This is the first envelope that indicates Jack's new rank as Corporal. He doesn't mention his promotion in his letter, which is surprising to me.
Dear Ma
Well don't fall over dead from getting another letter from me today, it seems as I don't want to go out to night so will try to write you a short note
We had to get up at 3AM this morning & flew till noon. I was so tired while flying I went to sleep in the ball turret while operating it. I finally decided tat wasn't such a good idea so got out and went to sleep in the waist. I had on my electric heated suit & it & it got too warm. I was laying there very peacefully & the copilot came back & pluged it back in & turned it up full blast. When I finally woke up I was just about cooked. It really set me a fire. We flew up to Wichita Kans then to Amarillo & back here. It was quite a trip but I didn't see much of it. We had some P47's come at us & they sure were fast. It surprised me & woke me up to what I will be up against. They are faster than greased litinging
Its still plenty warm around here in fact I didn't get to sleep until 12 last night because it was so hot. It seems to have a breeze now so maybe we will be able to sleep tonight. I sure hope we ge a little cooler weather soon. It's just too hot to live & I am to tired to die.
Well I am writ out for now
Jack.
The P-47 was indeed a formidable machine. This fighter escorted bombers to their targets and engaged in air-to-air as well as air-to-ground combat. Stout yet agile, it was an important tool for the Allies. And yes, it was fast. Its top speed was 426 mph, compared to the lumbering 287 of Jack's B-17. Read more at Smithsonian Magazine.
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| P-47 Fighter |
Aug 10 1944
Dear Ma
I guess I better say in to night and write you a little short letter & clean myself up
I went up to Ada again but didn't do a whole lot, Theres too many GI's going up there now. They said there were more up there that night than there were when the cadets were stationed there. Another thing that made me mad was I started back about 10 PM & couldn't cath a ride until around 3:30 AM. To top that off we rode about 45 miles up on top of a load of coal. I don't mean maybe, but we looked like a couple of ni**ers. We were really black but Jimmy was slightly worser than me. We both had to take a good shower when we got back
We flew back up around Kansas yesterday but I didn't look out enough to know where we were. I was so sleepy I was asleep befor the plane left the ground. We also have flown over the Gulf since I last wrote you. I hate those trips down over Galveston because they are so long, and always at altitude (I can't get my sleep)
I guess I'll stop running around so much, its too hard on me I can't get my sleep. The pilots getting a little peved at us about it, not that I blame him. About every time we fly 1/2 of us all just about dead. We don't have too much time off now anyway so Ill start being a good little boy & stay home & get some sleep.
It seems like I might have to sign a statement of charges for a parchute harness. Since we [?] decided they wanted mine wores than I did so borrowed it, and also 4 others of the crew. It seems they only cost $35 a piece.
Its still too hot around here to live but may be I'll be able to take it for a few more weeks. It seems we are suppose to leave here around the 29 but I wouldn't say for sure. They claime they are moving the field to Ohio but I suppose we will finish up before they move it.
Say when are they going to send my camera to me I have been looking for it for a week now but it doesn't seem to come. Please get on the ball & send it to me.
You can tell Bo I have been getting her letters, also I recived one from Neva today.
Well I 'll close now
Jack.
$35 for the parachute harness would set him back $517 today.
The next letter is written in pencil.
Aug 11 1944
Dear Ma
Don't faint I fell all right, well almost all right. I suppose you wonder what got me to write, well here goes. I got up at 3 this morning to fly went down to the plane & was all ready. The pilot came up & ask me for my oxygen mask so I handed it to him & he said take off. It seem as though he has lost his so me I didn't fly. I came back to the barracks & lay down & slept until a few minuets a go & decided to get out befor the inspectoning officer came in & decided I shouldn't be there.
You say K.K. finally made Pfc. well that's fine, you can tell him if he needs any strips to let me know & Ill send him mine, I never did sew them on & wouldn't sew my Cpls on but they put out a order saying we had to. I'll get around to seeing them on one of these days. Most of the fellows started sewing them on the day the order came out, but they aren't proud or something
So you say Bergy got married well now aint that some thing. I sure would hate to be the woman that got stuck with him. I guess he is all right but I still can't see it .
I am over in our new Day Room it really is pretty nice. Its about as nice as any thing we have in the army.
Well they have started more hot L. rumors about furloughs & delay en routs. They say we are going to get 7 days & if you live over a 1000 miles 4 days travel time, Well if that the case I'lll put down I am going back out to the good old state of Wash. That only about 22000 miles from here so I'll be able to get those 4 extra days.
They won't be able to doubt my word much because after all I was inducted out there.
I got my self a new pair of sun glasses – so if you or the kids want the old ones Ill send them home one of these days. I have some suff I am going to send any way I have a extra shirt that they will take away from me if I don't get rid of it.
Its still plenty warm here in fact it was warm at 3 this morning. I was running around with my shirt off so you see it was plenty warm.
Well I think I can go back so will close now.
Jack
P.S. lost my pen so have to write with what I can find.
Here's our answer to why he didn't mention his promotion. He's not proud or something.
He got carried away with his zeros... Washington is about 2000 miles from Oklahoma.
I don't know who K.K and Bergy are.
Here's a picture of Ardmore Air Force Base from 1945.
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