← All Letters

August 1943

Aug. 1st Sunday nite Dear Mother, Today has been a pretty nice day. I went to church this morning and saw lots of the other boys. There is just one Oshkosh boy here besides myself. After getting back I had to do a little spending on my clothes. I sewed 3 buttons on & a shoulder patch on my sleeve. Then tonight we had to G.I. barracks. Got a letter from Clifford yesterday. He said something about going to San Francisco soon.

Next day: Monday afternoon Aug 2nd Did not get time to finish the letter last nite. Have really been busy today. Tomorrow I get up at 5:30 and clean up my own place around my bed and then have a special detail job cleaning up the whole upper floor of the barracks besides. Then I have to go out another detail over to a majors office for the rest of the morning. Then I got 5 classes in the afternoon till 5 o'clock, then I have to eat supper & be at the dentist office to get 7 teeth fill by 6 o'clock looks like we have a pretty full schedule tomorrow too. Got a letter from Bro Arant today also one from Sister & you. Don't think they have gotten all my mail from Sqd 18 yet. I should get more than 3 letters in 3 days. 5 Aug 43 Dear Mrs. Winn, It is with great pleasure that I notify you that your son, Austin H. Winn, has been selected by the Classification Board for Pilot training in the United States Army Air Forces. I congratulate both you and him on this achievement. He will soon be transferred to one of the Army Air Forces West Coast Training Center elementary flying schools and will then begin his flight training. The course of instruction which he will pursue throughout the flying schools is thorough, intensive and the best that our Country can give to fit him for his future duties and responsibilities as a member of the Army Air Forces. Upon successful completion of his flying training, he will receive his wings and the rating of airplane Pilot. In either war or peace, a Pilot occupies a position that requires sound judgment, a keen and alert mind, a sound body and the ability to perfectly coordinate mind and body in the flying of the airplane. It is imperative that the men who fly our military aircraft possess these qualifications, for upon their skill will depend in large measure the success of our war effort. It is my hope that you will derive great satisfaction from your son's selection for Pilot training, and that his future career in the Army Air Forces will be one of continuing success and service. Sincerely yours, W. A. ROBERTSON, Colonel, Air Corps, Commandant and Base Commander.

Aug 12 July 31st 1943 Sunday nite Really is going to take some cramming to keep all this stuff they are teaching us in my head. Hope you will excuse this writing on stationery - I am just in bed was too tired to get the stationery out & try to write nice. I have written John Bishop one letter but never received any from him. Where did you hear that he isn't home again to be! Will they give lot today. Lots of lots of love Austin HEADQUARTERS SANTA ANA ARMY AIR BASE OFFICE OF THE COMMANDING OFFICER SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA AVIATION CADET PILOT SQUADRON SANTA ANA ARMY AIR BASE • SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA

Aug 5,1943 Dear Mother & all, Didn't git a chance to write any yesterday— I got 9 letters yesterday & 9 the day before, how am I doing? Also got the glasses this morning & they are swell just what I need. The tooth I had filled got to hurting night before last and I went back to the dentist yesterday. He drilled it out again and put a treatment in & temporary filling in. It hasn't hurt any more since. I have another appointment for next Wed & he will drill that out & put a good filling backin' I guess. If it hurts any more he said he would have to pull it. Most all of the boys in my section went on KP this morning & I was lucky enough to miss it this time. I didn't have to go to school but had to do some carpenter work around the barracks. I built some hangers on the back 3 barracks to hang shower boards on. Felt good to get hold of a hammer & saw again - We are having a G.I. Party again tonight. Sweep the floors with broom & soap- I got a new pair of shoes from Oskosh I guess & had already told you though. Got a letter from Hugley & one from Mary P. yesterday. We are having some tests tomorrow. The planes aren't too hard to recognize - We have 1/10th of a second now to recognizing them & we have to write the designation, name, wingspan & company that makes them like this PB2Y Coronado 115 Consolidated PBY Catalina 104 Consolidated SB2A Baceseen 47 Brewster SBD Hell Diver 50 Curtiss SO3C Seagull 38 Curtiss F4F Wildcat 38 Grumman F4U Corsair 41 Vought, Sycoraki These are all Navy planes & we have lots of others & also Army planes & British planes - PB is Patrol Bomber SB is Scout Bomber SO is Scout Observation F is Fighter etc. Love to all. Time for chow now & will have to go... Love all Austin AVIATION CADET SANTA ANA ARMY AIR BASE SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA 1943

Sunday 8th August Dearest Mother & sister, Have missed a few days writing to you all - It seems we never get a break. Most of my section went on K.P. the other day & I was on detail as a Carpenter. I made some hangers for our shower boards, I guess I had already mentioned that in another letter though. Well here's some news- You know we are restricted to the post for 6 weeks anyway and now we are quarantined to the Barracks Area for Scarlet Fever. There have been a few cases of Scarlet Fever I think around here - We still have to go to classes & the parade + drill etc. It only affects us when we are on our own time (ha ha) we can't go to shows or visit the other Squadrons- however last nite they did have a show especially for the quarantined Squadrans. We saw Arabian Knights - Haven't heard from Jack or Waits either this past week. Missed getting my clothes in the laundry last week & had to wash a few pieces this morning. We just came back from lunch— Had boiled ham, minced ham, lettuce, onion, radishes, olives, spaghetti, butter, preserves, honey, jello, milk, orange ade, etc. Don't get any time to read the newspaper or hear the radio either here except on Sundays. We had two tests yesterday. Think I made OK on them. The math was real easy & should have a 100 on it. The other was on Medical Aid. I missed a couple of those classes while going to the dentist. We parade again this afternoon. By the way last week our flight won first place in the 3rd Wing Pilot school & 2nd place in all the Pilot & Bombardier Squadrons together. Will have to close for today. Love to all— Kinda late when it gets there but tell John "Happy Birthday." Bye Austin

1943 Aug 9 Monday Evening Dear Mother & Sis, Am getting back on the ball again in receiving letters. Today I got 14 letters + The Landerdale paper. They can't understand how I get so much mail. I got 4 from you & sister, 3 from Edna, 1 other, and about 4 or 5 from Oshkosh. Just ate supper & over a pint of ice cream just now. We signed the payroll Saturday and we should get paid again in a few days. We are still in quarantine but think we will be out tomorrow if no one else gets sick. Most all of the boys in this squad will be eligible for a pass next Sunday. They got here a few days before we did. After we are here 42 days we get week-end passes. The transportation out here is so limited it's hard to go anywhere I think. I made 80 on military hygiene and 95 on math. We have some good basket ball games every nite Sorry to hear about Estelle. Bet Rebecca did some talking while she was over there. Nope, I haven't heard from Jack either. Wrote him again Saturday maybe I'll hear this week some time. We get up at 5:45 or thats when the bugle blows. Usually several of us get up about 10 or 15 minutes before it blows & when I shave. We just have about 10 minutes after it blows til we have to face out for Reveille. Then we stand inspection 2 or 3 mornings a week & every button has got to be buttoned, Ties tied properly, shoes shined brass shined and everything just right. Its just is daylight but they can see if we are properly dressed. Go back to dentist Wednesday will be glad when they are all fixed up again - How is Auntie doing lately? Grandpa seems to be doing O.K. Yes & guess it would be O.K. to lump bonds with the silver dollars. They aren't worth any more than the others anyway. The news sure sounds grand. If we get rid of Germany & Italy we will still have to finish Japan. That line between us & the state farm will be a good thing if they put up a fence - ask John if it didn't run into Old River on the way down. Bye Love Austin

1943 Aug 10th Tuesday Dear Folks, How is everyone today? Guess you were glad to get the rain weren't you - We had a big day today. This morning we had an inspection before breakfast Then after breakfast we drilled for an hour then had PT and I mean they really tire you out after exercising for a long time we ran an obstacle course - We were running in loose sand First we jumped a hurdle about waist high then ran about 30 ft further & had to jump a wooden fence about shoulder high then we ran up to a straight wall about 12 ft high I had to jump up & catch the top of them scramble over the top & drop to the ground on the other side Then through a zigzag outfit that had us running like that then through a big box like thing where we had to get down & crawl through 4 holes over Then up & running again we come to a hand walking outfit where you swing across about 20 ft jumping from one rod to another like monkeys do with their front feet then to a big high thing like two ladders put together only real wide there were 6 of us running in each race. Then we ran straight on through the sand about 50 more yds & jumped up on some planks about 3 ft off the ground which was zig zagged again which we ran along keeping our balance and that was all of it have to study some now so good nite all With Love, Austin Ha Ha, I got 14 letters yesterday and not any today. The mail hasn't been too regular. We get it just once a day & send it out once a day.

August 11, 1943 Wednesday Dear Folks, Everything is about the same around here I guess. Today we played football at our P.T. hour & had lot of fun. We are out of quarantine now and can go to the show at night if we like. Don't think we'll go tonight though. I almost missed the mail with your letters last nite they came over kinda early after the mail. It's a little bit before supper now. Today in gunnery we practiced firing machine guns. Firing at a moving target. They had the picture of a plane on a board and it flew across the range swinging down from a string. Have our test on all the Navy Planes coming up tomorrow. We had a practice test today & I got all them right. Also in our practice to try to get us to observe more, they flash numbers on the screen for us at 1/10 second flashes if we try to write all the numbers we see - such as 1495643 and 538746 etc. We have learned almost all the letters in code. We like about 6 more letters. It is funny how you can tell all the letters of the alphabet from only 2 sounds "dit" and " dah". They are changed around in so many different ways that each one has a different sound- such as dit dit dit dok is V dah dah dit is G and dah dit is N and dit dah in A etc. Boy I just got the mail & was surprised. I got a big box from Dolly in Oshkosh. She sent I bet 5 pounds of Coke, 2 candy bars, chewing gum, peanuts & a big folder of stationery. Don't know what I'll do with all the Cake guess maybe all of us here in the barracks can eat it (ha ha). And too she sent 2 comic books too. Then to top all that off I got a letter from Herbie a cousin of hers about 13 yrs old and he wants to send me a box too. I don't have room for all the stuff I have now. Will send you his letter. Mabel is his little sister about 10 & ate supper over at their house once I went on a picnic once with them. Also I got a letter from Paul Sales today, He likes the Navy fine. Boy they will have to be more careful with where they drop their eggs from the Halls Air Base. ha. Yes the fence deal with the State Farm sounds O.K., if you can get the wire. Is it Cattle fence or hog. Guess it's cattle huh! Guess I'll have to close now. I have several others to write tonight. Lots of love to all. Don't worry about sending me anything right now. We can't even have anything in our barracks bags but dirty clothes. Bye now, Austin SQUADRON 56 AVIATION CADET PILOT SQUADRON SANTA ANNA ARMY AIR BASE . SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA 1943 Monday Nite

August 16th Hi Folks, Gee I got 3 letters from you all today— Over the 11, 12, 13th. Say, you don't have to send all those letters Air Mail. We are doing OK. I guess our Squad won 1st Place in the Parade yesterday. Our Squadron Commander is getting a promotion. He is a Captain now; we are getting a new Commanding Officer now, a 1st Lieutenant. We had another test in Math today. It was very easy it seemed — I made 95 on the other one. We now have our classes in the morning. We get up at 5 AM & clean up everything by 5:45 then fall out for Reveille & eat breakfast. Our first class is at 7 A.M., then we continue on through 5 classes of 1 hour each, which carries us to 12 o'clock when we eat dinner — Then we fall out and drill for an hour then we get back & have 10-15 minutes to change into our gym clothes & go out for an hour of P.T. - Then we come back & take showers & fall out again at 4:30 for retreat parade - We have one every nite since the classes have changed. We get back about 5:30 then eat supper. Then we have a little time to go to P.X. & get hair cuts, go to laundry etc. Got a letter from Annie Myrtle today. Have to study some tonight so will say nity-nites. Sending lots of love to the dearest mother & sister anywhere - Austin P.S. was talking to Alden Winn and his grandfathers came from Tenn. & Wales too he says - Maybe he to some distant relative - He sure is a nice kid Dear Mother, How is everyone today? I got my tooth filled again today. I've gotten used to being drilled around in my mouth now (ha ha). We won the parade again last Sunday. The best squad here during pre-flight gets to pick the primary school that they go to. That would be a good deal if we could win out. Because some of the schools are out in the desert Arizona & Calif, 100 miles from any towns & they say the temperature is around 120° in the shade - We will probably stay somewhere on the West Coast. The best one we know is Calero, Calif. Have gotta hurry & mail this now or it will be tomorrow nite before it will go off again. Started to send the pictures separate and then changed my mind and didn't have a stamp handy. I made 100 on my math test today and am taking 5 words per minute of code. For to all, Austin HA HA. Have to change it (my mind) again! The pictures are too big to go in the envelope just some pictures & the scenery around here - the desert etc. Will mail it later. Bye Buddie

Thursday Aug 19, 1943 Dear Mother & sis, How's everyone today? Well we are doing very well. We had an inspection by the Wing Headquarters office this afternoon and he said our Sqdn was undoubtedly the best Sqdn he had inspected since he has been in Santa Ana. We knew we were to be inspected and everyone was looking their best. We put on our cleanest clothes & showed off shiny brass & shoes till they sparkled. That was at 4:15 P.M. We have to change clothes about 4 times each day. Today in P.T. we studied a few more judo tricks. How are the crops now? Did the dry weather hurt them much and what kind of corn is John raising this year & don't remember whether he planted any hybrid corn or not. Guess I better get down stairs and shave. We have a test on code tomorrow. I may go to Los Angeles Saturday nite for a while. Friday 20th Didn't get to mail the last note so we'll add a couple more lines for today. We had a test in gunnery tomorrow. We took a two minute test in code today. I passed it OK and will go on the six word table next week. Was sorry to hear about Harmon's wreck right there at home too. Hope he is better and didn't get his neck hurt. How is Auntie making it these hot days! Can just imagine grandpa is still lively as ever or thinks he is anyway. Heard from Otho today, he is working at nite isn't he. Guess I better close & wash my belt & shine shoes etc. We had fish for dinner today. We have it every Friday. Also ice cream. Had a banana the other day and a pear today - We usually have some piece of fruit each day. Lots of Love, Austin Saturday Nite Dear Mother Kello, Missed writing you yesterday as I was too busy! Have been kinda straightening my thing up again tonight and have a few more extras in and have a few notes sending home - also a few notes I took while flying at Oshkosh. Save all these notes & papers for me & may want to look over them sometime. Well we have finished 2 weeks & Pre-flight work now & more to go. Am doing o.k. Still having teeth filled about once a week (ha ha) We're out of quarantine now guess I'll go to church again in the morning. Got a letter from Waits today & he was in San Francisco. Oletta wrote and talks as she thought he was coming home. Waits didn't say anything about it. Will probably write more tomorrow so will say good-nite for now. Am going to get lot of sleep tonight we won't get up till about 7 o'clock in the morning. Monday nite-

Aug. 23, 1943 Dear Grand-Pa, How is everything today? I was glad to get your letter today and hear about the crops. I am really lucky that I have such a good farmer for a brother-in-law - I sure would like to see you all. I stay pretty busy all the time and don't get time to think much about home though. I had a big time last Saturday nite and Sunday. I went out to the Beach on the Pacific Ocean & went boating & swimming. The water sure is salty and there are some big waves rolling in too. (over) So my girl has been down to see you has she- Is she still as pretty as ever? I haven't seen Jack Sides yet or even heard from him lately. While I was at Balboa Beach & went to a Carnival & had this little picture snapped, I'm not all that black or as sad as I look in the picture either. (ha ha) Hope you are able to get around and do a little work. Guess you still like to fish don't you! I did a little carpenter work the other day. Guess I'll say good night for now. Tell Tony hello for me. So long, Austin

Aug 24, 1943 Tuesday nite Hello all, Guess everyone is still enjoying the hot weather around there. Gee, I got the swell pen today and it's really a nice one. I am writing with it now. The ink doesn't flow so free yet but guess it will when the point gets worn down a bit. The other pen is still O.K. Have I been spilling any ink on my letters? This afternoon we had a group picture made of our Squad. Don't know when we'll get it back but will sometime before we finish Pre-flight. Tomorrow I am on a detail to work on at the Head quarters Supply office. I've missed 2 tests & I review an airplane identification in school & have to make them up at nite. Have been pretty lucky though not to get an KP any lately. I wrote John to get me a pair of shoes you can give him a check on me - They may cost around $7.00. I'm going back to the dentist tomorrow. Bet you got some laughs out of those pictures didn't you! Better go now Thanks again for the Eversharp. Love to all, Austin 1943

Friday Nite Aug 27 Hello Mother & Sis, How is everyone today? Me! Oh I'm feeling fine as usual, really better since I have 2 more teeth filled. I have more appointments on Sept. 9th & 10th My teeth were getting in pretty bad shape & guess what they are fixing me up O.K. We had a colonel talk to us yesterday that was with Eddie Rickenbaker when they were lost in the Pacific - also a captain back from the fighting with the Japs around Munda - It really is interesting to hear of their experiences. Got a letter from Annie Myrtle today and a picture of them. You can put that in my album if it's not full. (HA, HA) Wish I could get to speak sister today. Happy Birthday and I am having a half Birthday you know. Can't realize I'm all this old (ha ha) Will have to hurry it's time for me to shove as the light go out in a few minutes Much Love Austin

Saturday nite Aug. 28, 1943 Dear Folks, Well Well guess you are surprised to get a letter from me Written on Saturday nite, huh! I had a pass & could have gone out but decided id rather stay in & rest up this week end. You can have lots of fun & see lots too when you go but you have to stay over night & its hard to find rooms out here - Then Sunday you have all the morning but it's just a rush from around noon Sun. To get back to the post & be ready for the Parade at 3 o'clock. Then you are all tired out too & have another whole week I hard studying & work before you too. I just came in from playing Basket Ball. Took a shower I am ready for bed. There is no one in the barracks except myself and the fire guard. I think there will be 2 or 3 more in before Taps though. We had a group picture made of our Squadron the other day, & Will send you one as soon as we get them. They were just as we are everyday. We were on our way out to drill when the picture was made. I sure do enjoy those sticks of chewing gum. They come just at the right time too. We can't chew anything all day long & we get the mail usually just after supper so I can start right in on it. Guess you all have been pretty busy during the revivals. Hope the pump is fixed by now. Hope you haven't been showing those little pictures to everyone. (ha ha) Will send you a picture as soon as possible, my face is really red from this sun though. Has been 7 months since I left for Miami Beach. I have really had a pretty swell time considering I'm in the Army. I really would like to see all you folks but I don't seem to get home sick in the least. Guess you have gotten over worrying about me so much haven't you? I'm really proud that you did worry about me though and were so careful to teach me the right things. Don't worry any about me now, I'll try to do just like I would if I were home. We finished our Mathematics Course & took up physics instead. Also finished studying gunnery & took up Ground Force operations. Learning how wars are fought A strategical maneuvers of the ground forces. We are studying maps and charts and aerial photographs. Learning the fundamentals of navigation which we will study more in detail as we advance from school to school. Say school starts at Ripley this week too don't it! Guess Hughey is glad to go back isn't he? I don't have time to write to everyone that I should I guess. I'm afraid sister has slipped up on the dreaming since she dreamed I was on a furlough. Those things just don't happen in the Army Air Force. Would have liked to see Mr Louis Bates. Guess you will pay my insurance with J.W. or is it already due? We just (8:40 o'clock) had a slight tremor of an earthquake. The chair I'm sitting in got to shaking & I looked up & the light was swinging back & forth above me. It really felt funny. Guess it will be in the papers in the morning. Well I'll stop for now, I want to write a few more letters while I have the time to spare - Lots of love to the dearest mother & sister in the world. Buddie SUNDAY Went to church this morning & have been straightening my shoes out in my locker since noon. Can't get this in mail till MONDAY.

Aug 30, 1943 Dear Mother, Will send a good lines before getting ready for bed. Before I go to bed I love to shave and to shine my shoes & put my books up etc. Fix my bed too we had them folded to air today. Wrote sister a card a few minutes ago but had a few more minutes left so here they are. Am still doing O.K in all my classes. Took up another new subject today. Chemical Warfare also Physics too. Has grand-pa gotten my letter yet? Here's a card Annie Williams sent with her letter. I wrote Wilbur a little the other day. Tell Frank Wane hello. Seems funny that Cotton is open - gotta go now. Lots love Austin P.S. A letter from Frank's Boy