Now it gets confusing! I suddenly have a V-Mail from Jack in my hands. What?!
Look over this post's artifacts and see if you come to the same conclusion I did. Come on! Where my forensic detectives at?
There was no envelope, but this V-Mail is dated Sept 4, 1944.
Sept 4 1944
Dear Ma
Well here goes a gain with another letter. As usual all we have been doing is detail but we keep hopeing we will ship out soon.
I went in to town the other night, or did I write & tell you are about it. Any way the English people drink in a different way than we do. They drink, but don't make any noise about it the places are all very quiet. It seems odd not to have some one making a noise, or possibly a juke box beating it out. Oh yes while I was on K. P. I ran into Chas, Mayfield from Con. Write the kids & tell them. We had quite a talk.
I suppose you wonder whose Parker 51 pen was sent to you – it's Jimmys & when we get located I write and have you send it.
Well I have to get up at 4.45 in the morning to go on K. P. again so will close for now. I'll write you a big long letter as soon as I Have more time
Jack.
"Con" is Concordia, Kansas, where Jack and his family lived before moving to New Mexico. I found a Charles Mayfield from Concordia who was a gas inspector there in the 1960s! I can't find an obituary; perhaps he is still alive.
Sept 9 1944
Dear Ma
Well here goes on another letter, but as usual I don't know how it will end up.
We are doing the same as usual, just going to lecturs & such. Some are interesting and some so dull it's hard to set through them. We haven't been too busy to day though, only had a bout a hour & a half this AM & about the same this P.M. Thats the way I like it but it probable not be that way much.
The boys had quite a time last night, about 11 oclock some one said lets get a keg of beer Well they got the beer & me I didn't get too much sleep. They are still drinking the beer today. Its like a mad house around here most of the time, all in all though its not bad.
You know it was just a month a go I was home, a lot of things have happened in that time. I have been quite a few places in that time, also done quite a little.
Say any time those smart guys go to gripping about the way it is there just inform them they have it nice. I know & when it comes down to that we have it like a king here compared to some of the places. Tell them to go to a place like Iceland or such.
Say while I am thinking about it would you send Wayne my address & tell him I would like to hear from him. Also drop the Goodwins a line & tell them I'll write as soon as I have more time.
Well I did my self a little good this PM, I washed out a pair of OD pants. I still don't like to wash cloths but will probable get pretty good at it.
Say did I tell you I got another watch befor I left the states. It's a pretty good on its a Elgin wrist watch. I don't know what happened to my other one I haven't seen it for the last few days I guess may be I lost it oh well it wasn't worth much.
Well I guess I'll close now & hope I get a letter from you soon. From the Postmark on some of the letters in the barracks I guess it takes some Time to get letters here.
Jack.
...And just like that, he's back stateside! The letter below is postmarked Ardmore, OK, Sept 12 1944.
Sept 11 1944
Dear Ma
We got back OK and on time all right but was plenty tired. We got in camp around 9 or so we did get a little sleep last night. The fellows kept coming in all night long so I didn't sleep too good – woke up several times. Some of the boys aren't back yet but maybe nothing will happen. We had to go to ground school all day today & also tomorrow. I guess we are suppose to fly a couple of days & then ship. The hottest rumor is we will go back to Lincoln to get our plane. It just rumors though.
That knife Wayne made is really a honey. He sure put a lot of work on it. I really didn't expect one that nice. I guess he's the same old Wayne though he does a job the first time.
We had quite a time in Alb. although we didn't do a whole lot. I went up to Mrs Moultens twice one morning & she wasn't in so we didn't get to see her. We saw Maggie & was with her all the time she wasn't working so she showed us around some. She's the same old Maggie. I sure wish I could have stayed there longer but thats the army for you.
We made good bus connections out of there, infact a whole lot better that I thought we could or ever expected. We left there around 7:30 or 8 Sat evening & got in Oka City 3:30 & stayed there about a hour & caught a buss here. We were lucky on the bus down here the rest of the fellows had to ride a school bus & were about dead when they finally got here.
We had a formation this AM at 7:30 & no one woke us up until 7:30 so we really had to bust our self to get out there. Oh well It all came out O.K so were are happy.
Jack.
Here is a clipping from the Las Vegas (New Mexico) Optic, September 12, 1944:
I wonder if this James is the same Jimmy who owns the Parker 51 pen. I looked and looked but couldn't find anything about Sgt. James W. Davis from Virginia anywhere. I found an airman by the same name who flew in missions over the Pacific (including the Hiroshima mission), but nothing about this James W. Davis.
And here is a photo of Jack with my mom Maggie while he visited her in Albuquerque:
Anyone else confused about all this? Any theories as to this sequence of letters? Think about it.... My theory is below.
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Here's my theory: The airmen were required to practice writing letters to train them in the censorship process. Or, perhaps they were training letters for censors-to-be. I bet they were instructed to mention a few places to see if the censor would redact the content. Thus, a joke about the way they drink in England and the mention of "Iceland."
The newspaper blurb dated September 12 mentioned a 10 day furlough. His last letter home was August 29, so the timing makes sense that he would have been home the first 10 days of September or so.
My guess: the letters with censor stamps were just practice!
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