This post has just two letters, both written on December 10, 1944.
December 10 1944
Dear Ma
Here I go again trying to write you a letter with, nothing to say.
I recived a envelope, with some clippings in it, yeterday but thats all. I did get a letter from Marg K the other day but she didn't write much, just about Pete & James. She never does, when she writes, say a whole lot but I guess she is like me nothing to write about.
The weather has turned off pretty cold of late, infact it froze last night and the night befor. Its trying to snow now so that doesn't help matters very much. They said it snowed some the other morning but me being a sleep I wouldn't know.
I slept rather late this AM but then had to get up to go get paid. Thats one nice thing about flying is you get that old flying pay. I some times wonder if it is worth it at that.
Say I am going to send you a $50 money order in one of my next 3 letters. You see you have to wait until they make it out & it takes a few days. I want you to put it away for me. I might want it a letter later on so must keep track of it. I would keep it my self but thats a little too much to be flying with.
I sure hope those slides hurry up and get here, we are getting overly anxious to see them. They should be getting here pretty soon, at least I think they should.
Well seeing I am all wrote out – I shuld mention I am sending my air medal home to day so you can look for that too.
I'll close now
Jack.
[with a flourish]
Again, $50 is about $783 today.
The same day he gets out the fancy writin' paper and writes to Margaret:
December 10 1944
Dear Margaret
Here I go again to see if I can get you to write a little better. How bout it can't you drope me a line just a litte oftener than you have been.
I recived the air medal the other day, that is I recived it officially. I knew I had it comming for some time but I have it for sure now. Its a pretty nice looking medal but doesn't mean much, more or less given to keep our spirits up. I'll get a cluster on it too, that is as soon as they get around to giving it to me. What I really want is the D.F.C but from what they tell me the chanches are very slim. They say you have to bring the ship back all shot up or the like to get it and if it's that way I would just as soon not get it. The D.F.C. use to be given when you finished up but they say things aren't as rough now so we don't get it. I personally think we earn it now if any one ever did. You see our Missions are a lot longer than they use to be. They are getting on the avg. of about 7 to 8 hours long. When you stop to think you get up about 4 hours before take off & then eat again a hour or so after you land its quite a little time between meals. Usually when we get down I am so nervious I don't feel like eating much, just tired and want to go to bed. They do give us a shot of whiskey to help out and it does on a empty stomach.
I got paid again today so I have some money, but that's about all. I guess I'll just send it home & then when I get home we will go out and have a good time. I can't seem to have much fun going out here, just a waist of time & money.
Perez (the radio man) went out the other night and came back drunk. We were called to go on a mission and I tried to get him up and he didn't like it so he jumped down my neck. That was all right but after we got the guns and such in he came over & started it again so we went round & round again. To top it off we were ask to make up by the pilot he said he didn't want us fighting up there while the other boys were fighting on the ground. I had all ready appologize gone over to Perez & made up so we laughed at the pilot. I guess it wasn't a very good thing to fight that way but I still don't like to get steped on.
It has been cold around here of late, has frozen 3 nights straight. It also tired to snow today but melted as fast as it came down.
Well here goes may be I am spinning my wheels but will you marry me. I have been thinking a whole lot of late so now we will see what you have to say.
I'll close with that I hope to get a answer soon.
Love Bill
Well that was unexpected! Can't wait to see what she says (errr...what he says she says)!
We finally got a little taste of what it is like flying missions. Just enough lack of detail to satisfy the censors.
The D.F.C. is the Distinguished Flying Cross. Yeah, that's the trouble with medals. You have to go through hell to get them. I think I'd rather go home without them.
Perez is a bit of a trouble maker! You'll remember he went AWOL and missed a flight recently.
The flight Perez had difficulty getting up for, Mission 240, appears to have been a picture-perfect mission.
No comments:
Post a Comment