Got the oatmeal cookies

January 1, 1944

                                                            Jan. 1
Dear Folks:
            Back at Savannah. Were supposed to come down yesterday but had some trouble getting away and the weather closed in before we could clear it up. Carson’s & ours was the only 2 crews that didn’t get off so we spent new years eve in a show and went to bed at 10. The rest of the squadron had moved out so the place was pretty empty last nite.
            I’m running into a few of others I knew back at Lubbock. The B.O.Q. here is nice & has steam heat which would have done a lot more good up at Godman. It gets cool at nites here but very moderate in the daytime & air is not full of soot & smoke.
            Say, you’re cooking is getting a reputation! I got the oatmeal cookies at Godman but didn’t open them until I got here. After everyone had one apiece they about mobbed me to get the rest. Whoever made those better keep the receipe and start some more this way. We are on eastern time here. Won’t be here long enough to unpack. Have the radio out, though. I’m carrying it in the same box you sent it in, Arlan.
            Tuesday. Had another inspection of equipment yesterday. Also was issued a .45 automatic and a trench knife & flashlight. Also an Elgin watch with sweep-second hand.
            I made a $100 monthly allotment from my pay to either you or Marvel Lee; I can’t remember which so if you get a check the first part of February put it in bonds for me. It seems its hard to send money back from abroad. You should get that card with an A.P.O. number soon and that will be my address.
            Marvel Lee said a cat went to Fred’s. Which one? Did you get the trunk & key? Guess thats all for now.
                                    Yours truly,
                                                John

                                                            Jan. 1
Dear Marvel Lee:
            Back at Savannah. Were supposed to come down yesterday but had some trouble getting off and the weather closed in before we could clear it up. Another crew and ours didn’t get off that afternoon so we spent new years eve in a show at Fort Knox and went to bed at 10. The rest of the squadron had moved out so the place was pretty empty that night.
            I’m running into some of the others I knew at Lubbock. One of them was Landsdowne from Wichita. I stayed in his home that nite in Wichita on the way home from Lubbock. The B.O.Q. here is nice & has steam heat which would have done a lot more good up at Godman. It gets cool nites but very moderate during the day & air is not full of soot & smoke.
            Whoever cooked the oatmeal cookies did a good job. I got them at Godman but didn’t open them until I got here. After everyone had one apiece they about mobbed me to get the rest. Could use some more of that receipe.
            Tuesday. We are on eastern time here. Won’t be here long enough to unpack. Had another inspection of equipment yesterday. Also was issued a .45 automatic, trench knife, flashlight, and Elgin watch with sweep-second hand.
            How are you making out with you’re car? I made a $100 monthly allotment from my pay to either you or the folks; I can’t remember which. So if you get a check the first part of February, put it in bonds for me. It seems its hard to send money back from abroad. You should get a card soon with an A.P.O. number on it and that will be my address. I will send you a copy of my Power of Attorney and you should register it at the county clerk’s office.
            Thanks for the note book. Do you have Arlan’s “C” card for gas? Doing my own laundry again.
                                    Yours truly,
                                                John

Lot of “brass hats”

December 29, 1943

                                                            Dec 29
Dear Folks:
            Got back to Godman this afternoon. We left Tampa Monday morning and went to Savanah, Ga. where the major had some business. The weather got bad again so we couldn’t leave there until to-day.
            We will be stationed at Savanah for awhile and then go across. Right now it looks like I’ll fly over but can’t tell yet. Our new ships will be flown over but there are a lot of “brass hats” who want to fly over too so they go as co-pilots and the regular co-pilots ride the boat.
            We had a penthouse on a hotel in Savanah while there. There were 3 rooms with 2 single beds & bath and a large sitting room and small kitchen. All furnished with modern furniture. Afraid we will live at the field while stationed there, however.
            Right now, there are 4 or 5 fellows in this B.O.Q. [Bachelor Officer Quarters] who have just gotten short haircuts like a German general. They call each other “Schultz”, talk with a German accent, and wear half-dollars for monocles. More fun!
            Got your letters to-day. So you’re a G. I. now, doc! No, you had better not send me the Times since you could write it in a letter & would get thru better. Also got Karen’s picture and it was very good.
            Had enough snow here to cover the ground. We got lots of sleep on the little trip. Had a steak dinner in Tampa Sunday evening at Lt. Watkinson’s home. His wife had a 10 day old boy and was still in bed. Hollis’s wife had twins out in Texas a week ago so he & Mrs. Watkinson got to discussing the subject pretty thoroughly. I took it all in without comment so if you want to know anything about it let me know. I think even Lt. Watkinson learned something by listening that evening. One of Hollis twins died & he named his ship “Laura Ann” after the other one.
            Thanks for razor blades. Will send my footlocker to-morrow. Arlan, you might be able to use it later.
                                    Yours truly,
                                                John

What a day!

December 25, 1943

                                                            Dec. 25
Dear Folks:
            8 P.M. and what a day! Its warm down here and doesn’t seem much like Christmas weather. We left Godman yesterday about 4 P.M. to bring a major and some equipment down here. The weather was supposed to be good all the way down but the ceiling got lower as we went along and of course it was getting dark. Our radio wasn’t very good and by the time we were supposed to be over Tampa we were flying at 1500 ft. and couldn’t see a thing. We finally picked up a beam and rode it to Cross City, Fla. and landed with 40 min. gas left. We were lost and really sweating so that field looked pretty good. We spent the rest of the nite there and didn’t get up until 1 P.M. to-day. Had Christmas dinner at the officers club at Cross City. Good turkey! The major came down here by bus last nite from Cross City. We took off from there about 4 and got here at 5 P.M.
            Since I was here last this field has been changed over to B-17s. We will pick up the major and a lieutenant and return to Godman to-morrow. Four of us got a hotel room here in Tampa, Lt. Hollis, the pilot, Lt. Hawkins, navigator, Sgt. Kromm, engineer, & myself.
            Lt. Hollis didn’t have a co-pilot so I volunteered for this trip. Like most 1st pilots in our outfit he has about 400 hrs. in the B-26. The other nite I was up with him and one engine went bad so he made a single engine landing.
            Sunday. Hollis, Hawkins & I went to Presbyterian church here in Tampa. May have to stay here awhile on account of weather. Got a big box of candy from Marvel Lee.
                                    Yours truly,
                                                John
Haven’t sent the foot locker yet but think we will get to modification center this week. Haven’t heard from Arlan yet.

Got some candy

December 19, 1943

                                                            Dec. 19
Dear Folks:
            Its 6 P.M. and just got back from Florence, S.C. We went down this morning to pick up some enlisted men. Weather has been clear and cold this last week. We had just a little snow which is all gone now. Saw very little snow east of here. It got down to 5° below here. Got a card from Wright and he said it was 15° below back there.
            Thanks for the Christmas presents. Got the ring and braclet and razor blades. Both ring and braclet are a good fit. The ring feels like wearing a chunk of lead. Got some candy and handkerchiefs from Chris & Jo, a box of cookies from Aunt Hattie. Got cards from Aunt Jessie, Roscoe R., Henry Willmans, Fred & Margaret, Glen D., Ernest Fullertons, Oliver Batmans, Aunt Lou & Cora.
            My roommate got transferred to pilot training. That’s the second roommate I’ve lost that way. Ballard already had bombadiers wings and navigators wings. Anything to keep from going over seas. Ha! The combat crews are moving to a new base soon and we will get our mail thru our A.P.O. number so you may get a card with that on it. We will be there a month or two and our mail will be censored. Also restricted to the post, we are told. We got issued a good footlocker so I will send my own home this week with surplus junk.
            Had another show down inspection. This time we had to lug the stuff up to the hangar and spread it out while we were in our best clothes.
            Does your tractor burn gas or tractor fuel? Suppose Arlan, you’re home now. No, I didn’t have the flu. No, I don’t need a sweater. “Life” this week shows some vapor trails behind planes. In damp weather we see them behind the B-26 and it looks like a long streamer tied on each wing tip. Good programs on radio to-nite. Merry Christmas!
                                                            John

Got our new plane

December 12, 1943

                                                            Dec 12.
Dear Folks:
            Sat. nite. Just got back from the show and have the radio on. It has been raining lightly ever since last Monday so haven’t flown any. Have been getting lots of lectures and ground school. We get the benefit of lectures from men that have seen combat. Right now we have a refinement in the system of gunnery that has come back from combat and it sounds pretty good.
            Just found out last week that our tail gunner is from Junction City. He is an enlisted man, a sargeant, and doesn’t say much so I didn’t know until now where he was from. We also got our new plane last week. Its brand new and maybe you think we’re not touchy about it! No one but the crew can get within 100 ft. of it and we keep it locked all the time. Of course we will have to check it from end to end and get everything to suit us. We have a good crew chief who is very careful about details. A crew chief is in charge of the ground crew. There is a ground crew (for maintenance) for each ship as well as a combat crew for each plane. We also have to find a new for the ship.
            Sunday. Went up to the line this morning to watch the crew chief “pre-flight” the new ship then went to chapel. Last nite after coming home from the show, Lt. Quick and I went to the officers mess next door to get coffee and sandwiches. When we were about half thru eating something plugged the chimney up. The “good” coal we use had a nice smoke screen layed down in the mess hall in short order. We gulped the coffee and made for the door. This afternoon I went along as passenger on a “ship bombing” mission and for the first time in my life got air-sick. I was riding in the tail and wasn’t used to the roughness.
            Got Jo’s box Thurs. It included green fig cookies, home made cookies, and 2 white handkerchiefs. Wind is turned to north and blowing hard to-nite. I’m writing this at the dispensary since I’m O.D. to-nite and am duty until 12 P.M.
            (inside of Christmas card)

                                                            [no card]

Lt. Horridge

December 5, 1943

                                                            5 Dec.
Dear Folks:
            Weather here has been nice last week except for 3 days of smoke fog. At 2000 ft. we couldn’t see the field after 2 mile away. Our crew will be doing quite a lot of flying for a few weeks now since we are behind some of the other crews in time. The squadron is getting new ships in and each crew will have their own ship. Ours hasn’t come in yet. Lt. Horridge, our first-pilot, is 6′-4″ tall, dark hair and eyes. He is married and has a baby. He is very quiet and only talks when necessary which is O.K. by me. He is a good pilot and has been in the Army for 9 years, including West Point.
            Ballard, my roommate is married also but his wife is in Louisiana. He got an 8 day leave and went home yesterday. He has his car, ’41 Ford coupe, up here with him.
            Got the radio from Arlan last Monday and am using it every evening. I hear the ceiling on corn has been raised 9¢. How will that effect the price of corn out there?
            We have had an epidemic of stomach flu so they called PT off for awhile. I got more shots last week, 3 in one arm and 2 in the other. The only trouble I had was returning salutes.
            Did Wright put a motor on an old meat grinder or buy a new one? I think the tractor lites would be worth the price. Might use them only 3 or 4 times a year but really need them when you want them. Can’t you get rubber put on the front so you could run on highway? Sounds like Chris’ new place is pretty nice. You don’t need to put a number on the bracelet.
            Got paid last week. Got extra $75 for flight pay for Oct. Use it if you want or buy bonds. Can you get me about 10 boxes of “Pal” razor blades? May have to buy them one at a time. Also would like a “Vick’s” inhaler. Don’t get any other kind if they’re out. Just got a letter from Jo and a card from Fred & Margerite.
                                    Yours truly,
                                                John

More shots… More fun!

November 28, 1943

                                                            Nov 28
Dear Folks:
            Our men got back from the tour on Wed. I haven’t flown for about 2 weeks, but neither have the rest of the co-pilots. I went Tues. nite with the basket ball team of our squadron to see the game between Bowman Field and us. The game was played at Bowman Field and we won: 36-30. Bowman Field is right in the city of Louisville. They train glider pilots there, also Air Evacuation nurses.
            We are getting more shots so everybody has sore arms. I started a series on both cholera and typhus soon after I got here. I had just finished them and a new directive came out that everybody in an outfit has to have their shot records dated at the same time. That date was yesterday to I have to start over with tetanus, typhoid, small pox, typhis, cholera, and yellow fever. I think the army has a surplus of serum. More fun! The enlisted men had a show down inspection of equipment Sat. We officers had to do the checking. There will be another one for us on Tues. evening.
            I have a new room mate, 2nd Lt. Jim Ballard from N.C. He is a navigator-bombadier. Has 6 pair of low-cut shoes.
            The pilots have to take their turn at running the bomb sight on the bomb trainer in order to know something about what the bombadier has to do. The bomb sight is the same as the one used on the planes. Berlin surely got plastered.
            Where is Chris getting the welding lessons and on what type of welder? No, didn’t have the fleece lined clothes with us when we came back from Myrtle Beach. I wrote Aunt Hattie last week.
                                    Guess thats all
                                                Yours truly,
                                                            John

Assigned to crews

November 20, 1943

Dear Folks:                                                            Nov. 20
            Thanks for the cookies. They got here in good shape on Thursday. Your letters get here in 2 days. The letters I mail must take a while to get to the regular post office.
            Most of the old timers in this squadron are away on a demonstration tour and took the ships with them so we co-pilots have been going to school last week. Among other things, I’ve been working with the bombadier in my crew on a bomb trainer. It is the equivalent of the link trainer for pilots and a pilot & bombadier work to-gether on the same machine.
            We have been assigned to crews for the present, at least. My pilot is a 1st Lt. and graduate of West Point. My room mate, 2nd Lt. Lee, got his orders to report to classification center for air crew training. He is an armament officer here. He’s married and lives in town so I haven’t seen much of him. He just has a bed in my room for records sake. Thats the way they handle all married officers and it gives them a place to keep equipment.
            Our income tax is deferred until after the war. No I haven’t seen any nuts. Got a letter from Jo. Aunt Alma’s letters “shows to go you” that you have to be careful what you read in the mail.
            Have had nice weather all last week. Had the day off to-day and went to chapel. Our chaplain is being transferred. He has a real personality. Wears G. I. shoes and field jacket and comes around on the line to see what we do. He rode the bomb trainer with Braverman (my bombadier) and I the other day. He even wears a sloppy hat (like the one I wore at home without the wire band in it) which is quite a concession for ground officers.
            Speaking of planes in a dog and cat race, thats what we call a “rat race”. I don’t have any address for the ring but made no down payment so its their worry.
                                    Yours truly,
                                                John

Haven’t had a day off

November 14, 1943

Dear Folks:                                                            Nov. 14
            Got back to Godman on the 10th. We really got cold coming back. There had been some snow here but none left when we got back. Coming back it was a clear sky east of the mountains but west it was a solid layer of clouds below. We were at 9000′ and the mountains appeared to be a dam holding the clouds back like so much water. The peaks had snow on them.
            My mail caught up with me on the 11th. They loaded our mail in a plane and were going to bring it to us at Myrtle Beach but the plane got as far as Atlanta and had engine trouble and finally got back here a day after we did — so got all the mail written after Oct. 28 in one bunch. Also got the magazine and several bunches of Dispatches. See where Jim Mollynearn [sp?] died. Thot he died a long time ago. I don’t know whether Greensboro is near Myrtle Beach or not. Hope Rube’s operations did him some good. Got a letter from Josephine.
            Has been freezing ice here every nite. Spent some more time on the rifle range with sub-machine gun. Haven’t been to Louisville since the night I got here. It takes 2 hrs. to get there one way and we have a bed check every nite at 12. Haven’t had a day off since getting here. Schedule runs 7 days a week. We have a few free hours at a time but usually spend it sitting in Operations building to find out what we do next.
            I got grape fruit juice for breakfast. Better give the church $20 of the money and use the rest for a down payment on a tractor — Christmas! I can buy 50% wool winter underwear, shirt & drawers, for $2.73 at quartermaster. Do you want any? Did my class ring ever come from Lubbock? Send it along when it comes. Take a look at it I think it will be $16.00 C.O.D. I had just about forgotten it. Keep the radio until you get a tube.
                                    Yours truly,
                                                John

Gunnery practice

November 7, 1943

                                                            Nov. 7
Dear Folks:
            On the move again. Flew down here to Myrtle Beach, S.C. Monday for 10 days of gunnery. Living in typical G.I. style here. Have barracks and eat out of mess kits which we wash ourselves when thru. The barracks are camaflouged by scattering them among the pine trees which seem to cover this section of the coast. Can’t write too much of what we do but do most of our flying over the water for a safe background for gunnery practice. We wear yellow life preservers. The pilot and co-pilot don’t do any shooting on the plane but rest of crew does. I’m learning to take apart and clean the 50 caliber machine gun. Seems good to get my hands greasy again.
            Landed the plane myself on Thurs. for first time. The target is white cloth and since the turret, tail, and rest of the guns fire at the same target we dip the ammunition in different color paints for the different guns. When the painted slug goes thru the cloth it leaves a little paint around the edge of the hole and we can tell how each gunner is doing. We all get some practice with the .30 caliber carbine, sub-machine gun, and .45 pistol as well as skeet shooting with 12 gauge shotguns. It would make some hunters sick to see the amount of shot gun shells we use. They’re not wasted however and thats the reasons they’re hard to buy.
            We were grouped as a crew and the same crew stages to-gether while here at Myrtle Beach. Two crews at a time go to the rifle range and the one with the lowest score buys the ice cream. The temperature surely varies here. It has warmed up 20° overnight for last 2 nites. The town of Myrtle Beach is just a wide space in the road. Did my class ring ever come from Lubbock? Will be going back to Ky. about Weds.
                                    Yours truly,
                                                John
P.S. Tell Marvel Lee a gold bracelet with pilot wings will be fine. Forgot to tell her until her letter was sealed.

Everything is black with soot

October 31, 1943

                                                            Oct. 31
Dear Marvel Lee:
            Got back here Wed. morning and more of less settled again. Didn’t do much flying until to-day when I put in 3.5 hours in practice bombing. The boys in 573 sqd. got back to day from manuevers which was what I missed when I went to MacDill for the week. Jenson is in 573 and had a pretty good time on maneuvers. It included camping out in the pup tent and sleeping in a sleeping bag. He says the bags are really warm.
            For ground school we take code and “aircraft recognition”. Got paid last week but hadn’t done any flying before 20th so didn’t get flight pay — $75. Will get it next week as extra $75.
            Had a visiting squadron of P-47s (“Life” cover this week) for a few days and they surely bat the breeze when they go past. The B-26 has the same engine but twice as many.
            Had a shown down inspection Sat. The supply officer had a long list of equipment that we had to have and the inspection was to see that we got it. Some of it I had to buy such as leggings, extra pair of G.I. shoes, and 3 pair of long winter under wear.
            My room mate is 2nd Lt. Lee, an armament officer. He has put in his application for flight training. Our “house boy”, a private, is thinking about joining the cadets.
            This place is heated by soft coal and everything is black with soot. The private has to fire the furnace so barracks is cold when we get up. Hard Luck! Mess hall, orderly room, flight building, etc. are heated by Round Oak stoves and fired by any one concerned. Have hot water in barracks once a day usually at nite and when it rains we slog around in the mud. Just like living on a farm! Better than “white collar” inspections and no-body checks for dust around here.
            Closest town is Louisville — 30 mi. We are right beside Fort Knox. B-26 has 2 engines. No, I don’t need any more nail polish or handkerchiefs.
                                    Yours truly,
                                                John

Sea gulls, squirrels, pigeons

October 24, 1943

                                                            Oct 24
Dear Folks:
            Finished the ground school yesterday and now waiting for orders to return to Godman. This traveling under orders is quite renumerative. I got $91 to get to Godman Field and I figured it cost about $45 — baggage included. Then I got $53 for coming down here and it cost about $12.
            MacDill Field is quite old and well established — even have us saluting other 2nd Lts. here. Up at Godman we didn’t salute anything below a colonel. The beach of Tampa Bay is about 300 yds. from my barracks. There is a dock on the beach and a ferry boat that runs to the city of Tampa across the bay. Its free to service men. There is always a mob of sea gulls around the back and they like peanuts tossed in the air for them to catch on the wing. There is quite a ship yard at Tampa that builds cement boats. They look like ordinary freighters but made of cement.
            Jenson and I went to the chapel this morning. There is a nice officers club here but the food is plenty high. The weather was cool when we arrived but that was unusual, I guess, and so now we are back in kaki.
            Jenson and I rode the ferry to Tampa and back this afternoon. Nice salty smell to the air. They have a grey squirrel down here instead of the red ones up there. They have a dark silver-grey fur and are a little smaller than the red ones. On the campus of the college in town the squirrels and pigeons are regular pets. Tampa has some benches for the public on the streets and some open air theaters otherwise just like any other town. The cars in Florida have license plates only in back and upper half of headlight lens is painted black for dim-outs. Had 15 min. black out other nite.
            Had a slight cold last week but tablets stopped it
            Bought a short coat at Godman, sort of a mackinaw, olive drab, $30
            If you got the radio fixed you might mail it to Godman. Take the back loose and stuff some paper in for packing and try putting radio in a paste board box and pack it on all sides with excelsor and mail it or express it. Express office is just across the tracks from my barracks. Don’t insure it.
                                    Yours truly,
                                                John

On the train

October 17, 1943

                                                            Oct 17
Dear Folks:
            1 P.M. Eastern time and am somewhere in the middle of Georgia. Am writing this on the train so you may have to de-code it. This is a Pullman. Were supposed to fly to Tampa, Florida but the weather was bad so they put us on the train. Just stopped in Macon, Ga. wherever that is.
            See pine trees, shacks, mules, cotton, corn, darkies, and red clay. We are going to MacDill Field near Tampa for a weeks training in the workings of the B-26. The outfit we are in at Godman Field is a tactical unit and we new men go in as co-pilots. While we new men are at MacDill Field the rest of the outfit will be out on maneuvers and living in pup tents and eating out of mess kits.
            Mon. Morning. Just got into Tampa at 7 A.M. — 37 hours on the train to 5 hrs. it would have taken on the plane. Haven’t been on to the field yet & am sending this from the station. Rather cool here this morning. All for now.
                                    Yours truly,
                                                John
P.S. Won’t have an address here but note the small change in the one I gave you before.

Kentucky

October 14, 1943

                                                            Oct. 14
Dear Folks:
            Got to Louisville about 5:30 to-day. Sat on a pile of baggage from Kansas City to St. Louis but had a seat the rest of the way. From Evansville to here sat with a registered nurse that had just joined the Air Evacuation branch of the Air Corp. She had been married just 5 days to a man in the ground force of this air corp. He was stationed in New Orleans and she was to be at Greensburough, N.C. Some family.
            Kentucky so far is pretty hilly and covered with trees that are turning all shades of colors now. Will stay here to nite and go over to the field on a bus to-morrow morning.
                                    Yours truly,
                                                John