same objective in mind and are beginning to get somewhere.  I am in with a bunch of fellows who like to have a good time and you can bet we really make life worth while.  I have just finished a steam bath and a water fight.  We go in, turn on all the hot water in the shower except for 2 and we stand under them so we won't melt.  With six showers giving off steam you can guess how hot it gets.  When we have had enough steam in our lungs we turn off all the water except a few and then we squirt these at each other.  We have quite a time.  We are sure running the Army's water bill up.

Friday afternoon I soloed as everyone has all ready been told.  It was quite an experience.  I made 3 landings all of which may have been good if you were looking at them from a far off but one was sure lousy.  I was coming in over a plane that was revving up its engine so just before I had it stalled out about 5 ft. off the ground I hit the slip stream and at the same time a cross wind picked up the right wing until I thought I would roll up in a ball.  However I brought the plane in pretty well and except for a few gray hairs I guess I came out all right.

A lot of fellows ground loop around here and they really get the "bird".  You have to know how to fly to go up so unless a cross wind comes all of a sudden there seems no excuse for it.  Of course when you stall these ships in for a good 3 point landing a left wing is very likely to drop if you don't watch out for it.  To correct you kick the opposite rudder to bring it up, no aeolian is used.  When you land then you don't land straight and have to do a lot of rudder work.  But still you shouldn't do it very often.

Video of a wingover in a crosswind

Video of Ground Looping

These little ships are really "hot".  They come in and take off a lot faster than most of the ships we will fly in the future.  I don't mean they fly top speed faster but that the landing and take off speed is a lot faster.  An A.T. is the only ship that lands faster.  If we get so we can land these you can bet we can land a B.T. because they are a lot slower.  You see we have flaps but still.  You come in about 80 m.p.h.  Many fighters don't even land that fast.

Today we had to go on gas truck detail.  We pumped gas for the planes for the fellows who have to fly to get their time in so they can leave this next week.  We pumped gas in the planes, on the planes, and over the planes; I pumped gas on myself and into the knee pocket of my flying suit.  We had a heck of a time.  We pumped about 600 gals in 4 hours.  I guess we pumped more than that because that was for only 3 of the 4 fillings.  We had a swell time.

While we were working we saw something you will never see back home.  We saw a mirage.  It was no beautiful gal or some oasis out in the middle of this desert but a series of mts. where there are none.  We were told that those mts. could be about 70 miles more away.  They did not stay just mts. but became little hills and then plateaus and then peaks again.  They were quite something to see.

Well how is civilian life?  I guess it is getting rather rough on all you poor people who try to keep up the home front.  We get good food and everything.  I suppose the old rationing is getting everyone all balled up.  How does the gas hold out?  I guess you don't get the car very often.

Say!  Give Dot my love.  By the way how is Dot these days?  From what I heard last you two were getting alone O.K.

So.

Until Later

Austin.

January 29, 1944

Ryan Field

Tucson, Ariz.

Jan 29, 1944

Dear Mother:

I guess it is about time for your letter so here it is.  I received about 2 of your letters for every one I write so I guess that the oftener I write the better.  This is Saturday night and the mumps still are supposed to be around so we are again confined to the post.

I guess you all got the day letter I sent yesterday.  I sent it from town.  We had been in to a Y.M.C.A. where we had the run of the place for nothing.  We swam in the pool for a while then went into the game room and played with the pool tables.  You see we were all given special passes good from 18:30 to 21:30. After coming out of the "Y" I figured it would be a good time to send the message.

Yes I soloed yesterday.  You may think that sounds wonderful but in reality it was no different from the first time I drove the car alone.  I had been making pretty good landings most of the day so he let me go alone.  The trouble with my landings up till then were that I was getting tense when he wanted me relaxed.  You see a plane does not glide right and you have to keep several things on your mind at one time which you cannot do and remain glued to the controls the way I was.  So all the way around he harped on the point of relaxing.  Then he said that I would do the next one alone.  Well that was quite a shock and when he got out and that long nose tuck up in front of me I wondered just what I was getting into.  Well as you see I wasn't killed or even damaged in fact made 3 pretty fair landings. Boy was I happy!!!!

Then I came back to the barracks and there I found a note from the mail orderly that I had a package at the post office.  Of course I knew what it was and ran helter skelter for the mail room.  It's too bad you were afraid it wouldn't suit me because it is just what I would have picked out.  It really is a beauty.  When you wrote that you didn't know if I would like it that night I dreamt of something grotesque that I would be afraid to show off.  When I really saw it I was all smiles.  That should be explanation enough.

Then the 3 hour pass came through and that was the touch off of a perfect day.  We really saw a lot of Tucson and did a lot in a short time.  You can't imagine how happy I was.  Just a change of scenery was all we needed and you can bet we made the most of it.  Well this is Saturday and we don't get out till next Saturday again.

I never answer your questions but one come to mind now.  I really need a sewing kit.  My G.I. outfit is slowly losing buttons and the Air Corp patches are loosing up so if you get a kit remember this; get thread that suits Air Corp colors.  Blue and white are the colors used most often but have plenty of brown (you know khaki) and sun-tan.  I have some black and some white so be sure you get the shades of brown.  I have needles and pins but send more along if you want and can sore them; however I don't really need them.

I never told you who I run around with .  My bunk mate is a fellow from Kentucky and we have a swell time arguing the Civil War all over again.  All the fellows are Southern except one who is from Lawrence, Mass.  He came from the G.I. Army and has been in some time longer than most of us.  This fellow is rather easy going and is rather mild like I am so we get a long very well.  He and I are going to have a lot of fun when we get out.  Right now his mind is occupied with girl-friends at home troubles.  Seems some 2nd Lt. is trying to steal his girl and has written some rather bad things to her about him.

Well I will have to close now and go take a steam bath, have a water fight, shave and then go to bed.

With love.

Austin

Am still happiest Cadet.

January 2, 1944

Santa Ana Army Air Base

Jan. 2, 1944

Dear Mother:

Well I have been sitting around eating nuts and other people's fruit cake and in general making a pig of myself.  But that was getting me no where so I decided to catch up on the correspondence.  So to the music of the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra coming over a nearby radio I will tell you about a very uneventful weekend.  We couldn't get out too early so I decided not to go to Cousin Emma's.  I really should have but I didn't think I had the time.  As it was I had more than enough time.  I got as far as Los Angeles and went to several movies.  I went to the Cadet Service Center and the Officer and Cadet Club.  Both places really make you comfortable and glad that such organizations are around.

California is the most expensive state I have been in.  The Servicemen gets none of the privileges extended to him as in other cities.  I don't mean that there are not organizations interested in our welfare such as the Officer and Cadet Club, the U.S.O. or the C.S.O. but that they have to pay full price for everything.  For example in the P.X. you pay considerable more for ice cream and fountain service than we did in Missouri.  The jewelry and that fellows always like to send home always cost more than in other P.W.'s.  Outside of camp you get no consideration.  In Chicago you get free transportation and half price on theater tickets and in general they make a trip to town very inexpensive.  In St. Louis we could get free meals but not here.  Oh well we do get pretty good pay don't we so money shouldn't bother us.

We got paid the other day.  I get $105 a month now you know but minus deductions I have about $42.98, some drop.  When I was a hick private I used to get $50 a month and still have $40 when deductions were taken out.  Oh well, that's a $3 raise.  But then to be an aviation cadet is an honor.  I'm not kicking because I have more than enough money to do me.

We are sure of being shipped this week but keep on writing because all my mail will be forwarded.  We are going to stay here in Calif. or go to Arizona.  I have little telling in the matter.  It would be swell to stay where I can come and see Cousin Emma but if we leave the coast we will be sure to fly. (My bunkmate just came back with $47 he had just won playing cards.)  It will be another state that I have been in.

If you are having trouble reading this letter it is because I am writing it on bed and on my stomach.  I keep putting down mistakes and writing up and down hill.  This seems a hard way to write letter but it is really comfortable even though the results aren't readable.

I think I will need some more of those eye drops.  I think I am beginning to have trouble again.  They are not very bad but the drops can't do any harm. I will send the old box along if you can't get the prescription filled some way.

By the way does anyone have an extra shoe ration coupon.  If you have one that you are sure no one will use please send it because it will help my morale.  It would be swell to get a pair of military low cut shoes even though I don't really need them.  We can't get the coupons here on the base.

How I would like to get home.  I suppose if I should get home I would have to shovel snow but just the same I would enjoy it.  But I am so far from home.  I am now beginning to realize how far it is.  When you tell about Lt. Sewards' 10 day leave it looks like I will spend my leave on the railroads.

With love

Austin.

November 23, 1943 to Pops

{For those of you who are a little rusty in your Morse Code, don't despair!  My suggestion is to print this out and write the letters on top.  I will post the translated version in a week, if someone else doesn't beat me to it.)

Nov 23, 1943

_..  .  ._ ._.      ._       ._ _.   ,

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._ _ _  .._  ... _       _ _.  ._.  ._  _..  .._  ._  _  .  _..          _  _ _ _    _  ....  .         _ _ _..      

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._  _ _        ...  ._  ...  ..  _.  _ _.        ._          ....  .  _._.   _._          _ _ _  .._.         ._       _  ..  _ _  . 

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_  ....  .      ...  ._ _  .   .  _..             ._ _  ....  .  _.       ..        _. _.  ._  ...  ...  .  _..         _  ....  .       _ _ _..

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....  ._  ..._   .        _   _ _ _         _._  _.  _ _ _  ._ _          _  ....  ..  ...        ._ _  ..  ._..  ._..       _.   _ _ _   _                 

_...  .         _   _ _ _  _ _ _              ....  ._  ._.  _..                 

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I am finding code a lot of fun because you advance when you are qualified to.  When you get good at it you hear a sound and write before you think. Some of the fellows can take 20 words per minute and the instructor can take about 40.  At that speed you can't write but have to take it on a typewriter or in short hand.  That seems beyond my grasp.  8 words per is the toughest place to pass because it is the stage between thinking and automatic action.

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November 15, 1943

Nov. 15, 1943

I have just finished debating whether I should do my homework now and go out to the movies tonight and I have a good chance of flunking a test tomorrow or stay in and write this letter and study tonight and pass the test tomorrow.  I have decided that the letter choice is the better So;

Dear Mother:

We have a little time off now before evening chow because most of the cadets are over seeing Joe Louis and the rest of us have free time.  I guess the letter should be written because I owe more than one to you all by now.

See Brown Bomber Joe at 1:00.

I have gotten those 2 packages you sent.  I would not advise you to try to feed all my friends because when boxes come the friends multiply to unheard of numbers.  If I can keep it out of sight I can be sure of keeping the contents between 6 or 8 of us.  The Independent came regularly for 3 weeks and I haven't got any since I got to pre-flight.  I guess it will catch up with me.

I read the article in the Saturday Even. Post and thought it was very interesting.  The test that fellow took was one to determine the altitude a fellow is qualified to fly at.  None of us will take such a test until near the end of our training days.  He told about the bends coming on slowly after an hour or so at 38000'.  This is the height that we went too but stayed for only a very short time.  The article was on a whole very much like what I would have told if I had written it.

I am very glad that Mary likes her job and glad to hear that she got her promotion.  I haven't heard much about her "night school" work.  I wish she didn't have to go to school nights.  I should think that she would find it very tiring.  I wouldn't want to do it.  She seems to be the one that is really working for an education.  Tell her to send along something she has done.  I would like to see it.

So you got a map of the camp.  Well that is more than I have because such things are restricted around here.  Each day we get confidential information which we are not supposed to pass on.  However a map of this camp for those in the camp can not be too dangerous if they are handing them out to the parents of the cadets.

I am glad to hear that Ralph has passed his exams for Air Crew training.  It is just the thing for him and I am sure he can take the rugged life that my be before him.

You are getting to be a airplane spotter.  The P38 really whistle when it comes down.  The other day one dived on the P.T. field.  It really screamed and when it pulled out a black trace was left behind that came from the wing tips but immediately disappeared.  It looked like smoke and I thought something had happened.  The explanation seems to be that is pullouts at high speed the air over the wing tips becomes so jumbled up that it can be seen.  Maybe William can tell you what happens.  I really don't know myself.  I have a very good airplane spotters guide here and I will send it along when I get to the post office.

Can you go in an Army-Navy store and get me something?  What I need can't be purchased anywhere on the camp.  They are the little

  and the 

that go on an officers uniform.  Get the real brass ones that can be polished and get at least 3 pairs.  They will probably cost you 2 dollars but don't let that bother you.  They are worth a lot more than that to me.  Be sure you get the officers and not the enlisted man's badge that look like this:

  They are not what I want and I can not wear them any longer.  I hope I haven't confused you by drawing the enlisted men's set.  They are worth their weight in gold around here.

I am sending a "Cadet Patch" along which you or any one can sew on an old coat or something.  It is from some the fellows threw way because they are the wrong size and color.  Ours are blue and orange.

Now what do I think about Christmas presents.  Well right now you could get me a nice furlough and a plane ride home for Christmas and I will be satisfied.  That is just a dream  I have very few needs as you can well guess.  My clothing needs are well taken care of an it would take a couple of barrels of food to feed my friends.  Those insignia would be a good present.  What can I send home?  That seems to be the real problem.

Well I have spent enough time for a while.  How is the weather at home.  It is very foggy in the morning an hot afternoons here.  I will write soon I hope.

. _ _  ..  _  ....      . _..  _ _ _ ..._  .

Austin.

October 25, 1943

SAAAB                        

                                                                                                            Santa Ana Calif

                                                                                                            Oct 25, 1943

Dear Pops (I forgot; A.P)

            I suppose you have been wondering just where this letter got lost.  Well it got lost before it started more times than you can tell mainly because time around here is very limited and what time you do get off you would rather spend at pleasure rather than at letter writing.  As it is we are not going on parade so I am spending this time before chow in the best way possible.

            Today has been very interesting and rather exciting too.  We had our altitude tests today and those who were in physical good condition made the tests in a pressure chamber.  The whole thing was to test your ability to live properly at 38,000’.  We made a “check run” to 5000’ to see if everyone could clear their ears quickly with the changes in pressure.  After 2 had left because they couldn’t clear their ears we went to 18,000’ to test for symptoms of anoxia, a condition resulting from lack of oxygen which results finally in unconsciousness. 2 fellows passed out and removed through the “air lock” and were brought down.  So far I had no ill iffects.  After being at 18000’ 12 minutes they asked for a volunteer to leave his oxygen off as the altitude went up so that anoxia in all its forms could be studied by the other 15 in the chamber.  No one wanted to volunteer so I did just for the heck of it.

            At 18000’ you suffer very little from anoxia but as the altitude goes up and you get less and less oxygen you get slap happy and act very drunk and laugh a giggle just like the joke was on everyone else.  First you loose sense of judgement, then eye sight, hearing, feeling, and finally you lapse into unconsciousness even though you don’t realize it and might continue to go right on feeling good but be unconscious.  The finally stage is fainting and complete unconsciousness.

            At 18000’ they told me to write the little rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”  This I did for the 1st few lines and then I found it hard to dot the i’s and make periods; then I couldn’t see too well and the surroundings turned gray.  Things got harder and harder to do and see.  When I got to the sentence that has “teacher” in it I couldn’t remember what came after that.  I just sat and tried to think; and think, and think, and think and just sit and think hard.  They then took the paper I was writing on away and I looked down and saw that my oxygen was turned on and I could see, hear, and feel better.

            While I sat there just thinking (that’s what I thought) a number of things went on that I didn’t know about.  When they noticed that I couldn’t remember what came after “teacher” they told me to write down a number.  This was when I passed into my sub-conscious mind.  I wrote the number down and when told to write down the number which I was to multiply the 1^st number by I just continued to write the zeros of the 1^st number.  When asked to subtract 6 from the number, I just wrote a long scrawl down the page.   They then gave me oxygen and I came bak to consciousness trying to think about “teacher” and what came after it.  I lost about 2 minutes of life and went to 38000’ before getting oxygen.  Even then I didn’t pass out but just lost all my normal faculties.  Most of the fellows lose consciousness at 32000’.  It was just a lot of fun for me and I have no ill effects.

            Altitude is a dangerous thing if you are not in good condition.  Many get the “bends” and have to be brought down to an altitude of 30,000 ft.  After that few have trouble.  These “bends” are like those suffered by divers but not so bad or so dangerous because they can be fixed very quickly by bringing them to sea level or in most cases 30,000’.  Some people develop “chocks” cough, sinus trouble, ear, eye and nose trouble, tooth aches and just every thing in general goes wrong all because the air inside of you expands 5 times larger than normal.  You burp all the time going up and all the air in side you just comes up.

            The oxygen apparatus is the best in the world and the most recent perfected.  You can really use it at high altitudes and have no after affects in fact you feel better when you get down than when you went up.  All but your ears, but everyone has a little trouble with them for a while until they have done a lot of this work in the pressure chamber or do a lot of high altitude work.

            It is getting cold around here in the moring.  The temperature is between 38F and 50F when we “fall out” at 0500 every morning.  We are now wearing O.P. uniforms.  There are the all wool uniforms and are a lot warmer.  At noon however it is really hot and we wish the sun would hide behind a cloud.  Of course there aren’t clouds here, only the low hanging fog or ground fog.  I get to like this place better and better each day.

            I hope the potatoes are coming along.  I don’t know very much about potatoes because I wasn’t exactly brought up on a farm.  I suppose they are all out of the ground and put away by now.  I wish I could have been home to help but Calif. is a long way from home.  I would like to drive that tractor or just drive anything.  I haven’t driven for 4 months anything but a plane.  You probably wish you could drive something but an auto, well that’s life I guess.

            I get letters from Aunt Emma and Grandpa every now and then and I try to answer them as soon as possible.  Grandpa seems to be just about as ever.  He sends along little inspirational poems and notes about the Air Corp which he gets from his magazines.  They are really rather good and I enjoy them a lot.

            I would like to hear from you again soon but until then

With love

Austin