Classification - Air Force
A/S Roy N. Van Arsdall 15306087
Sq. 111, Flight E
AAFCC-SAACC
San Antonio, Texas
November 1943 - January 1944
November 17, 1943
Dear Mother,
Got here 12:45 today. Not much time for anything now. This is Kelly Field and there’s every plane imaginable here. Texas is not so good. Trees green, but scrubby and not much, land flat all over. For miles nothing but flat, mesquite, and cactus. About to get stuck with bugler’s job again. Seven day week. KP from 2:30 PM to 2:30 PM. Some shift!
Hope you got box OK. Didn’t have chance to get stamps, so COD. Had horn, pictures, clothes, diploma, etc. Let me know if it arrives OK. Be no time off here, so bye.
Love,
Roy
November 18, 1943
Dear Mother,
Maybe I can take a little more time and write now. There’s not much to tell. It snowed very hard all day Saturday in Meadville. The streets were so slick we could hardly get to the train. We left at 9:52. Margie’s mother had two big lunches fixed, but each was enough for both Tom and me. She had chicken and everything in them. Then she had a ball jar box packed with all kinds of cookies. Had quite a few oatmeal ones, too. We had things to eat until we got here.
We got out about two hours in St. Louis and looked over things. Nothing much there but a big city. When we started through Kansas and Oklahoma the land got flat and I mean flat. It was just the same for hours. Not even a town. It took us all night and part of a day to come through Texas. Most of that is level and covered with scrubby little mesquite trees with plenty of cactus. There just aren’t any towns. It was pretty depressing after Meadville, but now that we’re here at camp it isn’t so bad. The weather is beautiful. The sky is just a limitless blue and always filled with planes. Everything is green (what there is) and the days are like late spring. Nights get pretty cool and it doesn’t warm up till 9:00 or so.

Classification options (back to the infantry is not listed)
All I can do now is wait and see what happens. I don’t think the mental will get me. Most of the guys slip on the psycho motor and the psychiatrist’s interview. One fellow had a tattoo of a woman on him and he was washed out as unfit for officer material.
Bye for now.
Love,
Roy
November 24, 1943
Dear Mother,
We finished our psycho-motor yesterday and if I have to pass that I guess your little boy just wont get to fight with a plane. (1) Board, 48 pegs, square on bottom, round on top, tops half yellow, half blue. You turned as many as possible one half turn. Did average. (2) Like Victrola record, brass spot thing like electric welder. You held point of welder on spot while disk turned (if you could). Then there were two lights with a button under each. You had to hold down the button under the lit light or your score didn’t register. Try following a record some time. It was slick as glass, too. Did not do so good. (3) Two cranks, left hand threads, record with spot. You tried to keep a pointer on little dish while record turned and dish moved back and forth on record. Of course everything works backward. Did fair. (4) Combination of lights and switch for each combination. Turn out light quickly. I hit every switch on board. Did poorly. (5) Use stick and rudder to line up lights. Did OK. (6) Little plane with springs that pull it around. You had to keep nose on target. Did OK. Don’t know about results, pretty bad I think. Think I did OK on mental. Physical starts today. Thanksgiving tomorrow right in the middle of physicals.

Psycho-motor tests
Send Wilma’s big picture with hat off. Send Hughes little one with hat off. Send you a good one of me later. They were terrible. Dad’s watch must be adjusted. Body gets loose in case and gold came off stem.
Love,
Roy
November 26, 1943
Dear Mother,
Well, I’m all through with my exams. Whether I made it or not....? But the guys are washing out like flies. Just any little thing. Even a hair curled the wrong way. One fellow has to lose 10 pounds by Monday. He’s trying to starve himself out. I feel sorry for him. I wont have that trouble, I weigh 146--69 1/2” tall, 28 waist, 36 chest.
We had just piles of turkey today and all the trimmings. They had fruit cake, chocolate cake, ice cream, pie, nuts, fruit, candy and a pack of cigarettes for each man. Pretty good, but I had to have been on KP. Wow!!
From now on all I can do is wait. If I get what I want I’ll move right across the road. Santa Anna is a possibility, but they don’t go there from here very often. (I’m stuck with the bugler’s job, but all I do is sit around in the orderly room).
Don’t forget to send the girls their pictures.
I wont need any food. You can’t keep it very will. It can be kept, but there’s no use. Did you write Mrs. Thompson? She really gave us a lot of stuff to eat at the train.
If you need some Christmas suggestions, I could use a cigarette case and lighter combined. Somewhere between here and there I’m gonna have to buy a pen, too.
Love,
Roy

Get shots; give blood - lots of both
November 29, 1943
Dear Mother,
Well, it’s Sunday morning about 11:00 and I just got up. For the last two days it’s been raining, but it’s clear now.
There’s still nothing to tell. Classification reports here have been coming in a few at a time. Only five of our boys have been classified as yet. Lots of them have already been told that they washed out, though. One guy, when the psychiatrist asked what he’d do if he washed out, said he’d like to go to OCS. He was washed out for being ‘commission hungry’. Others went on improper attitude. They GDO’d one fellow because he said his wife didn’t want him to fly. I told them that you and Dad wanted me to fly, otherwise, I’d be GDO (ground duty only) on that. Sinus, eyes, and coordination got a lot of them. The mental got very few. I’ll let you know as soon as something happens to me. I asked for pilot (I guess you knew).

Well fed to say the least
The candy came OK the day after Thanksgiving. Just as well because I couldn’t have touched it that day anyhow. I still have some left because lots of the other fellows got things too and weren’t too hungry.
Got a card saying that Uncle Bob had donated one pint of blood in my name. Tell him that he’d just better send it down now. I’ve taken so many blood tests in my army physicals that I’m getting low. I can’t even count the blood tests I’ve had.
What do you think Rog would like for Christmas? Color plates of planes? Air Corps ring? Or what? I’ll try to find something.
Love,
Roy
November 29, 1943
Dear Rog,
I guess I’ll write this in pencil. Don’t suppose you’re too particular. I have to scratch around to other people with an old pen.
How do you like life on a farm? I haven’t had my foot on one for about eight months now.
Are you doing any hunting? I guess there are a few fellows left who can hunt. Is there much to hunt this year? While I was in the infantry I got pretty good with my old M-1 rifle. I used that every day. I also fired a machine gun until I got calluses on my elbows. You should hear about 200 of them going at once. Tracers are pretty, but I wouldn’t want to face them. I suppose I’m still doing most of the shooting. Pretty hard for you to get shells, isn’t it?
If you want to use my shotgun or rifle either, go ahead. Be careful as you can with them and clean them every once in a while. It would be better if you used them instead of letting them sit in a corner and rust. When I get out of here I’m going to buy a new shotgun anyhow.
I’ll tell you something about my forced landing. I took off about 3 PM. It was pretty hazy, but we thot we’d make it OK so I went to my area and started in coordination turns. Then I tried some stalls. We have 6 kinds of power on and power off stalls. It takes pretty good precision to make them right and keep it out of a spin. I’ve done them, too. Well, when I finished my stalls I found I could hardly see the ground. We immediately started trying to locate ourselves. The compass was useless because me and the wind had got us where we didn’t know which direction the airport was. We flew low down highways and read the signs, but we still didn’t know where we were. After about 1 hour 30 minutes we saw a city with big oil tanks. He didn’t know what it was, but my girl had taken me there the Sunday before. It was Oil City, Pa., so we headed back the road to Meadville and came to a Y. Didn’t know which way to go so we went back and tried to find the Oil City airport. With 5 minutes of gas left we went down in an old hay field. A farmer’s daughter gave us a rope to tie the plane down and took us to town. We got a bus for Meadville. Just after dark the driver slowed down to miss a dog. Just then a big buck deer jumped out in the road. He just stood there for a minute frightened by the light. We got to Sandy Lake about 7:30 and had to wait till 11:00 for another bus. We went messing around town (carrying our parachutes and causing tons of questions). We met some girls and persuaded them to take us back (after he’d put the gas in). I got back to college about 2 AM with quite a reputation.
Tell Dad that his watch got lose in the case and I didn’t have time to get it fixed. It takes several weeks in a jeweler’s around here. He can send me either one whenever he can.
There were no pennants or banners at Allegheny. I don’t think they have any here, but if there’s anything you’d like to have let me know and I’ll try to get it for you. Training planes are numerous here. The majority are PT 6, 7, 9, and 10.
Tell me how everything is going, boy!
Roy
November 30, 1943
Dear Mother,
Just got classified pilot. Got a long time to sweat one way or the other.
Love,
Roy
December 1, 1943
Dear Mother,
I guess you got my card. Yesterday I got my official classification as pilot. That’s what I asked for, but I wasn’t sure about the results. I breezed right thru the tests, tho. Never a hitch. Some of the boys are still taking rechecks. A lot are already washed, tho. My roommate made pilot, too.
I wont be here as long as I thot. The Lieu told me that the ones who first classified pilot would leave very shortly (next week or so). Don’t know whether I’ll go across the road or not. It’s to be made into a recreation center so I may go to Santa Anna. Just as soon. I get my cadet issue tomorrow. I’ve got two new pairs of shoes and all clothes are good. When we want new ones we trade pants and both go turn them in as misfits.
I still haven’t done a lick of work. Worked on the payroll today. I should get paid soon.
Did you write to Mrs. Thompson? If you didn’t you must.
Love,
Roy
December 4, 1943
Dear Dad,
Well, Dad, not much going on now. All I’m doing is as little as possible. I’m bugler and meet only the morning PT formation. The rest of the time I just mess around. We’re just waiting for shipment anyhow.
I guess you knew I classified pilot. Of course it doesn’t mean anything except that I can start training. I have 9 months to wash out in. I’ll probably get disgusted with it before then. A lot of the boys washed on the physical and psychomotor. Nothing wrong with me physically, I guess. Those pictures were awful. I weigh 147 bare. They measure me 5’9 1/2”.
We got our cadet equipment yesterday (a few of us) and I’ve exchanged a lot of clothes. I may go across the road for preflight or we may go to Santa Anna. Anyhow I’ll be restricted during Christmas. As yet I’ve never had one day off. Had plenty of fun in Pa, but this place is pretty dull. Joe Louis is down today and they have stage shows now and then, but that doesn’t make up for free time.
If they don’t pay us and let us out of here I’m gonna have a hard time getting any presents bought. I think we’ll get out once, tho.
What don’t you like about your place? That hotel looks pretty good to me.
One day its hot as the dickens here and the next its almost freezing. All in all its not such a bad place.
Roy
December 4, 1943
Dear Mother,
Still nothing happening. A group of the GDO’s are moving out to Sq. 114 in the morning. That number is known everywhere. Some pilots will go out next week. Don’t know whether it will be me or where.
I have all my clothes and am ready to move out. We got garrison caps, white gloves (2 pr.) and a lot if insignia to have to shine. Also 5 pair. socks, and 3 sets of underwear.
Got a letter from Dad today. Says he doesn’t like the place, but the letter head looked pretty interesting to me.
I think I get paid about Tuesday. Then if we don’t ship before Thursday I can get some presents from town. Otherwise it will have to be something from a darned old PX. I’ll be restricted during Christmas. Bright note, isn’t it. As yet I haven’t had one day off in the army. Thanksgiving we ate about 10 minutes longer is all.
If you haven’t sent the watch by the time you get this, don’t send it.
Love,
Roy
December 5, 1943
Dear Mother,
I wish you’d make a list of every one you think I should send a Christmas card to. I never can think of any body when I get ready. Of course I got all I could think of, but I always miss some.
There’s a shipment of pilots going out Thursday. If I don’t go then I’ll be here four more weeks. I’ll know two days before I ship whether or not I’m going.
Have you any idea what I should get the folks at home. (I’ll probably have gotten it already if I don’t ship Thursday). Get paid Monday or Tuesday.
One of the fellows got an emergency furlough the other nite. Got reservation on a plane to N.Y. I lent him $10.00, but he sent it back by telegram today. His mother had a heart attack. Money doesn’t bother him. He gets $1,000.00 war bonds for presents. Swell guy, tho.
I’m going up to see a little stage show tonite. Have a chorus from Texas U.
See if you can find Dr. Price’s (fellow I worked for) first name. What street is Juanita on. Lost her last letter.
Put my good hat in a tie box ready to send. We wear anything here. If we don’t ship I’ll let you know and
you can send it.
Love,
Roy
December 8, 1943
Dear Mother,
Well, it’s practically certain that we’ll be here another 4 1/2 weeks. I’m satisfied. We wont be restricted thru Christmas; however, all I can do is sit in the barracks. We don’t get any open post. We do practically nothing here. Parades, drill, and PT constitute the whole thing. And a few formations for clothing exchange, salvage, etc. I save a pair of socks or something for each day. Run over and get them changed in 10 minutes and be back in the barracks again. But there’s no object in working now so I’ll save my energy.
See if you can find one of those little rubber stamps that Dad uses at elections or something similar. It has to make V-6087. It would really help a lot in marking my clothes. Find some of my big letters or something if you can’t get one of them.
Guess I might as well go to the show. Nothing else doing. Can’t write much when nothing is happening. Yes, I heard from Dad.
Love,
Roy
December 9, 1943
Dear Mother,
I know you’re expecting a big letter out of this, but you’ll be kinda fooled. They were big letters to me and I just wanted to post you on the kind of gals I had at Meadville. I think your psychology will show you two entirely different girls.
I think you’ll agree that this girl is perfectly beautiful. Betty is really one swell girl. (The boys are playing black jack on the table and making this difficult). I can’t see what she sees in me, but she seems to so it’s OK by me. There’s not one thing that I ever saw her do that was out of line. We went to church nearly every Sunday and just messed around during the week. I met her parents one week. Her Dad is a plant manager of a sub-contract war plant in Rochester. She works all summer anyhow. There’s lots of little things I’d like to tell you about her, but I can’t write them all down. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not in the least planning to get married or anything. If I ever do plan to, tho, she’s going to be a darn good candidate.
She doesn’t smoke, drink, or anything. She’s just a fine girl. She dances beautifully and does not “shoot the bull” like Margie.
Look a couple of her letters over and send them back to me. Be very careful with that picture.
Love,
Roy
December 9, 1943
Dear mother,
You probably think I’m nuts, but I’m continuing with my character sketch. I just wanted you to know. Then you will have my complete record of girls (except for minor ones along the line).
Well, I guess you see Margie is a different girl. She’s perfectly nice and barrels of fun. Not nearly so conservative as Betty, however. Had one swell time and it hardly ever cost me a cent. She liked to go for walks. We’d go in rain, zero, midnite or anytime she took a notion. And I guess you know by now that I was crazy about her folks. She has a nice sister, 22, and not married. Her boy friend was killed in PH.
Well, all I wanted was for you to get an idea of them. Send both back and be sure not to hurt the pictures. Betty is quite serious, but Margie just thinks she is for the time being. I’ve tried several before and I know. She thot I was tops while I was there. She cried the last three times I was with her. But Betty stood in the drizzle of snow and rain, later all snow, till 11:30 Saturday nite to kiss me good-bye. I would really have liked to stay, but I’d soon have been ducking them both. Betty is 20 and Margie is 18.* Just look them over. Hope you don’t think I’m too dumb.
You can send my hat, watch, and that rubber stamp. V-6087 is what I need. Probably go to town tomorrow, but wont do much with $5.00. Most of the guys have been broke for 2 weeks. Don’t get paid till Friday. Your presents may be late.
* She was sixteen!!!!
Love,
Roy
December 10, 1943
Dear Mother,
Looks like my Christmas presents are gonna be kinda late. We haven’t gotten paid yet, but I think we get paid today. I draw $24.00 flying pay; however, deductions for laundry $9.00, insurance, bonds, etc. brings my check down to $54.00. Should be able to take care of my girls and folks on that, tho.
Got our first open post yesterday. Didn’t have much money, but we had a big time.
The town is very different. All the buildings have decorative porches like the fair or a theater. Because of summer heat, I guess. Several buildings are about 30 stories. Main town is fairly pretty.
We went in one very beautiful theater. Must have been five stories high. The roof was fixed like a night sky. Perfectly realistic. The walls were built out with spires and castles (just like the cathedrals of old England). Sitting in audience it looked exactly like you were in a street looking past the buildings at the sky. Couldn’t tell the difference and if I hadn’t known it was day, I’d have sworn the sky was real. Had a nice band and stage show with the Andrews Sisters in person. They were pretty good, but not what you’d expect. And then a picture. It was pretty darn good for 55 cents.

How I captured the Alamo
You should see the junk they have to sell. Along with all kinds of US goods, there’s all this Mex and Indian stuff. Lot of stuff I’d like to have, including one of these Mex knives. Leather work is pretty, too.
There are millions of people. Can’t hardly walk down the street. The majority are Mexicans, soldiers, and girls. No shortage of girls, but I wouldn’t say what kind.
They have a huge USO and Tom and I bowled a few games there. I’d better save something for another letter now.
Do you think you could get a couple of those pictures I had made from the Lafayette Studios? I can’t get any here and I’d like to have about two of those.
What size film does your camera use? Maybe I can get you some.
Love,
Roy
December 13, 1943
Dear Mother,
Say, what in the dickens is the matter with my mail? I write folks back at Meadville and get an answer right off. Then your letters, even 2 or 3 days later, say you haven’t heard such and such a thing. You say you still haven’t heard that I’m staying here thru Christmas. Just must go slower thru to you. Guess they’ll all come thru some time.
Listen, don’t bother yourself about what you get me for Christmas. Just any little thing from home will do. I’m not the baby that used to have a whole pile of stuff in the corner. I know you could use that money to buy lots of things needed at home. They issue me all I have to have.
I got Roger some little plane photos and am going to get him a belt trimmed in Mexican silver. I think they’re right pretty. Guess I’ll just get Dad a box of cigars. Haven’t the slightest idea what I can get you yet. Don’t tell them what I’m getting cause it’s no fun that way, besides, I might not be able to get it. I couldn’t find the ring for Roger. Got 2 or 3 gals, too. Woody went across and Ruthie’s all broken up. He was coming home for Christmas.
Love,
Roy
December 13, 1943
Dear Mother,
You should have seen Tom and me at the “Sad Sack” Club last night (Service club). We won a carton of cigarettes each in a wheelbarrow race. I fell and ran his nose into the floor, but we got up and won anyhow.
I wont be able to buy anything till Thursday since we just got paid this Friday. Thursday is our open post day, but I’ll have to be a good little boy if I want to get out. I’m afraid that everyone but you and the family will have to settle with a card this time. I’d like to give Ma and Pappy and MamMaw something, but I think they’ll understand. At least they should. I get $9.00 out for laundry, $6.50 insurance, $3.25 bond, red cross, army relief, athletics, and when I get thru I settle by giving the army $5.00 to let me go.
Don’t worry about my corner at Christmas. I wont be there, but I’m not the only one who wont be there. I’ll be thinking about it as I guess will every other guy who couldn’t make it. Nothing here but a double decker cot, but I imagine we’ll have a pretty good time. Maybe next year. We can hope. Sunday church service bulletin enclosed.
Love,
Roy
December 16, 1943
Dear Mother,
Got 2 days KP in row. Can’t write and your presents will be another week late. Sorry.
Love,
Roy
December 18, 1944
Dear Dad,
You may go home before this comes, but I’ll write anyhow. I hope you get to go this year because we won’t have a very big house full if you don’t. We have quite a large family here.
I was disappointed in my efforts to buy presents for home and my girls. The one Thursday I got out I was broke. Got paid the next day. All fixed to go in the next Thursday when I got KP both Thursday and Friday. We all get two day shifts. I worked about 36 hours during those days. Folks will have to take things late (if I get out this Thursday).
Bomb and Nav ship out Monday. I’m not sure about our shipping day, but I think it will be January 7 right across the street. They need Navigators bad. Practically begging the fellows to take it. I wouldn’t have it as long as I have a chance to fly. Right now all I do is meet morning PT. I’m captain of the squadron volley ball team and we just practice when we want to.
Doesn’t seem much like Christmas or any time of the year that it ought to be. Same thing goes on no matter what day it is and the weather is pretty warm. They have a tree at the service club, but it seems out of place.
Mother sent me a beauty of an Eversharp pen and pencil set. She sent some other little things, too, but this is all I opened. Most of the boys save their things till Christmas morning.
I hear Uncle George steamed one of the barns. I’d like to see the tobacco.
Got $25.00 extra for flying pay, but when they get through taking things out it wasn’t much more than regular.
Roy
December 18, 1943
Dear Mother,
I just got off two days KP. We have a special barracks to sleep. We get up at 3:30. Thursday we got off at 8:30 and tonite at 9:30. Never was much more tired. We had to G.I. every thing because Saturday is inspection day.
Shipping day is vague again. Now it is likely to be before Christmas. At the most the rumor says the 27th. The 23rd is most popular, however. Rumor also states that we’ll go to some place in Illinois. Understand it’s all rumor, but I know we’re leaving before long.
The civilian population is killing half our morale. Every once in a while some guy gets a furlough (emergency) and half the time he wishes he hadn’t gone. One boy just got back from N.Y. He says they don’t know the war is going on. Says black markets run in the open and folks just gripe and discuss their gas and points. You know that optimism is flowing thick and fast. And it’s so far from over. We know that, but others can’t seem to understand and it’s kinda down heartening. He says all that’s home is fellows making a fortune in a war plant, griping about wages, and dodging the draft. We get the lowest wages of anyone, yet we practically have bonds shoved on us. At the pay desk is a contribution box with a sarg for about every organization there is (I have plenty of money, but such things disgust me). I’ve enclosed a bunch of Christmas TB stamps you can use if you want to. I don’t.
Love,
Roy
December 20, 1943
Dear Mother,
I got the watch and stamps O.K. today. The other package hasn’t come yet. I would feel surer about it getting here if you’d had it insured. The mailing facilities are jammed now. Packages that we send are stored in a warehouse in San Antonio till they can be shipped. I’m sorry I couldn’t get your things, but I just never got to town. Guess you’ll just have to get presents in the summer. I’m supposed to get out this Thursday, but a million things can keep us in. Don’t worry about my money. I have plenty if I can ever get out to spend it.
Demerits, tours, guard duty, KP or any one of a dozen other things can get us. All we’re doing is hoping that we don’t get KP on Christmas because it’ll be about twice as hard then.
If I have to ship all of a sudden, I’ll send a wire just saying don’t send anything more. Then if any one was sending anything you could tell them not to, because it’ll take ages for mail to get straightened out.
Industry seems pretty confident that they’ve done enough. Kaiser was giving plans last night for industry to revert to peace time. Many have already changed over. However, they do have acres of storage lots that the army has never touched.
Love,
Roy
December 20, 1943
Dear Mother,
The watch came this morning and the package this afternoon. I didn’t take anything out but the pen and pencil set. I needed that to write with. It sure is a beautiful set. About the best kind you can get, too. I’m glad you got the military style because I like the tops they have. That gold and brown is perfectly beautiful.
This was just to let you know that I got everything safe. Still don’t know when I’ll get to town. You may get my camera soon as I have to send it home. Have not sent it yet, tho.
I put the box of stuff upstairs in the baggage room. I’ll open it Christmas morning anyhow. They can’t take away all our Christmas. We’ll have it in spite of.
Well, thanks a lot for everything. I’ll think of everybody when I open it Christmas morning. I hope your dinner comes out OK. I never did like the hub-bub of that outfit anyhow. I’d much rather just be at home. So you finally got a new stove out of Dad. How did you manage that?
Love,
Roy
December 21, 1943
Dear Mother,
Nothing at all to write, but time is something I have plenty of right now. I’m captain of the squadron volley ball team. All we do is practice at my discretion. We have our first game Wednesday which we’ll lose because we don’t have any good players, but in the meantime we have nothing to do. Nice day out for just shorts and T-shirts. Guess it’s a little colder at home. Early morning here is pretty darn cold. That is for PT. Gets down to freezing sometimes.
I’m not sure what they’re going to give us Christmas. We may get the day off to sit around the barracks or they may get parade happy. We have one or two every day.
I’m crazy about the pen. It’s perfectly beautiful. Writes good, too (if I could write). College notes ruined anything I’d ever write.
Love,
Roy
December 22, 1943
Dear Mother,
In a few minutes we go out to play our first tournament game. We have a very good football team, but I’m not optimistic about the rest.
They have the mess hall fixed up so it really looks like Christmas. Some poor guy is really going to have a time getting the snow off the windows. They have wreaths in all the windows and stuff all around the walls and on the ceiling. Looks pretty nice.
Would you look thru my clippings and send me a couple or three mentioning our Southern games and maybe something about the football game at Lexington. Doesn’t matter what you send because I’ll return it later.
I hope you get those little pictures from the Lafayette Studio. You can hardly get a picture. At least not now.
I suppose I’ll get to town tomorrow (I hope). I’m very pleased with my pen and pencil set. They sure are pretty. Haven’t sent my camera yet, but I will. Say hello to Jane T. if you see her.
Love,
Roy
December 24, 1943
Dear Mother,
Just some stuff for Rog and my camera. I had to send it home. Also an extra pair of leggings I had. Take this $3 and get Dad a box of his cigars. I don’t know the kind and those in town are outrageous. I mailed you a little pair of wings from town. I got my girls some Mexican filigree silver things. Started to get you a flower made of it. They’re really beautiful, but I ended up with the wings. Don’t know how good they are but they cost $6 and a little. The silver was about the same. That’s pretty good leather in Rog’s belt, too. And the buckles are silver. Came from the Buckhorn. Place has thousands of mounted heads. Sent Betty some wings, Margie and Ruth wings of that filigree silver, and Wilma a bracelet of filigree. All added up to $26.00, but I still have over $50, so when I get paid this month I’ll send some home.
Love,
Roy
Note: The base chaplain sent the folks a nice letter (form) noting that their son had attended service on the 19th of December. Told about religious offerings in the service; offered to help in any way, and such.
December 24, 1943
Christmas Eve
10:21 P.M.
Dear Mother,
Since I can’t be home this night, I’ll just have to spend my time writing to you.
About two hours ago was the first time any heat has been in this barracks. It’s rainy and about to freeze outside. Has been for days. Today I had on all my clothes, my overcoat, gloves, hat, towel, scarf, and a blanket wrapped around. Colder in than out. Engineers never came to fix the system. We just finished fixing it ourselves. Getting close to 70 degrees.
I went over and sat thru Holiday Inn twice to keep warm We were free this afternoon and will be off tomorrow, too. They gave KP to the Jewish boys. One good their religion does.
I still have my things and will open them tomorrow. Be different from home, but we’ll have fun anyhow. Nothing to do but read and write, but that’s lots better than a lot of fellows have to do.
I mailed my camera, a belt, and a pair of leggings that I had today. You should have a little gift coming from town. I enclosed $3.00 in the package to get Dad some cigars or something. I didn’t know his kind so you get them. (Two dollar bills are common as ones here).
Love,
Roy
December 28, 1943
Dear Mother,
I don’t quite understand why Edythe’s package hasn’t come if she mailed it after yours the next day. I got your package well over a week ago. Did she have it insured? I’m sending her a pair of wings made of Mexican filigree silver. They’re rather pretty and just cost around $3.00. I hope her package gets to me OK.
What do you mean, Jack Park had a relapse. What’s the matter with him?
I got my girl’s letters OK about a week ago. The rubber stamps do fine. I use the small one on my handkerchiefs. I got my pictures--came OK with this letter. Watch is fine. I got the rolls of paper OK, too.
Got a box of home-made candy from Mrs. Thompson today. Betty sent a carton of cigarettes and Wilma sent a very nice leather bag, several toilet articles, and a box of home-made candy. She’s done that several times.
I worked all day today at preflight putting navigation books together. Bombardiers and navigators leave today. I’ll get KP about Wednesday and Thursday. Over half the fellows are gone so I’ll catch things pretty regularly now. Not for long, tho. Don’t forget to check on Edythe’s package. I’ll tell her as soon as it gets here.
Quite a variety of cigarettes you sent. If you get confused again I smoke Luckies. All the little smoking articles were swell, tho. I had a little leather case bought at Ft. Ben, but it was nearly gone.
Love,
Roy
December 30, 1943
Dear Mother,
I’m just fixing to go on open post. I have KP Friday and Saturday.
The package from Edythe never came. I hope she had it insured because it would be a shame to lose it. I gather it was a bracelet. Maybe it will show up. I certainly hope it does. Help her check up on it, but maybe time will straighten things out. I’ll send her something.
I got a carton of cigarettes from Betty and I told you about Wilma, but the best of all was from Margie. She sent me a picture almost a foot tall. I wish you could see it. She’s certainly beautiful. It’s in a decorative leather frame. Folds just like others, but must be a quarter of an inch think. What that cost her I’d hate to think. She also sent a small one for my wallet. I happen to know that the little Dickens worked every afternoon after school at Montgomery Wards. I’ll bet it took her nearly a month to get that picture. Some time I’ll show you the one in my wallet. It’s nothing like the one stuck on the letter. I know what those pictures cost because I’ve tried to get them. She went to the best studio, too. Picture is much bigger than this paper without the frame.
Love,
Roy
January 3, 1944
Dear Mother,
I got Edythe’s package Friday. Don’t know what delayed it so long. Hope my things got home OK. I trusted a jewelry store in town for mailing a lot of stuff. Hope they aren’t gyps.
Got the bracelet, a swell one, too, a carton of Luckies and some candy. Just what possessed the gal, anyhow? She couldn’t have become a millionaire that quick up there.
Christmas wound up costing me about $40.00, but I don’t mind at all. The letters those girls write to me are worth more than anything right now. All in all, they spent practically as much on me, especially that picture Margie sent to me. Did Rog’s belt fit? I just tried it on myself. Thot you were enclosing clippings.
On a private’s money I can’t save any money to amount to anything anyhow. If I made pilot, which looks harder every day (must be confident because they’ve raised the entry exams to pre-war status), I’ll be able to save quite a bit of money. If I don’t I’ll be very disgusted, but I’ll have a lot of extra training. If I did wash out I’d have to go thru one tech school and gunnery, unless I took permanent party. But I don’t want any of that. I want to fly right now worse than anything else. I could fly a Cub OK now, but these heavy ships will be different.
I had KP Friday and Saturday. Nice way to spend New Year’s. I think we even polished the nail heads Friday nite. If you think one turkey is a big job, three of us dressed 42 completely, even to pulling pin feathers for a couple of hours. They eat turkey every holiday here. I also had to GI one of the big ice boxes. For two hours I froze.
I’m sending $50.00 with this. Leaves me about $23 so I’ll be OK. Wont be out much anyhow.
Love,
Roy
January 7, 1944
Dear Mother,
Tomorrow at 9 A.M. we leave here. But only for about a 100 yard walk. We’re going right across the road behind the gates of preflight.

Classified and ready to go to Pre-Flight
It’ll be five weeks before we see light again, too. From all reports the classes are pretty rugged. I know we have physics, math, code, navigation, ship and plane reco, etc. Only one thing I know is that we’re restricted for 5 weeks and that’s too darn long, and classes 7 days a week. Of course PT, drill, parades, etc. all come with that. The course lasts 9 weeks. If I get thru that, then I get the planes piled on till I either do or don’t get thru. Fifty percent of the last class from Allegheny washed out. They raised standards 20 percent on us and by the time that class got here it was up 50 percent and a guy would have to have plenty of college to make it then.
You shouldn’t give anyone any of those pictures (soldier) that I sent. I only sent them because I didn’t want to throw them away. I kept them 6 weeks at Allegheny and nearly destroyed them then. They are absolutely pitiful. You just bury them some place and I’ll send you another some time.
Tell Edythe as soon as things loosen up a bit I’ll write her again.
Love,
Roy
Recollections……
Too much time and too little to do left us short sheeting beds, replacing bed springs with weak string, and setting water traps at entry doors. The rest of the time we spent wondering who would get the axe next.
The mouth piece of my buddy’s trumpet was made of beautiful ruby-red glass ultra smooth to the touch. He let me try it. Super! My bugle rang clean and clear. Could I possibly borrow it? Yes, but be extra careful. It’s expensive and I can’t get another here. A loose fit and a careless bugler had to tell him later that same day that his precious mouth piece had shattered on the concrete.
Most guys experienced their first Christmas away from home. All of us looked forward to Christmas eve and Christmas day with mixed feelings, but none said much. I had not seen home for nine months. All went well as most guys in the barracks were in the same boat. Among other things in my Christmas box was a gold ring with a large ruby-like setting. It went to Paul this year in a box of whatnots.
Many good men died defending the Alamo. One more went during my time at SAACC. One of our guys got that rare pass, went to town, partied vigorously, decided he should defend the Alamo from the top of the wall, fell and died of a broken neck. I’ve often wondered how the Air Force reported his death to his family.