Aug 26 1944
Dear Ma
I guess I better get busy & write you a letter I am suppose to be in ground school but something happened & we got off 2 hours. It makes me very happy to get out of it. If theres any thing I hate worse than ground school I haven't found it yet.
Well belive it or not but we have had a couple of nice showers he last 2 days. It has cooled things off some but its still plenty warm. It rained enough to make every thing muddy last night but I'll take mud to heat.
We had a new bunch come in here so things are rather messed up. It seems the boys are starved because theres always a line at the chow house. Theres always a mob every place you go. Oh well we will be shipping out in a couple of weeks so I can probable stand it that long.
We were flying yesterday but it was the same old routine. I did take some pictures while we were up. The navigator got some color film so I was taking those for him. I also got 5 rolls in the PX the other day I was only suppose to get one but I had every brother & his uncle getting film for me. I still figure on taking my camer across with me.
I got another letter from Chas or did I tell you. He said he only weights 151 now. That kid must have lost a lot of weight.
Well I have to get back to classes so will close.
[no signature]
There were a few various photos in the box, mostly poor quality, unlabeled photos of people and scenes. There was only one that looked like it was taken from the air, this one of an engine and another shadowy B-17 in the formation. Here it is, for what it's worth.
Aug 29 1944
Dear Ma
Well I got your long letter today so will answer it now.
Those clippings sure get me, all those kids getting married. I guess its a good thing we moved out of there, hard telling what might have happened. Oh well may be they they will be happy but as for me I'll stay single for a while to come. I like what little freedom I have & I don't want to get tied down quite yet. I just can't get over it.
It looks like Bob C has done all right for him self now hasn't he. He sure has a nice job & I hope he can keep it up. Those P38 like he flys are really fast in fact faster than that. More
Well we have been having rainie weather of late, it was so over cast we didn't fly this morning but had to get up at 4 just the same. We have to fly in the morning at 6 so we'll have to get up at 3. I sure hate those early missions but theres nothing I can do about it. All we have been doing is putting in time we have finished all the required stuff so we go up & just fly around.
We haven't heard any thing about any change in schedual, we are still suppose to leave here the 16. That day won't come quite soon enough for me. I'll sure be glad to get off this field & out of the 2nd Air Force. It's really no good, thy are so dirty about every thing. It looks as though some of the boys are going A.W.O.L. unless they do something about leaves. They just keep putting us off & theres nothing left here to do. The chow is getting worse the lines are longer & all in all no good. I had to write wait in line 40 min the other day for chow & only had a hour off so you see I had a lot of spare time to do nothing in. They also have gotten to the place where they want us to salute the officers, that's all right in it's own place but thats not here or any other place in the air corp.
Well nothing unusual has happened the last few days so I guess I'll close for now
Jack
This letter crossed in the mail with that last one from Jack. It's a rarity: a letter to Jack from his mother, my Gram!
The postmark is Aug 29 1944. She just dated the letter "Monday" which would've been August 28, 1944.
Monday.
Dear Sugar
Talked with Bo yesterday she seemed to think things at Roy would be O.K. and she had a good place to stay Told her to get on the ball and write you – she forgot to take your address so I sent it last night.
See by the evening paper Purvis who is director of the A.T.C touring Band in India is sick, seriously with spinal meningitis so we are all in a worry about Jim. And poor Jim is so home sick and hungry for ice cream.
Then yesterday Gooie wasn't feeling too well so decided to call Crail so went to the phone and was looking for his No. when she fainted. He came and told her it was her apendix again. Wants her to stay in bed for a few days and may have to have it out this time. Nans is feeling pretty good her blood pressure is down to 200 now.
The little snip insisted I go to the show with her Sat afternoon to see Broadway Rhythm and The Cross of Lorraine. They were pretty good and the show was from 2 – 6 - and I said when the little one said "lets go" , "But I havent seen Donald Duck," then she ask me how much more I wanted for my cash.
Sarah decided she wasn't going to Des Moines to teach but Katie went to Springer. Should hear from Bo tomorrow giving me all the details.
Love and more love
from your Family
Notes:
Jack called me "Sugar" too. ☺️
Looks like Gram went to the same School of Awkward Punctuation that Jack did.
Gooie is Gladie, my grandmother's sister. Nans is her mother, I think? Olive Morel Kruse (1871-1951)
I'm assuming "the little snip" is Nene.
Broadway Rhythm was a musical comedy. The Cross of Lorraine is a WWII propaganda film.
Here are pictures of family members (not from Jack's cache; from my own collection):
 |
| Glady Idela Kruse, Jack's aunt aka Gooie |
 |
| Olive Morel Kruse, Jack's grandmother |
