Mid-December 1944 and a detour

December 12 1944

Dear Ma

Here I go again with out any mail from you, but I did get a letter from Neva. She wrote saying I had my name in the paper for getting the air Medal. I guess you knew of befor I did then at least from the date on the letter. 

That Neva seems to be doing just plenty swell in her school work, I hope she keeps it up. Its too bad I didn't get one or the other. I don't have the brains on the looks but I guess I am happy.

The weather has warmed up to day some but it's still pretty cold for me. I hope I can be some place to get some sunshine by at least next summer. 

Evey thing is going about the same as usual nothing new. I did run in to a kid I knew in basic & gunner with. I sure was glad to see him but I guess he is going home. Well will close now

So write soon

Jack. 

Dec. 13 1944

Dear Ma

I guess I'll drop you a short note tonight so as to send the money order. I didn't get around to getting it yesterday but as you see I did today.

The weather hasn't been too nice today, it was foggy all day. It was so bad they stopped all traffic around here. We were going to town tonight but no busses so like a good little boy I stayed home. I should be getting a 48 in the next few days so will go then. 

They got some of the boys out and marched them around for missing a class. I didn't go so suppose they will call me up for it but I don't think I missed it. If it was yesterday I know I am in the right, but if it was today I suppose it's like the English say I've had it.

I don't care though they can't rather won't do much if any thing about it.

I never got any mail again today but as usual I hope maybe I'll get some tomorrow. About all that has been comming in is the mail and thats next to no letter at all. 

I don't know if I told you or not but these socks are the real thing. The only trouble is I have to wash them after I wear them a couple of days. That white shows the color pretty good.

Say maybe you ought to tell that Nene she owes me a letter about now. Tell her I can't help it if mine to her always gets lost in the mail or some place. 

Oh yes I picked up some of the invasion money so will enclose it with this letter. I think its cute, it's a whole lot nicer than this Britih pound we use. 

The trouble with this English money is it's worth more than we think. We always figure a pound as about 1 dollar where it really is worth $4.

The Copilot made 2nd Lt the other day and the Pilot is going to make 1st in a week or so. Our bombardier was too good for us so they made him lead and we lost him. I told Eaton (the navigator) to go up and tell them he wanted 2nd Lt also. I don't know if he did or not but he probably did. I guess I'll have to get the Pilot on the ball and get that other strip. It will be the last one I get but it means about a $30 increase over what I now get. To my notion that ain't to be laughed at. 

Well I's run down so will stop.

Jack.

$30 is about $470 today. 

I was thinking that by "invasion currency" he means allied military currency, but the article doesn't indicate that they used it in Britain. 

Next, Margaret received a letter from Jack's mother. 

 Dec 14

Dear Margaret. Thanks so much for the prints Yes, I think they are very good, also.

I do not think Jack cares for England, people or weather from the letters I have had and the way I have figure things out he has gone on "plenty" missions. The last of Oct he wrote "We have gone to work for a change,' then when he wrote Florence about going to London, he said, "I am up for the Air Medal but do not tell Mom" and at that time he had a 48 hr. pass also had made six missions, then Nov 19 he wrote "he had another 48 hr pass but he did not think he would use it since he had no money, loaned it all out'. Then the last letter I had, written Nov 27, he said, 'they had another 48 hr pass and he and Jim had gone to one of the near bye towns on their bicycles and he was plenty sore and stiff from the 30 mile ride.'

He also told about one of the crew being A.W.O.L on two days that they flew. So I am thinking he has been on all the big raids over Germany. 

We were sure happy and proud when we read about him receiving the Air Medal, but not one word from the little 'skunk' said about it. I suppose one of these days I will get a letter saying "O! it wasn't much".

It has been quite cold here but the snow we had Sunday is all gone. 

Florence was home for a little while Sat and Sun. She came over with some of the teachers from Roy, who were here to shop.

Wayne is going to Vt. with one of his Aberdeen pals for a short Xmas vacation. I do not think he went deer hunting this year with the friend from Penn.

Write me when you have time as I alwys enjoy hearing from you –

Best wishes for the Xmas season –

Love

Neva M. Eutsler. 

Around the time these letters were written, Jack's crew flew a mission on December 11, targeting railroad marshaling yards near Frankfort, Germany. Mission 241 experienced bad weather, but was otherwise unremarkable. Whew!

He won't fly again for a week. 

And now, the detour. The following letter was tucked in Margaret's cache of Jack's letters. I'm sure it is meant to be with some other box of letters, but it is here, so I add it. It's from her mother, and it's from a year-plus earlier.

Return address on the envelope: Clapham, New Mexico. Postmark is hard to read but I believe it's Bueyeros, which is a location near Clapham according to this old map. 

Mon P.M.

Sept. 13 – 1943

Dear Margaret.

I should have written long ago but gee I've been busy.

I sorter left the writing to Cecilia while she was here but now that she's gone its up to me I guess.

We've had so many nice letters from you since I've written.

I'm so lost without Cecilia and those dear kids I can hardly stand it. 

I guess they were glad to get away and have done forgot us as we haven't had a word since they left a week ago tomorrow. I'll go nuts if I don't hear from them soon. Ann Marie said theyed write bless her heart. 

I sorter thought I might get a few lines from you Sat. too but not a word from any-body.

I'm writing a mile a minute as I have a way to send my letters to the box and am hurrying to get this ready. 

I'm canning tomatoes today or was until I took a notion to write then I dropped everything. 

Guess I'd better answer some of your questions. I've canned several qts of green beans a few peas some corn and now tomatoes. 

We didn't have any fruit. Our trees didn't even bloom this time, and fruit is so high its out of the question. Peaches are selling at $5.29 per bu. Won't have many wonderberries even.

About the canning sugar the stamps will be good through Oct. I could use your sugar and might even get a few watermelon sweet pickles made but don't bother to send it for I'm sure you are far too busy to do such things. 

Fritz is just fine but sure is grieving for the kids. Sits out by their door and looks so pitiful. I'm wondering if they have reached Albu. yet. If they have Cecilia told you she got a letter from Pat dated Aug. 18th I think it was. 

I'm getting anxious to know where the 7th army is now. They're evidently on their way to another front. I hope the darn Germans haven't sunk their ships. 

Hows the kittens? I sorter wish I had one. 

Yes Rose & Chester still have CoCo only Chester calls him Bull.

He is a mean dog but sure loves us.

Nice you hear from your friend Oren. I bet he is getting a kick out of rambling around. 

I won't have time to write more now. Must hurry and get all my canning done so I can send this message. Ready for journey to Albu. Rush fare. Ha! By gosh I may fool you and take you up on that yet. 

We are shipping our cows this week. Wont have much left after paying off loan but will be out of debt. Will keep two or three milk cows I think. 

Mike & Bob are back in Calif. Roseville Gen. Del. Agnes is in Provedence R.I. 230 Lockwood St, Our windmill went bad and daddy want down and got Junior to climb it and find out what was wrong and is ready to take him home now. Something broke at top of tower. 

No Wendla has no prospects for increase as I know of. Her baby is only 9 months old. A big old ugly boy.

If Cecilia is there tell Ann Marie Oscar ate dinner with us today. She thinks he is just it and he says he sure misses her. 

Please excuse this awful hurry of letter.

Marie's new address is 2321 Opal St. Los Angeles 23 Calif. Please take care of that letter of Pats.

Write when you have time and I'll try to take a day off and write next time.

Love

Mother.

P.S. Thanks a million for the stamps. 

Speaking of stamps, postage was 3¢ (48¢ today). The price of postage has outpaced inflation. It costs 58¢ these days to mail a letter. 

$5.29 is equal to about $85 today. A bushel of peaches is about 50 pounds, so Grandma would've had to pay about about $1.70 a pound. Pricey for a poor farm folk. 

December 10, 1944: A red letter day.

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.