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February 1943

Feb 2, 1943 Dear Mother and Family, I suppose you got a letter yesterday from me but I but I found a little more time so thought I would drop you another line or two. I'm getting along fine and liking the service swell. We have been so busy I haven't had time to think about home yet. I am getting blistered from the sun. There are so many cadets arriving here on such short notice we haven't been issued any clothing yet. We are confined to quarters for our work then we can go around on the Post when off duty. We are in hollering distance of the ocean. When we eat we walk right up close enough to throw a rock in the water. We can see patrol ships & planes in and over the ocean at all times. There are six boys in my room on the 7th floor of the Randall Hotel. We have to run up and down those stairs every so often. I think we will be in perfect health when we leave here. We will probably not get any closer to an aeroplane here than we did at home. We are having the regular army drilling only more of it than regular soldiers get. I am going to have to send some of my things back home that I brought that are not allowed. Tell Jack hello and that I will write as sppn as possible. You will have to use the address I will give on this letter. I don't think I had it all on the other one. We sure do have plenty to eat and am I eating plenty too. We have to keep our rooms tidy at all times and shave every day before drill. All six of us have a time trying to use the same bath room in about 15 minutes each morning. (Puff Puff) While I was writing just now a sergeant Hollered everybody down stairs. Down we ran and they issued us a sheet. We will get pillow cases tomorrow if we're lucky. We have to go back down in 15 minutes and march some more. Have got to (?) and make my bed up but I must close now if I have time to mail this letter before we go to drill. (?) having a swell time. Tell everyone I will write as much as much as I can but not to expect too many letters (?). Love Austin

2//5/43 Dear Daddy, How are you and Auntie getting along? I am feeling fine and enjoying army life fine so far. They really make it work though. There are about 4300 that arrived here when I did. I think we will be here for about 5 weeks but you never can tell about the army. They gave us a shot for tetanus, typhoid, and smallpox all today. My arms are a little sore but they will be alright I think. We are going to have a parade before the Colonel Sunday. How is Mother and Grandpaw? Are you minding them and staying in bed? You just take it easy and rest up and everything will be O.K. Tell mother to send those pictures when they come. Also send that little polishing cloth that shines brass. We have to keep our brass buckles shined every day. There are six boys in my room. One is from East Texas, one from Florida, 3 from Birmingham Ala. They are all nice boys. I am the oldest of the bunch in my room. We shave every day before we fall out to drill. We get up at 5:15 and have to be in formation out in front of our Hotel by 5:30. We march 4 or 5 blocks to eat and back then we go to our rooms on the run and clean everything up spick and span to pass inspection. We go to bed at 9:00 P.M. And it's 4 minutes to nine now! Well I must close quick. By By Austin

Hello Mother, Just a line and a card to let you know I'm getting along fine. There are houses like this one all around here. We're keeping plenty busy. Couldn't get a Valentine for you so wish you a nice Valentine Day. Hope daddy's feeling better and getting plenty rest! Tell Auntie hello too. Love, Austin

D.C. 122-A Villa on Miami Beach

c/o Austin H. Winn 1128 TSS- Agdn 388 AAFTTC-BTC #9 Miami Beach, FLA. Battery Mr. W.H. Winn Route 2 Henning, Tennessee Put Austin H Winn 1128 TSS - FL388 AAFTTC BTC # 9 Miami Beach, Fla. Mr. W. H. Winn Route 2 (78.) Henning, Tennessee

1943 Feb 14th Sunday afternoon 6:00 PM Dear Dad Wrote to mother a little this morning. But have been downtown and bought some more post cards with pretty views of Miami and them. Thought you might like them as some have such beautiful flowers on them. There are 2 rolls of film already taken in the pants pockets of my suit I sent home. Have them developed. There is one roll I filmed not taken you can send the pictures to me after you all look at them and will send them back if you want to keep them. Don't know if they will be good or not. Are you staying in bed much now and resting? Please don't go back to keeping the store regular. I haven't gotten the pictures yet that I made before I left home. How are the hogs & cows coming along? I guess John is plowing now. Got a letter from Jack today! Said he was leaving Monday morning. Got Waits Sampson address too. Am going to write to him when I finish here. I am writing more letters now than I ever did before. I like it now when I don't have anything else to do. Tell mother to keep my things straight in my room. Do not send me a subscription to the Lauderdale Co. paper yet. G. Boys yet. For we don't know how long we will be here. But she can clip important things out and send them in her letters. Be sure to send the part about "our Boys in Service". Hope you will soon get strong and be able to enjoy the Spring weather when it comes. I am not going to work on my Income Tax for another week or two. Did John make a partnership Form ourt for he & I both on the farm? I don't see how I made as much net profit as the figures he sent. Did he pay the tax or do I pay muy part when I finish my individual tax return? Tell him towrite me a line or two and explain as much as possible about what he has already done so I will know how to finish my forms. Love to all, hope to be seeing you soon. Austin

Air Forces Basic Training Center Miami Beach Schools Miami Beach, Florida Sunday 12:30 oclock Dear Mother & Family, Sure is a pretty day today. Slightly cooler than usual but I have my sleeves turned up now and the windows open. How is daddy? Was glad to hear he was improving in your last letter. Hope Auntie is fine also. Well we got out last nite for the first time. I went to the Beach Theatre. Really saw a good show, "Reunion in France." It was as big a theatre as they have in Memphis. This morning, Sunday, we got up at 4:30 as usual but after Reveille I went back to bed until 7:30 then went down to the drug store to eat breakfast. Meals sure are high here. I eat at camp most all time. I went to church service this morning at 10:15 which was real nice. Am sending a program of the service we had. Sure would like to have gone to Mack Sunday School. Had another good dinner today. Chicken, dressing, potatoes, gravy, ice cream, cake; tea and corn, lettuce, and soup also. I think that about all except jellies & peanut butter etc. I will send my clothes home Monday. Don't know how they will come. Probably by express or freight. I haven't heard from John B. since I have written him my address. Otto either but he has my address and I will hear soon I'm sure. I have been getting lots of mail 5 or 6 letters some days. I have plenty stationary and won't need to have any sent to me. There are lots of military stores. I had to buy me 2 suits of Kaki clothes as they didn't issue us but 2 suits. I wash my own socks & underwear have my pants & shirts laundered. Will close with love. Am feeling fine, weigh 166 lbs. About the same as before I came so far. ByBy Austin P.S. Signed the payroll yesterday. We get a supplementary payment of 10.00 one day next week. I have enough money I think for the present. Do you want one of those pins of the Air Corps now or wait until I am a flying cadet? It would be alright to have one now I suppose if you want it. Am going to see an officer down here and see if I can keep the camera. I haven't gotten the picture you are sending yet. Will be mail time in a few minutes may get them today though. Keep smiling Austin P.S. - Packed up my clothes, and am sending the key in this letter. Just got a letter from you and they are still addressed Pvt. Takes a long time for mail to come & go doesn't it! Also got one from Jack.

Air Forces 1943 BASIC TRAINING CENTER Miami Beach Schools MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA Sunday, Feb 21st Dear Mother and all, Hope everyone is feeling fine this morning. I am o.K., except I am sure sleepy. This is the first chance I have had to write to you in several days. I got sister's letter yesterday that said you had to call the Dr. for Daddy. Hope he is better by now. Sure wish he could come to Florida for a rest. But he couldn't rest if he was in the Army (ha ha). The reason I have been so busy was. We were drilling the other day on the drill field. We got a special order to march back to our barracks. When we got there they told us to run up to our rooms and pack up a clean suit of clothes, shaving equipment, blanket, etc. We had 5 minutes to do this in. We have Barracks Bags to pack our clothes in. Then they marched us for about a mile with our bags on our backs to the "Guard House". That was another Hotel except it had 10 beds to each room instead of 6. All the time we didn't know what we were going to do. We never do know until they give us the order to start doing it. They gave us each a rifle and taught us the "Manual of Arms" for the rest of the afternoon then they told us we were going on 24 hour guard duty. Each one of us in our Squadron walked post 2 hrs and off 4 hrs. But there didn't seem to be any time off during the 4 hrs we were supposed to be off. I got about 2 hrs sleep in the whole 41 hrs since we got up Friday morning. After we came back home Sat night they told us we were free to go where we wanted to until 11 o'clock that nite. But there weren't many who went anywhere I think we are restricted today though. That means we can't leave the Hotel. Any way we can rest its 9:30 now we got up at 5:45 this morning but after breakfast I took a little nap. We can't do that any day except Sunday. We can't lay down on the ground even at rest times when we are drilling or sit leaning against a tree. I suppose you are getting tired of this story I started on. This is just a peek of our work. There were about 1500 new boys came in here yesterday. We initiated them last night. They gave each of us 2 boys to teach the position of a soldier at attention. Some of the boys were really having fun making the new boy jump around like we had to do when we came. They were most all yankees and of all the fussing and teasing you can hear down there about the North & South. Most of the arguing is just for fun. All of the boys in our Squadron are from the South. There are 100 in each Squadron. Got several letters this past week from different ones around home. How is the Bishop? Hope he is better. Hughey sent me a birthday card. You were asking me what I needed down here. I don't know of a thing I need. There are all kinds of stores right here on the post and I don't have any room to keep unnecessary equipment around. My hair has grown back out a little but I will have to have it cut again this week. We haven't started wearing those emblems on our sleeves yet because we haven't left the Army post which is Miami Beach. I don't think we will while we are here. Speaking of that, I think we will leave here in another week or two. They are giving some of the other Sqdrns woolen clothes. I hope we don't have to go too far North. Lots of the boys don't like it down here because they are so strict on us. But I like the climate here and they will be just as strict anywhere else I suppose. We have a chance to buy newspapers here but don't get the time to read them. I don't know what's going on on the outside. I heard from Otho Friday. Has Jack come back home for 7 days or does he get to do that? Well I must close and write to some others. I have about 6 letters to answer. Will have to write them short and snappy. Love to all Austin Was glad to get the pictures. Will send them back home soon. Everybody take care of themselves and keep me posted.

Feb. 23 1943 SMonday nite I wrote so many letters yesterday I tried to start this one off with Sunday too. Dear Mother & Dad, I wrote you a letter yesterday but thought it would do no harm to write another one today. I got a letter from Sister & John today. Glad to hear daddy is improving. Also glad to read the article they sent out of the paper about the boys in service. Here's something you can write to the paper if you like. "Austin H. Winn is stationed at the Army Air Forces Basic Training Center, Miami Beach, Fla. He writes home that he likes the warm climate and army life well." You could add more if you like. Explain who I am and where I live etc. I think we are shipping out of this post this week. Don't know for sure it's almost a sure thing. I hate to leave here unless I get real close to home. Don't send me anything but letters until I find out for sure. We got in another bunch of new cadets and I expect they will send us to a classification center. Have you got my clothes yet? There are some films in them to be sent off. I got the pictures you sent me. May send them back home soon. Have the big pictures come yet?If they have and you haven't already sent them wait & see if I am going to move. Will close now and write to some of the other folks. Wrote Mr. Wrighta short letter last nite. Hope Grandpa is feeling well. Auntie also. Is Mr. Bishop any better? Sister said John was in Maryland. Do you know his address? Love to all Austin

Wednesday, Feb. 24th Dear Mother & Dad, How is everyone by now. Guess you got my letter about me leaving. I don't know yet, when we will go but we got our woolen clothes today. Boy did we get some fits. Mine look pretty good except the coat sleeves are about 3 in. too short. I can get them fixed when I get to the next post. We don't have time to do anything but clean our rooms here. We come in after working all day and they give us an order to get the rooms clean for inspection again. We can't ever leave the Hotel tonight for anything. I think maybe we'll leave tomorrow. May go to Boston, Mass, but I sure hope not. You can go ahead and send that piece of paper but don't say anything about I'm going to leave here as that is Military information. Will write you as soon as I get there. We might even go to Nashville. Our squadron caught K.P. today but I was lucky and drew a blank number so I didn't have to help. I had to drill the morning and get my clothes this afternoon. Didn't get any mail today. This was about the first day I have missed getting some though. Must close now. Hope daddy feeling fine and not worrying any. I think I'm getting heavier. Haven't weighed lately though. Love Austin