Dear Folks: 28 Dec 1944
Left F yesterday. Had to go to Dennison Texas to get a pullman. Got here about noon & have about 11/2 hour wait. They gave me 2 shots in the left arm before I left so stiff arm again. Thanks for the kit. It came just before I left. — John
24 Dec. 1944
Dear Folks:
It’s cloudy and cold to-day after good weather all week. Two of my students are ready for solo but I probably won’t be around to see it. I volunteered to go to school some more. I don’t know much about it and couldn’t say anyway but the school is at Chanute Field, Ill. near Rantoul. I have to be there Dec. 29 and can’t leave here until 27th. The travel situation being what it is, don’t suppose I’ll make it home. The school is supposed to last 41/2 mons.
The chapel has a loudspeaker on the roof and has been broadcasting Christmas songs this week. Another class graduated Sat. and we are not flying Sunday or Mon. Got a card from Mrs. Lund saying Betty & Jr. had gone to Calif. for the winter. No, I don’t suppose Horridge made it home for Christmas. I see Arlan moved again. He should know that state at least. Yes, we have a good cook or cooks here. To bad about Jack Householder. Thanks for the Christmas present. Haven’t gotten the box yet.
While going to school I’ll be on Temporary Duty which means that Frederick is still my station. Am supposed to get paid $7 a day while traveling and $2 a day while in school. Being on TD, would return here after course is over, if this place is still here by then. Quite a few instructors have been leaving to various new jobs, mostly combat. Won’t be able to get the car now, I guess.
Went to chapel this morning. It was decorated with firs and wreaths. Just got the vitamins this afternoon. The P.O. was open all day to-day. What did you do about anti-freeze for car & tractor?
John
Frederick Okla.
Dear Folks: 17 Dec 1944
The weather was nice this weekend so we flew this morning. It was nice Sat. afternoon, too, but no one flew because of the weekly retreat parade. I have one student who is too nervous and will send him up with the flight commander for a ride. Another one made 2 nice landings.
Got 2 Christmas boxes from Marvel Lee. Your insured box hasn’t come yet. The AT-17 is a twin-engine trainer like I flew at Lubbock. One half the field still uses them so I checked out in it again for fun. The other half of the field where I’m assigned uses B-25. When the present upper class graduates the field will use all B-25. The course is 8 weeks long and we get a new class on the field every 4 weeks since the lower and upper classes are staggered 4 weeks apart. The present upper class graduates Dec 23 and my class then becomes upper class and graduate in Feb. To “shoot” landings is to practice one after another. Is Merrill telling bigger stories than I did? Could you send me some more vitamin pills? Squibb’s “Vigram” – ABCDG. Yes Arlan’s car should be better than most used ones.
John
Frederick, Okla.
Dear Folks: 14 Dec. 1944
We didn’t get back here until Monday afternoon. They had to put all ships in the hangar to melt the ice and couldn’t get around to ours until Sunday evening. Had a clear sky coming back.
I forgot to tell you about the dinner we had Sat. evening in Tulsa. A lieut in Operations told us of a lady having a turkey dinner for her birthday and she wanted some officers. Anything for a free turkey dinner so we went. Her name was Mrs. Zink. She admitted being 47. Mr. Zink was there as well as a Mrs. Hunter & son (a Pvt.) from Conneticut and friends of the family. Mr. Zink is a manufacturer of burners for oil refineries and you should of heard them all howl about income taxes. They were all Republicans so this country is going to the dogs. They had a fine place and we had a good dinner. Mrs. Zink came from Kans.
John
10 Dec. 1944
Dear Folks:
As you can see I’m out of FAAF for the week end. We started for Minneapolis but had to land here for gas and couldn’t get off again on account of weather. That was yesterday afternoon and I think the weather has cleared enough for us to go back this afternoon. Lt. Grossman was going to Minneapolis to see his wife, who is “expecting”, and there had to be 2 pilots in the plane so I went. In these cross-countries I always get mixed up with some one who has just had a baby or just expecting one. Remember last Christmas?
When we took off at Frederick the ceiling was low but weather here was supposed to be better. We climbed up thru the clouds and came all the way on top then let down again thru the soup by radio. At 3000′ as we came down we ran into freezing rain and started picking up ice. When we broke thru at 500′ we couldn’t see out of the windshield because of the ice. It was still raining and freezing and we landed by Grossman sticking his head out one window and I had mine out the other. We had an AT-17 and at 120 mph. the breeze really goes by your ears. Another plane that left Frederick after we did spun in here trying to land.
Myers, my room mate, had a death in the family so he went to Indiana on a 7 day emergency leave. I sent a package last week. You will have to open it and give the shoes to Chris for Christmas. According to weather reports at weather office you got a good snow. All for now.
John
Frederick, Okla.
Dear Folks: 3 Dec. 1944
We get paid by gov’t check so went to town yesterday to get mine cashed. Did some shopping. The bus to town runs every hour. Were to have a big retreat parade Sat. afternoon but it started raining so they called it off. It is still raining some this morning. Had good weather last week so I flew 31/2 hours a day. We take 2 students up each day. One gets instruction and the other watches and then they change seats when the period is half over. We fly mornings one day and afternoons the next, etc. The rest of the day we go to PT, Link, or ground school. On the mornings I fly have to get up at 6 and be on the line at 7 and get thru at 2 P.M. When flying in the afternoon be on the line at 12:45 and get thru at 7 P.M. so dinner and supper get pushed around a bit. Used Wichita Falls as an auxillary field to shoot landings on last week. Most of these planes have heaters but some of them don’t work and it gets cool upstairs.
The movie “30 Seconds over Tokio” was here and we went to see it to “learn” how to fly the B-25. Its is the story of Doolittle’s raid on Tokio and the planes he used were B-25. It was a very authentic picture as far as B-25 were concerned.
Had communion in chapel this morning. Am sending 2 boxes to Chris & Jo, and one to you that has another of their presents which you can wrap and give to them. I didn’t have enough boxes to send them separately.
John
Frederick Okla.
Dear Folks: 25 Nov. 1944
Well, I suppose you had your “turkey” or a reasonably pure alloy thereof last Thursday. We had turkey for dinner. 335 pounds were eaten by the officers and their guests. A lot of the men had their wives or folks out for dinner at the club here on the field. There was no vacation here, either. I flew Thursday morning. Then at 1 P.M. started out for Brooks Field near San Antonio. We were to ferry some B-25s back from there. Since there were 2 planes going down and 6 pilots we tossed to see who would fly down. I won for one plane so I piloted both ways. On the return trip we had a pilot and engineer per plane. We came back in formation. It was after dark when we got back so got a night landing in.
Last Tuesday nite one of the instructors that had been using the AT-17 here said “lets go fly” so we went up for 2 hrs. and shot landings so I’m checked out in the AT-17 again. It is the plane I flew in Advanced.
It rained yesterday and this morning there was a 30 mph. wind. We were slow-flying this morning into the wind 100 mph. at 10,000 ft. and standing still in respect to the ground so there was a wind up there too.
The cookies came in good shape. Thanks. The clock and clothes also came. This building is trembling in the wind. We meet the new students Sunday.
Glad to hear Arlan was home. Suppose he went back to Milwaukee. The ordinary mail gets here same time as airmail. Yes we carry our own coal and build our own fires. The buildings are one-story. The chapel is quite large for a field this size. Was glad to hear from Horridge. I see by the paper where Harold Hundley used to be stationed here.
Yours truly,
John
Frederick, Okla.
Dear Folks: 19 Nov. 1944
It has been raining the last few days so no flying. It is clearing off this afternoon. We are going to have a big parade and inspection to-morrow. Friday nite Myers & I went to a boxing match in the gym. The match was between the enlisted men of A.A.F. at Altus and on this Field. The army won’t let cadets box because of danger of nose injuries. Last nite we went to a General Electric demonstration at the theater and then to a basketball game between F.A.A.F. and Sheppard Field, Texas. Shep. Field was supposed to win but lost 55-45.
I sent the watch last week to you. I got me one here. Can’t get a G.I. watch. $25 on the watch would be plenty. I’ll send my income tax forms up and you can send them with the money to Topeka — I suppose its Topeka but don’t know. I don’t know whether I’ll like instructing or not yet. The B-25 is a good ship to fly. It flys about as well on one engine as on two, which couldn’t be said about the B-26. The controls were in a handier position on B-26 and it had a lot more room
Yours truly,
John
16 Nov.
Frederick,Okla.
Dear Folks:
Have been spending more money. Got a new field jacket to take place of the one I left home. This one is more like a coat and much better looking (I keep telling myself) and cost $10.20. Also bought some dress gloves $2.50 and got Chris a pair of work shoes $3.00. I’ll send them up and you can give them to him for Christmas. I heard after I bought them that the uppers don’t shed water very well because they are split leather so don’t suppose they’re much good.
Just got a letter from Arlan saying he was getting a commission soon. Wonder if he could wear that Luxemburg hat that’s home. Sounds like he tugged on some ropes. Try sending some letters in ordinary mail & see how long they take. Your 13th Airmail got here 15th. Arlans 14th Airmail also got here 15th.
Can you find an old alarm clock around there? Also send those gym sweat clothes. There should 2 pants & one shirt. Also send that note book of Marvel Lee’s — The one thing you left out of the trunk. Ha! I told Marvel Lee to watch out for a car for me.
Yours truly,
John
P.S. My battle Jacket does not conform to field regulations so must hang it up. But it was an object of admiration around here while it lasted. Ha! I think mine was first one around here but the PX is going to get some in (regulation -$22.50) pretty soon. And from the way they ask about mine every officer on the field will get one. I shoulda’ getta’ a commision.
F.A.A.F.
Nov. 11, 1944
Dear Folks:
Got my first ride in a B-25 yesterday and another to-day. It is 2 engine about the same size as B-26. It is lighter and flys easier. This is an advanced school like Lubbock was and a class is about ready to graduate. They are short on instructors and I think the 3 of us that came to-gether from Miami are supposed to be ready to take on the new class. The class just graduating has been flying the Cessnas that I flew in advanced. This field is just changing over to B-25.
Its warm and windy to-day. The trunk and bag got here O.K. Another fellow brought them out to the field for me. We have a large room apiece with a coal stove between 2 rooms [floorplan drawing] There is a full partition between every 2 rooms and partial partition between each of 2. The stove is big and coal isn’t rationed. I have Arlans watch. We have a locker to hang our clothes in.
Yours truly,
John
8 Nov.
Frederick OKLH
Dear Folks:
Oklahoma, here I am. Got here this afternoon after nearly 4 days on the road. Waited in Ft. Worth 12 hrs. and stayed part of a nite in Vernon, Texas. As to what kind of town Frederick is, all I can say is the bus slowed down and we got off. Arlan’s town has nothing on this one. Ha! But the field is pretty nice what I’ve seen so far. We live in tar-paper huts and they do have anchor cables on them. Don’t know what the deal is yet. They are changing over to B-25 here and we may get sent to San Antonio for the instructors course there. Hope you sent my clothes. All for now.
John
Dear Folks 