And we're back! Thanks for your patience!
Aug 27 1944
Dear Maggie
Well now don't fall over dead but the army finally said they would give us a 10 day furlogh. It is suppose to start the 1st of the month but I am trying to swing a deal to get out the eve of the 31. If I can get off I'll be able to make connections & will come to Albuquerque. I should as the scheduled runs get in there around 10 Sat night. If I can't get off early I don't know if I'll get down right off the bat or not I may go home first. If you aren't doing any thing & are around the buss depot around that time drop in.
I am trying to talk one of the crew to go with me. He said he wasn't going home so I am trying to get him to so see? New Mexico. The last time I said anything to him he said he was so all I can do now is drag him along.
Well it turned off cool the last night & day. It was cool enough last night to sleep with a blanket. I sure hope it stays that way until I leave here.
We are scheduled to leave here --that is ship to another base, the 16 of next month. I sure will be glad to leave here I have gotten very disgusted with it here. We don't have much time off now & what little we do they mess up for us. The chow has gotten terrible & then you have stand in line to get it. I stood in line for 40 minents this noon & only had a hour off. Well one thing about it we won't have to put up with it too long.
Well I better close so if I come busting in Sat don't be surprised.
Love
Bill
Sept 8 1944
Dear Margaret.
Well here goes on a letter I should have written befor this, but better late than never.
I have been rather busy for the last few days, doing evey thing from K.P. to going to school. A the other place I did 2 days Kp out of 4 days there. I guess they really had my number. The last day on K.P. I know the Sgt had my number because he never let me out of his sight for a minet as long as there was work to be done. I hope my days for K.P. are over for a while now.
They tell me we sure were lucky to get here, they said it really is a a swell outfit. I like it here all right & the food is darn good. The one and only thing I don't like is the weather, its always cold & damp & I can't seem to take it. The weather reminds me a while lot of the weather in Wash.
At the other camp I ran in to a fellow I use to know in Kans. it sure surprised me to see him. I didn't recognize him but he remembered me, so we had quite a talk. I also ran into a Couple of fellow I went through basic & gunnery school with.
I have quite the time trying to write, I try to write & talk at the same time and it just doesn't work. You see they put us in a barracks with a lot of fellows who are & have been flying. Well we try to get all the dope they tell us so we will 1/2 way know what the score is. They really give us the straight dope & dont try to feed us a line like they did in the States. It really is interesting to talk to them & hear some of the things they have gone through.
It sure is hard to realize that a month ago we were still in Alb. Not only that I would like to be there now. Well may be I ought to close & get some sleep so write soon. As near as I know I'll have the same address for a while.
Bill
P.S. I don't care too much for the English girls, can't understand them.
Notes:
If you recall back when I transcribed Jack's letters to his Ma around this time, I surmised that he had an assignment to write a letter as part of the censorship training. Here is the post with letters from around the same time.
and the letters at the end of August:
I suspect this September 8 letter was actually written while he was in NM for his "furlogh." I betcha this one was just a test specimen!
