November 26, 1942 – I Really Have a Lot to Be Thankful For

Thanksgiving Day

Dear Mom + Dad,

The mail is sure terrible around here. Your Sunday evening letter finally arrived today. It took less time when I was in California to get to me then here. I advised you to stop air mail as I can’t see where it saves any time. Here I am the closest to home I’ve been since my army career started and my mail takes the longest. It is a sad situation but there is nothing to be done about it. At least I get it and that’s what counts. It should be coming in regularly now as I’ve been situated for two weeks. I’ve heard from most of my friends now so I’m not really complaining.

Today is Thanksgiving Day. It is rather different that any one I’ve ever spent before. It is the first time in years that I haven’t been home for this day. I’m now waiting for mess call and we have a big turkey dinner scheduled so things aren’t so bad. We have the day off but we can’t go anywhere. We didn’t have to get up until 7A.M. this morning and last night we had lights on until 10, and hour later than usual. I’ve been loafing around most of the morning and writing a few letters. It is at least good to have the time to yourself. Of course I’d like to be able to get off and go to town but no can do. I’ll just have to be content with a day of leisure.

I really have a lot to be thankful for. I’m still in this country. I’m starting on something I want to do very much and I’m spared the actual conflict for awhile. I’m darn lucky when I think of what some of the boys are going through on Guadalcanal, Africa, Port Morseby, etc. Sometimes I think I have it tough but those boys are really putting out under actual fire. When I think of that I have a lot to be thankful for. I’m not really so bad off as I could be. I really have nothing to kick about at the present. Of course I’d like to be home but I can’t and that’s all there is to it. Let’s hope that by the time another Thanksgiving rolls around we can all be home eating our turkey.

I’m still trying to figure how I got a ticket for overtime parking in Peekskill and me deep in the heart of Texas. As long as you straightened out my legal difficulty I don’t mind. I can remember when I got a ticket for the same thing and you balled me out. You had better keep quiet now as I’m sitting in the cat’s bird seat. I’ll spare you the trouble of a little lecture I know you couldn’t help it!!!

Sorry to hear brother isn’t well. I hope he snaps out of it soon. He has a tough job ahead of him if he is going through school. I’m going to write to him and Marion very shortly. Tell him to write to me if he gets time.

I guess that’s it on this Thanksgiving Day. I’ll write tomorrow and tell you all about my dinner. Happy Thanksgiving to you.

Love

Bobby

November 25, 1942 - Pilot Classification Received

Wednesday Evening

Dear Mom + Dad,

I’m beginning to get disgusted with the mail. For if you wrote me Sunday I should have had it by today and yet it isn’t here. This is really worse than my mail was in California, it takes longer.

I received my classification today as I expected I was made a pilot. That was what I really wanted. I choose navigator as I was afraid of my physical. So now I’m classified as a pilot and I know where I stand. My next step is Pre Flight School. I don’t know when I’ll move out of here. I imagine it will be on the next shipment which should come up in a few weeks. I don’t mean by that I’ll move too far. I’m fairly certain I’ll move across the road to Kelly Field Pre Flight. That is where a good percentage of the boys from here go. There are a few shipments to other places but by far the majority is across the road. I guess I can count on being in San Antonio for a few months. After that I don’t know where I’ll go for primary training but I can worry about that when it comes.

I haven’t got much more to tell you. I can’t get in the mood to write letters anymore. I guess it is because I don’t have the time. Write me soon. I’ll write again tomorrow.

Love

Bob

P.S. Happy Thanksgiving! I don’t think we’ll even get a day off but I hope so. We won’t’ be able to go anywhere if we do so it doesn’t make much difference.

November 24, 1942 – Another Uneventful Day

Tuesday Evening

Dear Mom + Dad,

Another uneventful day draws to a close. Routine is getting very much the same now. That is the way things get in the army after awhile. I don’t really mind though as I’m marking time now for something I want to do. At least I have something to look forward to that I didn’t before in the medical corps.

I went to the movies today but it was not of pleasure. It seems they still persist in showing me those darn training films. This one dealt with the articles of war and it wasn’t so bad as I had only seen it twice before. I was very lucky as I’ve seem most of them five or six times. Maybe one of these days I will run across one I haven’t seen and if I do I think I’ll die from the shock.

I still have no news as yet of my classification. It should be out by now but it isn’t. I’ll just have to wait for it. Nothing I can do about it. I’ll let you know as soon as I get it.

How do you like the new stationary? It is the first I’ve bought in months. But then I get tired of using the U.S.O. stationary.

I haven’t heard anything yet about a payday. I still have the $25 I sent for in reserve and $11 besides so I’m not too bad off. I image it will come in on a supplementary just after the first of the month. If we should get an open post and I can go to town I may have to dip into my reserve. It is a good thing to have though and I’m not going to use it unless I have to.

That’s it for now, more tomorrow.

Love

Bob

November 23, 1942 - Save Yourself 3 Cents

Monday Afternoon

Dear Mom + Dad,

When I was just beginning to give up hope of hearing from you your letter arrived. I was very glad to hear from you as it seems quite awhile. At the same time I pulled down 4 other letters. It sure is a shame all at once. While on the subject of mail I’d advise you to save yourself 3 cents and write to me via regular mail. As far as I can figure the time by air mail is only a little short than regular mail. That is, not enough to make very much difference. So I’d use regular mail if I were you. I’ve been getting what mail I have from N.Y. in 3 days and your air mail was almost as long. So save yourself 3 cents.

Brother finally moved. Send me his new address and I’ll try and write to them when I have time. If you see them tell them to write me. I guess Bother will have a tough grind for ten weeks. I think it will probably be worth in the long run though. I’m very much in favor of it.

Thank you for developing the pictures. I didn’t really want that many but I can find use for them. I also will appreciate the cigarettes when they come. I can get to the P.X. now but I can still use them. As far as the money belt is concerned. I don’t want one thank you. One of the boys wanted to give me one and I refused it. As far as the radio I mentioned previously forget it for now. I think I will be able to get into town and pick on up myself this week. If I can’t get one in a few weeks I’ll let you know and you can get me one for Christmas. Thanks for the phone number. I don’t think I’ll get to use it but I have it now in case of an emergency.

My stint of K.P. is now finished and it wasn’t so rough. I had an easy job as a waiter and had it very easy. So I’m not complaining. I feel fine tonight and that is very unusual after a day of K.P. as you’re usually dead tired.

My classification hasn’t come out as yet but it won’t be long now. I expect it in the next few days. At least I’m fairly sure I made it safely.

I’m sending you a little booklet which explains my new life. I think it is very good. It will be forthcoming soon.

Darn it anyway they have just changed our address again. Please note the change on the outside. I hope this time it is correct. We were just notified of it.

I guess that’s all for now as I want to answer the rest of my mail.

Love

Bob

November 22, 1942 – The War News Sounds Very Encouraging To Me

Sunday Afternoon

Dear Mom + Dad,

Another day comes and it is a beautiful day after the rain. Every thing has cleared up and the air is fresh and nice. I was waiting for mail call today but as I just found out there is none on Sunday. So I will have to wait another day before I hear from you. This is the first place I’ve ever been that they don’t have mail on Sunday. But then things are a lot different around here than in the army even though it is part of it.

I go on my old bugaboo of K.P. this afternoon at 3 P.M. Your K.P. here lasts for 24 hours. 3 P.M. one day to 3 the next. At least it splits it up and doesn’t make it a long grind. Of course I don’t like the idea of it but then what can you do about it but take it and grin. I haven’t done any K.P. in an awful long time as before I was a corporal and they don’t usually pull K.P. So I’m off again on the old army routine. This classification center is the only place I will have to do it. When I start out in Pre-flight I won’t have to do it. It won’t be so bad I guess.

I haven’t got much further news to add as my life is getting into a routine now that my tests are all over. I just hang around do a little calisthenics + drills, read a little, write a few letters and sleep. At times it gets a little monotonous but I’ve accustomed to that after my stay in the desert.

The war news sounds very encouraging to me. The tide is beginning to turn now. I feel it will be just a question of time before we finally win. I expect it to be one big push too, and maybe this is the start of it. Let’s hope so.

Not much more now. I’ll write later.

Love

Bob

November 21, 1942 – Are you neglecting me?

Saturday Evening

Dear Mom + Dad,

I can(n’t) understand it; another day passes and still no mail from you. I’ve had one letter from you that came on my preliminary notice of my address (AFCC). I have not received one direct with my complete address on it yet. Something is wrong somewhere as I have received mail from Emily in three days via regular mail. I have written faithfully and I know you must have received my address long ago. I have been here now a good week and one half. It is probably getting mixed up somewhere or else you have neglected me. I suppose the next few days will turn up a few letters but right now it has me puzzled. Do you blame me?

I am now seeing my first day of real rain in many a month. The rain is coming down hard and the unusual sight looks good to me even though the weather is miserable. It has been threatening rain for about a week and it has been hot and muggy. Now that the rain has come it is blowing up cold.

We have had a lazy afternoon as we were off. I spent practically the whole afternoon reading the “New Yorker” and relaxing around the barracks. It is the only feasible thing to do on a day like today. I imagine tomorrow will also be a day of rest as it is Sunday and only rarely do we do anything. There is not much for us to do now. We spend a lot of time taking calisthenics and drilling. Also after we receive our classification we are subjected to the bugaboo’s of the army. K.P. and guard duty. A lot of the boys got their classification today. I don’t expect mine to come through until Monday as my rechecks will delay mine. It’s all right by me as the longer I stay unclassified the longer I postponed those duties.

They have opened a new PX right near our squadron and we are now allowed to go over there. I stocked up on hangers this afternoon. I still have several things I want to get but I can take my time accumulating them.

Well I guess that’s it for today. Hope I hear from you soon but undoubtedly I will.

Love

Bob

November 20, 1942 – Officially an Aviation Cadet

Friday Evening

Dear Mom + Dad,

I finally received a letter from you today, the one that was written Sunday evening. 5 days in the air mail, that is pretty sad. It probably was held up here trying to find me as it didn’t have the full address only my preliminary one. I also received one from Emily so I imagine that things will begin to pop with regularity now.

Well I have good news to report. I am now officially an aviation cadet. Yes I passed my recheck today and I slid through. I still don’t know what my classification will be now but I imagine it will be pilot. It took me 4 trials to pass. The Captain I had the last time was the main reason for my passing. He gave me a break and said if I could read the 20/20 line with both eyes instead of the usual one he would pass me. Well I did and he kept his word. I was just so near passing all the time I guess he figured it was safe to wave me through. I was in perfect shape outside of this minor defect. Now I’m a full fledged cadet. I wait now until they classify me according to the results of the test I took. I imagine the classification will come out around Monday. I’m fairly certain it will be that of pilot as that is what they classify the majority of the boys as.

I still can make bombardier or navigator yet. It is very hard to tell but I’m fairly certain it will be pilot.

I’m very happy about the whole thing as I wanted to make it and I have succeeded barring unforeseen incidents. I now have a tough nine months ahead of me but I don’t mind. I feel that I will like it very much especially after I get started. It will also be something that will be of practical use in the future too. If I like aviation enough I will have the best training possible for in later life. I have everything to gain and nothing to lose. It will also postpone my foreign duty for over a year, much better that I could do otherwise. I don’t mind that but if I can avoid it and still be doing a service to my country I’m happy. You see what I mean!

Incidentally things sure look good as far as the war is concerned. This thing may end a lot sooner than I had hoped for.

Well I guess that’s the dope for now. I’m sending this air mail as I know you want to hear my fate. I sure hope it doesn’t take 5 days.

Love

Bob