A year's gone by... (Maggie)

The last letter we had from Bill to Maggie was November 14, 1942 while he was still in Bremerton, a "civy" welder working in the Puget Sound Naval yards. Here we are a year later, when Bill's mother reaches out to Margaret.

504 Grand

Las Vegas

Dec. 21, 1943

Dear Margaret

Just a note to wish you a very merry Xmas and all good things for the new year.

Had my first letter from Bernard at Buckley Field yesterday.

He thinks he likes army life. 

And poor Louie – I wish you could read the lonesome letter I got from him.

Bernard has been in since Dec 3. passed his tests for cadet so he should be happy. if you remember how badly he wanted to get in two years ago. Well he is in and I hope he makes good and is not washed out. 

We are enjoying plenty of ice - snow and slush. The streets are a sight. 

Best Xmas wishes

Neva M. Eutsler

Pvt. Bernard C. Eutsler 39215612

T.S.S. 769 Flt 176

Bks. 339 E

Buckley Field

Denver Colo.

Maggie must've sat right down and mailed him a letter, because we have one from him just over a week later.

Dec 30 1943

Dear Maggie

I recived your letter today so thought I had better answer it right away & not put it off.

I sure have been on the go since I last saw you & I mean on the go. I had that operation & as soon as it was healed I took off for Bremerton. I was there exactly 3 days & was classified back into 1A which made me very happy. Well I worked about 2 months & recived my induction papers & 3 weeks later I went to dear old Fort Lewis. We were there 2 weeks & took my 1st test for the air corp & passed. They shipped me here to Buckley which didn't make me mad at all so here I am. 

I got home for Xmas I got home on a 3 day pass so I don't think I did so bad. I got home 5A.M Friday morning & left 3 PM the 25. It didn't leave me much time & I was tired by the time I got back but it was better than not being home at all. I got in to the field about 4:30 in the morning & slept till 8:30 & then my dear friends & buddies requested me to get up so what could I do, its about 5" to the floor. 

We went out Tues night, five of us, & went to a dive in Denver, the first thing you know we were all drunk & having one swell time. If dear old Maggie & the rest of the old gang were there it would have been just like old times. One kid got mad & pulled the wash basin off the wall & we sure cleared out of the wash room quick. We made so much noise I though they we going to kick us out, but they didn't so we had quite a time all in all. We got back at 12:30AM & had to get up at 3:00 for k.p. so you know I was really feeling good when I got up. My old head was swimming & my stomach felt like it was just 1/2 there, but I lived through the day.

I haven't heard from Louie the last few weeks but I guess he is still out there. He sure hated to see me leave when I did leave. 

You ask if I were a cadet or not as bad as I hate to say it no. I have to start taking test next week to find out if I can make the grade. I guess if I don't I'll probable be put in as a gunner. You also ask how I like to be "government property." to tell you the truth I'd still rather be a cilvinin. It's not to bad but they tell you when you do this & when you do that & etc. If hey would let me set around & talk all day & get t least 2 hours sleep each day it wouldn't be bad.

Yes I have Waynes address so if you want it you just set down & write me another letter & I'll send it to you.

Say if you ever come to Denver let me know ahead of time & I'll try to get a pass.

Well I'll close now & hope to hear from you soon.

Bill 

"little"

Cheeky!

Christmas, 1943 was on Saturday, so he had just about a day and a half at home.

Here are Jack's letters to Gram mid- to late-December, just before and just after he had his pass to go home for Christmas. 

 

Last half of 1942 (Maggie)

We have just three letters from Jack to Maggie in the last half of 1942, and there are no corresponding letters to Gram during this period.

June 27, 1942

Dear Maggie

I got your letter today and was glad to hear from you. I thought you had forgot me all together. I know how we were running around befor we left but that was for only a period of 3 days not a month. 

I still don't like Wash, wish I were back in N. Mex, but will stay while I am making money. I passed my test and am working on the U.S.S. Nevada, too bad it wasn't sunk at Pearl Harbor. It is a hot and dirty job. I only work about 2 hours a night though, just stand around and wait on the ship fitter.

You think you have soldiers there you ought to be here, we have sailors , soldiers, and marines plus a few forgien " & etc. They are just every place all the time thats all you see, it gets tiresome after a while

I may move in with Louie after a few weeks I don't know, I would have moved in befor this but I hate to move.

Say have I've been smoking latley, more than a pack a day. I've got to quit or it will kill me (I hope)

Am I smart, I just took my watch off and put it on backwards.  It has been nice the last couple of days, the sun has actualy been out for more than a hour.  I have to close and get some sleep so write soon and let me know what you have been doing.  

 

Bill

 

Again, a letter written on folded paper. It starts on the upper right, then lower left, lower right, and ends on the upper left.

Oct 4 1942

1243 - 5th St

Dear Maggie  

 

Well it is Sunday and I woke up early & thought maybe I should drop you a line to let you know I am still alive.  

 

I am still putting in my time here but that's all. Things have been rather dull of late, no work just stand around and hope a naval officer doesn't find you loafing. I haven't done a real days work in a month. I am still on the Nevada but it is almost done so I'll probable  get changed over to the U.S.S. Tenn. or new construction in the near future.

You ask what I have been doing in my spare time. Well we have been boating several times but out side of that not a – – thing. The only thing there is to do on our day off is go to a show or Seattle, if we go to Seattle we always end up at a show. I have got so I go to sleep in every show I see. I went to a good show, last day off, and really wanted to see it, I tried hard to keep from going to sleep but did any way. Louie bought a car so that helps break the monotny once in a while, we have seen some very pretty country while we ride around. I just wish I had a movie camera to take some color pictures of it.  

 

You talk of Alb. soilders – if you want soilders, sailors, marines, English salors and air pilets both RAF & RCAF and our own you should come here we have them all. You see them all if you stay here a little while the English salors are in town most every day, they are crazy & drunken. You can't understand a word they say, it sounds like a hog grunting.

You say you have reformed as far as drinking goes, well you should see this little boy – hasn't even smelt a cork since he's been here. Oh of course tried to drink a few beers but this stuff here isn't fit for nothing or no body.

In this state they don't serve whiskey by the drink – bottle only & you have to be setting down to drink beer. You can't even carry it to your table a waitress has to.

You talk about N.Y.A. it is one big laugh up here. That N.Y.A. training doesn't do any body any good, they put you in whatever shop needs you. The Nyaa gives you training then you come here and they have to train you all over. My training in welding actually didn't do me a bit of good. I had to start all over again when I came in the yard. We don't do much of any thing the way we were taught in N.M. The only thing they do that helps the boys is send them out here. I just wish I could get some time off & come back and try to show those instructors just what they want up here.

Talking a bout getting off to come back – a guy can't get off for love nor money now. The only way you can get any time off is to quite & then the army has you so there you are again  

 

Well I guess I ought to close now. Write soon.  

 

Bill.

 

 

 

Nov 14 1942

 

Dear Maggie

 

I guess I owe you a letter in – – fact I have owed it to you for quiet a while.  It has been rather cold here, not by the thermometer but by feel. It just goes right through you like nothing. It has been raining too not hard but rather steady it has come down for better than 24 hours now and sure makes a guy want to come back to N. Mex. 

You asked if I was disgusted with the whole world, no not quite, just this part of the country. I guess I wrote those two letters to you when I was down in dumps. It gets very tiresome just putting in your time and not feeling like doing anything when you do have a day off. It is hard to do anything here, unless you want to spend a lot of money, and then you don't have the fun we use to have.

On our day off all Louie wants to do is go over to Seattle and ride around. Well to my notion he isn't the driver he thinks he is and it soon gets on my nerves so I come home all worn out.

I am working on the U.S.S. Idaho now, I meant putting in my time I welded for about 30 min. last night so you see I really work. Every once in a while I get to talking (as usual) to a sailor who has seen action and they really can't tell some real stories. Not the kind you read in news papers but the straight stuff.

One gave me some money from Iceland and told me all about it up there. In fact I have been around the world several times. I have heard stories about almost all the foregien countries except Africa.

You ask about Wayne. He is still in Aberdeen as far as I know he hasn't written me in a couple of week. And for Malcolm she is in Vegas from what Ma says. I guess she goes up to see Ma every once in a while. She never has written me so I have done likewise.

No I haven't been on a spree since I came out here (almost 7 months) but one of these days I am going to realy through a big one. I am going to get as drunk as I did the time we went out with Claude, J.C. Quack & ect. If I ever get back to Vegas & Wayne is there I'll really go on another one, maybe we could talk to you on being there too. That is if I ever get back there. If the weather doesn't start getting a little better I am afraid I'll die with my boot on. You ought to see the boots I have now they weigh about 10 lbs. Boy they are really heavy.

I almost fell over board the other day. I fell on a platform on the side of the ship and tried to get up befor a officer caught me. Any way I skined up my shins and did they hurt for a while.

I guess some of these mexican kids are going home. They don't like it here and want to go back to their girls. Dick the kid from Alb went home to join the army, I told him to look you up I hope he did but doubt it. His brother referred to you as Miss Murphy – I didn't know who he was talking about. 

 

Well I better close now and get some sleep. I am still on the graveyard shift so I need it.  

 

Write soon  

 

Bill

Well, well! Jack and Maggie were drinking buddies! The things we learn!

 

May 1942: Welding Woes (Maggie)

Information from my sister Margaret/Peggy/Peggers/Pagrs:

 

Re Dad’s nicknames. We asked the aunties about all the nicknames at the first EutslerFest in ABQ back in the 1990s. When Dad was a little fella, their milk was delivered in a horse-drawn wagon pulled by a horse named Bill. After the milkman had made his delivery, he’d get back on the wagon, shake the reins, and say, “Gid up, Bill!” Auntie Bobo said her little brother would race around and holler, “Gi up, Bill! Gi up, Bill!” Our grandfather, the source of many of the nicknames (his sister Minerva was “Pinny Pinerva” and eventually Penny), called him “Bill,” and I remember that many of his old friends in Kansas still called him Bill in the 1950s. 

 

Where did “Jack” come from? From the nursery rhyme “Jack, Be Nimble.” He learned the rhyme, Bobo said, and ran around the house leaping over everything that remotely resembled a candlestick all the while reciting the rhyme. (She said he made them all nuts, because he was indefatigable with running and rhyming.) We have Grandfather Eutsler to thank for that one, too.

*

These letters have a bunch of money figures so I've embedded the value in today's dollars [in brackets].

  

 

 

 

May 13, 1942

4026 Brooklyn

Seattle Wash

Dear Margaret I got your letter of May 8 yesterday but had to go get it. I had several letters or rather cards & letters out at the camp and went and got them to day after work.

Well I am working a Puget Sound Naval Yards as a welder. I found out that I don't know a thing about welding. Yesterday the instructor started me in on flat beds & I have to learn all over a gain. We certainly got good training under N.Y.A., we hardly use any thing they taught us down there & a lot of what they did teach us was wrong. Well any way I am making 8.48 [$138] a night & 6¢ [$1] a hour for graveyard. I forgot to tell you I am working on the Graveyard shift from 12:30 to 8:15 so I have changed my way of living. I also do a lot of fast walking & running here belive it or not. Well going back to the money end of it after I have worked for 10 day as a 1st class welder & don't pass my test I'll be lowered to a trainee and only make $6.00 [$98] a day & the 6¢ [$1]. You can tell Ray & Zorn & everybody that they don't work us hard & let us smoke on the job & rest any time you take a notion for as long as you please. Boy don't think I don't take advantage of it too. Every one takes there own sweet time & are all swell guys. They all just treat a guy as nice as if they had known him a long time.

Boy there is a lot of work in the yards & they are plenty big. They have 6 cruisers, in one dry dock, that they are building & the Saratoga, that they are repairing & the U.S.S. Nevada also under repairs. There I go reviling military secretes. 

Boy it is hard to get in over there, we spent 2 days going through all the government red tape. But now I am in I can't get out with out about twice as much red tape. We have to wear a badge all the time, it has our picture, you should see me, thumb print, height age, when taken, race, signature & evey thing about us. 

Well Louie & Carl Dick (from Alb.) & I room & board together in the same house. Louie & I are on the same shift so that makes it rather nice. Carl is on the Day shift, Dick on the swing. So you can see we are in and out all hours of the night & day. 

Well we have to put in about 13 hours to get 8 hours of work in so you see I have a lot of time to run around. We have to ride the ferry back & forth & that take a hour each way. We would move over to Bremerton if we could find a place but we can't. You can tell Malcolm I would look up her uncle but I never have time while I am over there or I'll miss the ferry. 

Well I have been getting all of 4 to 6 hours sleep a day so you can see I changed my way of living again. I usually go to sleep on the job for a hour or two but didn't last night because I was working out side & it was rather cold. It looks like it will be colder to night than last so I'll have to put on the rest of my cloths. I had on about ½ of what I brought with me last night. 

Well I guess that is about all I can think of at the present time so I'll close. 

Bill 

His joking about running or walking fast meaning he is "changing his way of living" -- Ha! I always thought through the years that he walked sooooper sloooow because he was old. Nope, he was just Jack.

 

 

Sat May 23, 1942

4026 Brooklyn

 

Dear Margaret

 

 Here I am writing again. I see you write letter about like I use to. If you write once a month your doing rather good.

I haven't been doing much except go to work, come home go to bed & get up to start all over again. I am in training now and realy learning how to weld, not like I did in N.Y.A. The instructors here are certainly good welders & they can teach us how rather good. I work in a dry dock which is about 20 feet below sea level, all we have is a roof over us & it does get rather chilly here at night. I have been working a little harder latley more than I did when I started, because one instructor informed me I better or else.

I saw the Vegas boys, the last bunch) as I was getting of the ferry this morning. They were just going over to try & find room & board. Well I guess Dick, Louie, & I will move over there the first of the month. We have a apt rented, it sure is a nice place. It has a front room kitchen, bed room, sleeping porch, & private bath. The kitchen has a electric stove & a electric ice box. Does that sound like its worth $50 [$813] a month. It certainly is nice though & is only a bout 15 minets walk from the yards, not the way I use to walk either. 

Our landlady here realy put the spurs to us, for 2 week room and board she charged us $17 [$276] then the next week she charged us $13 [$211], some fun.

Well I made some money last week, my check was for $68.45 [$1112], but I don't have ½ that now. I won't make that again untill I pass my welding tests though, I probable be dropped to a bout $40 [$650] a week & will I have to save to make any thing.

I got a letter from Wayne yesterday & he told me what he has been doing and how much he had been spending so I took & sent him $5 [$81], I'll bet he loves me for it.

Well I'll have to stop & go to work now. And I do mean work.

May 24

Well I worked last night and had quite a time trying to keep a wake. I didn't do much except talk to a couple of fellows. I got my derating last night, from now on I'll be making $6.96 [$113] a night I don't know if I can live on that or not. 

I was talking to a fellow that has just got back from Pearl Harbor. I may go there If I can pass my welding test and can get a transfer. It pays $1.26 [$20.48] a hour and I guess living expenses aren't to high.

Well I guess I'll close & get some thing to eat and get to work.

Bill

May 25

Well It looks like we lost out on the apt. I don't know what we will do now except look for another place. Write soon.

I remind you: Jack just turned 19 years old. Maggie was a couple months from turning 22.

 

Here is the post with Jack's letters to his mother from this period: May 1942: Jack Arrives in Seattle and Bo's Birthday

 

SCREEEEEECH!

 SCREEEEEECH! <throws this machine into reverse>

Another long-lost cache has been found!

Jack's letters to my mother Margaret (Maggie) are in hand and are begging to be scanned. 

Before we go forward, we are going to back up to 1942 and catch up Maggie's letters. Once we're caught up, we'll dovetail the letters. Jack wrote to Margaret much more infrequently, so it will be a (relatively) quick catch-up.

While we're talking speed -- I have to apologize for stalling out. It's for a couple reasons. First, I'm working a job and a half, and it got a little crazy over the last couple months. Secondly, I want to add details about Jack's missions, and my brain was still working out how to do it. So I stalled. 

 

For now.....

Let's throw this machine into reverse and git her goin' again!

 

 

Postcard postmarked April 18 1942

Dear Maggie

We arrived in Denver to late to get 8:30 train so will have to lay over till 5. 

Have had a fair trip so far. It has been raining on us since we left Springer. All of us caught a lot of sleep last night. We slept from about 2-6. there isn't very many boys this trip. 5 from Albuquerque 4 from Santa Fe and our bunch. Louie found his sister and went home with her so I don't have anything to do for a while. I sent Gene a wire and maybe he'll come over from Greeley. Thanks a lot for the billfold. 

 

Love Bill

 

Bill is Jack, and Jack is Bill. Neither are his given name (Bernard). Jack's family is The Family of the Eternal Nickname. Not sure how he got either of them.

 

 

April 22, 1942 (in Margaret's handwriting)

Dear Marg

Well here I am writing you. I just came back from breakfast and don't have any thing to do untill 4 except eat again. Boy how I eat here. I eat more in one meal here than I did all day there. The food has been good so far & so has every thing else.

Carl and I got the swing shift on K.P. all the N. Mex boys got K.P. It isn't bad though all we do is eat while we are on duty. I have been washing pots & pans, even garbage buckets.

Carl & I went to Seattle yesterday morning and walked all over town. It is a rather nice place about like Vegas only Vegas is a little better. You could put Vegas on on block & still have plenty of room. It is a very hilly place every place you go is either up or down hill.

Every thing around here is nice and green the weather is rather chily in the mornings but warms up in the after noon.

We have been having a lot of fun since we started for this place. All we do is eat & sleep. 

Well I had to stop and clean the windows behind my bunk. We have to keep our beds made and every thing clean. It is just like being in the army only with out the strict disiplin. 

It looks like we are only going to stay here 10 days total time. We will then go to work in the naval yards. I will start at $8.48 a day for at least 10 days. I then will take a test. If I don't pass I will get 75¢ a hour for 20 day then take the test again. If I still don't pass I go to school for 30 day at 75¢ It seems like I can't lose. 

I think Carl & I will go over to Bremerton Sun and see what it is like because that's where we have to work. 

 

We have to wear buttons all the time here. If we are caught with out one we get 4 hours extra duty. It also looks like we won't get any training befor we go on the job. Just work in the kitchen.

I wrote Ray a letter, as you probable already know, and told him all about it here. 

Tell Malcolm we might try to find her uncle Sun.

Well I have run out of every thing to write. You see I am not as windy with my writing as I am with my talking. 

Yours 

Bill [with a flourish]

6677 Corson Ave

Seattle Wash

 

$8.48/day is about $128.35 today (about $16/hour if he worked 8 hours). 75¢ an hour is worth $11.35 now. 

 

Apologies for the orientation of this next one.  He wrote on folded paper, and I'm not going to take the time to crop them. I doubt anyone wants to try to decipher his writing anyway!! Start on the upper right, then lower right, then lower left and last page is upper left.

 

 

April 27, 1942

Seattle Wash.

Dear Maggie

I just got your letter and you don't know what a letter does for a guy. Too bad little Bill wasn't there to celebrate with you but such is life.

Talking about washing dishes boy do we wash em. I have washed so many I wish they would use paper plats. We have a automatic dishwasher though. But still theres a lot of work to be done. We have to skrub the kitchen evey other night. 

It seems like us welders won't get any training here but the machinest & sheet metal workers went in the shops today.

Well we went over to Bremerton yesterday and had a nice time. It takes 55 mins. to get over there by ferry. Bremerton is a nice clean little place (30 000) but a very hard place to find room and board. We started to look up Malcolms uncle but allmost missed the boat to get home in time to eat. I had to change my way of living very fast & run (Belive it or not)

It looks like we will leave here 2 weeks from the date we arrived. The pay for me will start at $8.48 a day put will probably be lowered. (read Ma's letters)

Sat we went to Seattle and saw a show & a [____]. You can even smoke in the theaters here. Yesterday we went to Georgetown to mail some letters. It is only about 8 blocks from here but we wanderd off and got lost by the time we got back we had walked about 2 miles. 

I certainly like the country out here. everything is nice and green but rather chilly. It trys to rain every day but that doesn't seem to bother.

There are soilders all over the place here. Every 2 or 3 blocks it seems like there are some soilders stationed. They put up a ballon barage over the whole town every night too. They claim that Seattle will probable be one of the first towns bombed in U.S., but they also claim it is the bet fortified too. Every thing out here is war talk. If this place is bombed we will be in the thick of it because we are only 1/2 mile from Boeing air plant and when we get to Bremerton we will be at the navy yards so things don't look to hot. Talking about navy yards there are a big bunch of sailor in Seattle too.

The camp is swell except for the work. The food is also good when they have some thing I like, but I am getting to eat evey thing except fish. Evey one treats us swell here. 

Say if this gets there befor you send any more boys out tell them to bring all the money they have because if they want to do anything it cost something. The trip to Bremerton cost 95¢ & 2 bus tokens. and etc & etc. Now don't get me wrong and think I am broke because I'm not. 

I have been having a swell time here. Carl & I have been running together but he was changed to Day shift so I'll be the lone wolf unless I can get changed too.

I was telling some Neb. boys about New Mex. Boy I have them scared at even the sight of a mexican. Deep in the heart of Texas is on the radio now I make me just a little home sick. So far I haven't gotten home sick but probable will as soon as I get away from all these fellows & get a job. 

Well don't get to lonesome there or we'll make you come out here. 

Write soon

Love 

Bill

P.S. Don't feel to bad about the dog, may be its for the best.

He's a little looser with Maggie than with his mom. He didn't mention to his mother -- understandably -- the danger that Seattle was facing.

 

Barrage Balloons were large balloons tethered by steel cables and worked to defend against enemy aircraft. Aircraft had to fly at higher altitudes or risk hitting the balloon cables. The balloons could also fire upon the enemy. Notably, the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion at Normandy was manned entirely by African American soldiers, the only battalion at Normandy manned exclusively by black soldiers.

 

Just to remind you: Maggie worked for the National Youth Administration (NYA), a New Deal program that sent women and men to school and work. When the war started, they sent them to work for the war effort, but the agency soon disbanded. It's part of the story of how they met. Mom's friend Malcolm was dating Jack's uncle Wayne, and Jack and Maggie were introduced. Maggie helped Jack get a job as a welder up in Seattle through the NYA.   

I'll be linking these new posts back to the corresponding letters to his ma, but these are earlier than the first ones we had from that cache.

 

This going to be fun!

 

End of October, 1944: At War.

So, after about 120 letters and postcards, we finally see Jack at war. 

Jack was in the 508th squadron of the 351st bomb group of the 8th Army Air Corps. Here are their emblems:

508th Squadron

351st Bomb Group

8th Air Force

Jack's Cache posts will be a bit different from here on, as I'm going to try to stitch together what I know about Jack's missions with what he is writing back home. 

I'll be referring to a couple sources. The database on 351st.com details every mission flown by the 351st bomb group. I'll also refer to The Mighty Eighth War Diary by Roger A. Freeman, which judging from the card tucked inside, I gifted to Jack on some Father's Day. He went through the book and highlighted his 38 missions, which spanned from October 28, 1944 to March 5, 1945.

The Crew

Keep in mind that when Jack flew his first mission, he was not quite 21½ years old. He would say he was the old man of the crew. Indeed, many service members during the war were boys of 18-19 years. 

As you recall from Jack's letters, the crew ate, slept, and flew together in training, and this of course carried through to missions. Most of Jack's flights had a crew of nine, and though the crew swapped out members on some missions (more frequently toward the end of Jack's tour), there were eight who were on just about every one of Jack's missions. They were:

Pilot Henry F. Kale

Co-Pilot Delbert C. Rohr

Navigator Donald H. Eaton

Top Turret Gunner James B. McGarry

Radio Operator Stanley N. Perez

Most frequently at Nose Gunner James W. Davis 

Ball Turret Gunner Bernard C. Eutsler (Jack)

Tail Gunner John A. Webster 

We've met a few of these men already. Jim Davis was Jack's good buddy. You remember he went to New Mexico with Jack on their furlough before they shipped out, and Jim is the one Jack got to bed when he was drunk. We also met Stanley Perez, who was hospitalized just before shipping out. Looks like he made it! John Webster recently bought the bicycle. 

The Danger

B-17 missions had notoriously high casualty rates. It's been estimated that there was an overall 19% death rate for 8th Air Force missions, but B-17s were the most dangerous. Jack told me that there was never a casualty on his crew. He said that others were clamoring to be on the crew because they always all came back, and came back uninjured! Perhaps much of the credit goes to pilot Henry F. Kale, who flew Jack on 36 of his 38 missions. Perhaps it was the skilled synergy with which the 508th squadron missions were flown. Or perhaps it was luck of the draw.

Early in the war there was a 25-mission yardstick. Flying 25 missions supposedly met the requirements of a full tour of duty. 

From War Bird News:

In 1942, during the first three months of America’s combat flights over Europe the average bomber crew was expected to complete 8-12 missions before being shot down or disabled. This in mind, the US Army Air Force decided that 25 missions while serving in a heavy bomber of the 8th Army Air Force would constitute a “completed tour of duty” because of the “physical and mental strain on the crew.” 

Yeah. That was in 1942. That yardstick was long gone by October, 1944. Jack flew 38 missions, but that wasn't unusual. His buddy Jim flew 55!

Ball-Turret Gunner

Due to his being a small-statured man, Jack was trained for the ball turret gunner position. This meant that he was suited in a heated flight suit, curled up in the aluminum and plexiglass ball on the belly of the plane, manning two .50-caliber machine guns. He stayed there for each 6-8 hour mission, at 30,000 feet, with only a couple inches of aluminum and plexiglas between him and -50º air.

The turret was about 4 feet in diameter and had 360º yaw and 90º pitch. As you can imagine, it was a very vulnerable position, hanging on the belly of the plane without visuals except the bottom of the bomber and everything below. It was vulnerable to offense from enemy fighters, who preferred to attack from below, as well as ground anti-aircraft fire and flak. Not only that, Jack couldn't fit in the turret with a parachute. It was left above, next to the hatch, and he would need help to get out of the turret and retrieve the parachute if the plane were hit. 

It has been estimated that ball-turret gunners had a 60% mortality rate. 

Here are some first-hand experiences of a ball turret gunner.

The Life of a Ball Turret Gunner

The View From the Ball Turret

Life and Death Aboard a B-17, 1944

And a poem:

The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner

By Randall Jarrell (1914-1965)

From my mother’s sleep I fell into the State,

And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze.

Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life,

I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters.

When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose.

mid-October 1944: not much going on

Oct 20 1944

Dear Ma

Well here I am writing you a gain this time to answer 2 letters I recived from you. They were both mailed to the temporary A.P.O. I don't know when the mail will start comming in regular but I hope soon.

So the Runt still gets mail from "little Jim." I still say you better keep workin on her because we don't want to pass up a good thing. When she writes him again tell him I may look him up. It will be a while befor I get a pass but I'll see.

I am glad to hear Glady feels better & hope she gets up and around soon You can tell that Nene to let up making her laugh because I imagine it hurts. Even me I would have more sense than that. 

I haven't recived any mail from any one but you. I guess no one has gotten my address yet. I sure hope it starts coming in soon

I went into town again last night, but as usual just drank a little beer. Theres not a whole lot to do when we do go in. I haven't tried but they say you can't get a good meal. I know we tried to buy a scarf & they said we had to have coupons, which we didn't have. All in all I only spent a little over $2 last night. 

We'll I'll close for now & hope get some mail soon

Jack.

$2 would be almost $30 today.

 Oct 24 1944

Dear Ma

I'll start on another letter and hope I can finish it tonight.

As usual we haven't been doing any thing just eat & sleep. Not that we are lazy we still sleep until 11 oclock. The black out curtains make it nice and dark even when it's light out side.

I haven't recived any mail from you of late but none of the other fellows have recived any either. I suppose when it does get here we will get a big bunch all at once. I suppose also that you get my mail in bunches too. 

Did I write and tell you Webster bought himself a bicycle. Thats about the only means of transportation around here. He has a flat now though so he hasn't been going any where. 

I went to the movie to night, Bob Hope in one of his pictures. It wasn't bad although it was a little old. Most of the pictures we get here are ones I saw befor comming over. 

Jimmy came in last night so drunk he didn't know which and was up. I finally got him to bed but he decided he didn't want to stay so got back up. The second time I walked him a round some so when I got him back in bed he stayed. I told him I would would be so nice next time. 

Its really hard to write because theres not a while lot to write about. We don't do anything thing so we can't write about what we do. Even if we were doing any thing we couldn't write about it. Now if I were like Jim & Nene it might be different. 

I'll take some pictures one of these days & send them. At the present I haven't even started to use the camera. 

Ill close so write soon

Jack. 

October, 1944: Sleeping til noon

 I have to apologize!

I made an error. I transcribed the wrong V-Mail in the last post. I got them mixed up, the sneaky little letters! 

I'm correcting it here. Please forgive the repeat of content, but now you have them in order!

Oct 13 1944

Dear Ma

Ill drop you a little note tonight to let you know I recived a letter from you & one from the Runt. The one from you was written to Lin & Nenes letter was to the temporary A.P.O. I have been expecting some more mail from you but that's all just expecting. 

We have been doing the same old run of not doing much. We sleep until any weres from 8 to noon in the morning & then some one usually wakes us up. The boys are still going out at midnight and getting beer, but I have gotten so I can sleep through most of it. I guess they had a party last night, made hambergers & such.

We have been having rather cool & rainy weather but as to yet I haven't got much more of a cold then I had. 

Oh yes I heard unofficially I made Sgt today so I have another strip to sew on. I knew it was comming but didn't know when. I suppose that will be the last one for a while Oh well I have done pretty well for no longer than I have been in. 

Jack.

Oct 15 – 1944

Dear Ma

Well here goes on another letter, but as to yet I have only recived that one from you.

As usual we haven't been doing any thing just go to shows & such. We have gone out & fired the 45 twice. We got out & fire it more or less to kill time & to see how good we can get. I have fired it enough the last 2 days to make my self deaf. Someday I'll learn to stuff cotton in my ears.

I almost went to town to night but they say theres not much doing in town so I just stayed here & decided to write a few letters.

You can tell Bo she ought to be here – we sleep until about noon & I know she would like that. Say how is she getting a long with her teaching.

Well I am still hoping the mail will soon catch up with me. I suppose it will in the next few days. I'll close now as you see no more space. 

Jack. 

Now, this one is interesting. Jack wrote it on Oct 16, 1944. The U.S. Army postmark is 24 Oct 1944, and then it has a postmark on the letter itself! LAS VEGAS, N. MEX NOV 2 1944 PARCEL POST.  Weird!

Oct 16 1944

Dear Ma

I got 2 more letters from you yesterday so will try to answer them. One was sent to Lincoln & the other to temp. A.P.O.

You ask about the pictures, yes I want a print of each. I hope the roll I took are as good as the ones you took. Oh yes the ones I took in Alb., Margaret wants some prints of those so would you send them to her. I suppose you have her address if not it's probable laying around the house.

Say I want you to send me that wool scarf you knit, some air mail stationary, Jims pen and some all wool socks if you can get them. The socks get 3 pairs size 11 & 3 pairs size 12 or slightly larger. You can enclose those picture in the package too if you want. 

Well I hope Glady is feeling better by now, I suppose she is probably up and a round by now (I hope) Tell her I would have sent her a card if I had known sooner & if I could have gotten one. 

We went out and fired the .45 again to day. If I keep it up I ought to get so I can shoot it. It was almost to muddy to go out today.

I went into town last night & drank a few beers. I also went to a dance but as usual I just set on the side line & watched. About all in town are G.I.'s and a few other branch [brand?] of soldiers. The Pubs were all crowed infact you were lucky to even get in them. I don't care much for the English beer you can't get much of a kick out of it. 

Well I got my Sgt rating to day so now I can wear the stripes. I guess I jumped the gun a little on that deal. I knew I would get it but didn't know when. 

We missed a couple of classes the last 2 days, they were scheduled for 9 o'clock & we didn't get up until 10 or 11 so we didn't get around to going. 

Tell that good for nothing Wayne to take his pen & a piece of paper & write me a letter. 

Well I'll close for to night so write soon.

I don't know if I said or not befor but this is my permanent address.

Jack. 

The Margaret here is undoubtedly my mother, as Gram wouldn't have to go searching around the house for her daughter Margaret's address.