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December 1944

Sunday Nite Dec. 3, 1944 Dear Mother and Sister, How is everyone around the place getting along? Boy today has been a rough one. It's so cold and it started raining about 5 P.M. and it probably is sleeting by now. I wrote a letter to A.V. Winn just now. Also wrote to Wilbur Driver. I got the Kodak pictures back today, and they are pretty good. You know the ones I took of our crew. I'll have to have some reprints made so each of the crew can have some of them. What's been going on that's new? I moved to a new room in the same barracks where it'll be warmer. We did live down close to the door and everyone was leaving the door open. I'm listening to the radio here now. I've heard Gildersleeve, Jack Benny & Now Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy is on. I'm sending a few little clippings out of the newspaper and also one of the crew. I'll send one of all of I have as soon as the other boys see them. I guess I better go now & get a bit of sleep. We may have a long flight early in the morning. We brief at 5:30 AM. Take off at 10AM and land at 2AM next day. Travel over 3000 miles. Makes you have to stay awake almost the full 24 HR DAY. Hope weather looks better in the morning. Love to All, Austin

OFFICERS' CLUB GREAT BEND ARMY AIR FIELD GREAT BEND, KANSAS Monday Dec. 4. Hello Folks, What's new? Just got your letter telling about Thanksgiving. Glad to hear from Rebecca too. Tell her hello and thanks for the line if she is still there. It's snowing to beat all get out today. Looks like a White Christmas up here anyway. What's John Winn doing today? Guess he is always learning some new way to keep everyone's attention. See how much difference there is in your receiving this & my last Air Mail letter. I mailed the Air Mail about 5AM this morning & this one about 3PM the same day. Do you have to keep a fire all the time now? How is grand-pa's rheumatism? We have a meeting at 3PM so I'm gonna have to leave you right away. Today is Billy S. Birthday. I bought a chance on a $10 WAR BOND yesterday and won it - cost .50c The only $10 one I have. Tell Oletta hello - I'll write her as soon as possible. Maybe later today. We're having free movies in the club tonight. Hello Sis - must go now. Estelle S. wrote that she had called the whole thing off now. (HA HA) Tell all hello- What's the latest from Bill, Jack & Waits? Love to All, Austin

Dec. 6, 1944 Wednesday I want to know how you are? Hello folks, Just got some stationery here so thought I'd drop you a line or two on it. Things are just fine around here I suppose. The snow is still around but it thaws up some every day & gets awful muddy. We had a B-29 land in Memphis last week. It stayed there a couple days. Is Rebecca still with you or is she back at Memphis? If she was I'd probably hear from her about the place. How is John Winn doing? Can he walk any yet? I guess he can climb around a lot now can't he! Will be pretty sure getting home between Xmas & New Year's. Can hardly wait. I'm going to school today and expect to go on that mission tomorrow. I'll have the rest of the snapshots to send home soon. I've gotta run over to school now! So long, Love to all, Austin

AMERICAN RED CROSS Somewhere in Cuba DEC. 7, 1944 Dear Folks, Just A line or Two Before going to Bed tonite. How is Everyone Around home Doing? Haven't had much time to look around as yet but looks like a mighty nice place down here. Do not write to me at this address. You can keep on sending mail to my old address so I'll have lots when I do get it. Will write more as soon as possible. So until then, So long and tell all hello. Love Austin

Somewhere in Cuba Dec. 9, 1944 Dear Mother and all, Well I wrote you a little a couple days ago which I hope you have already gotten. How is everyone around home. Expecting a nice Christmas I hope? Do not write to me at this address because I will not receive it anyway for a long time. I like it here fine. Having a little trouble understanding Spanish. If I stayed here long enough maybe I could catch on to some of their lingo. I got a box of cookies & candy from both Dolly & Addie just before I got here. Also a Christmas present from Dotty. I'm listening to Frank Sinatra singing on the radio from USA. Well there isn't much I can write about the place now so I'll just wait and tell you about it when I see you again. Everythings just lovely and am glad to get away from that Northern climate.(HA) How's John Winn and Big John getting along? Tell all hello. Solong for now. Love, Austin

Dec. 13, 1944 Dear Mother & all, Just a line of two this morning - Had a swell time in Havana yesterday. This ends the week. So here I come back.(HA) Oh, yes I got what you wanted for Big John. Well I don't have much time for writing now. Hope everything's OK. Will write from the States next time. Love to all, Austin

OFFICERS' CLUB GREAT BEND ARMY AIR FIELD GREAT BEND, KANSAS Dec. 14th Hello folks, Just time to say I'm back & feeling fine. Am flying again today. Had a swell time while in Cuba. Love to all, Austin

Dec. 14, 1944 Thursday Nite Dear Mother and All, I wrote you a note real hastily about noon today. I have placed a call to you now which I am waiting to go through so will write a line of two now. I got back from Cuba last nite and had quiet an interesting time while down there. Was rather disappointed to find that I had forgotten some of the souveniers which I intended to bring back with me. They were such nice little trinkets too. We did a lot flying while down there but I better what if I tell you about that instead of writing it. I intended to go on a flight tonight which would probably have brought me right over home. Memphis was one of the points we were to fly our but I think I could have managed to fly our home. You would have probably never known about it though cause it would have been on our return flight and about 12 P.M. tonite. If we're lucky I may be over though any way either Sat. afternoon around 4PM or Sunday nite around 12 PM. Would he nice to have engine trouble & land at Dyersburg but don't expect that cause it never works out like that.(HA) When I got back here I found about 15 letters so I've been reading mail all nite so far. I only wish I had had more time & money to spend in Havana. Boy we had a big time there. We had a guide to show us over the city & rented a taxi to take us around anywhere we liked to go. We got about a 6 hour pass on and last day down there to go into Havana. Was glad to know Oletta has heard from Billy & waits. Sure hope Waits is home at the same time that I am. Well it's 7:30 and still my call hasn't gone through. Maybe it'll get you in a few minutes. Meanwhile I think I'll scribble off a few lines to some of these people I owe letters to. Later: Well the call came through 7:50. I was sure glad to talk to you. Wish sister had gotten on the phone also. I got a Parker-51 pen for John. Cost 16.50 but I thought you wanted a good one anyway. I also have some film (116) for your camera so you can go ahead and take your roll if you like. I have 6 rolls for you. I also got about 14 rolls of 116 film for my camera. So I'm well supplied. Am sure sorry I lost the souvenirs tho. I do have a souvenir picture I'll send. You probably won't want to put it up though cause it is taken in a bar, Sloppy Joe's Bar in Havana. All tourists have their pictures made there so we had one also. It will be fun to look at. I'll tell you more about the place when I get home. So must say Bye Bye now. Tell sis & John hello & to start listening in on your phone calls again (HA-HA). Tell miss Jodie Belle I got her Xmas card today. Love to all Austin

I left Cuba Wednesday morning 10 AM - Ate dinner at Galveston Texas 7 PM Arrived GREAT BEND AT 12 P.M. We were scheduled to fly tonight on a 12 hour flight which would take me over the Gulf & back for home on the way back here. But the plane we were to fly needed an inspection so we didn't go. I got a little from Wilbur D. today. Chocolate Candy Bars and scarce here too but I'll try to get some. Does John still smoke cigarettes, if so what kind?

Dec. 15 Fri Nite Dear Mother, How's everything? Just time to send hello to all and a few pictures. We are flying early in the morning. Will have to go now. Hope you like these short notes (HA). Will write more when possible. Love to all, Austin

OFFICERS' CLUB GREAT BEND ARMY AIR FIELD GREAT BEND, KANSAS

Sunday Dec 17 Hello folks, What's new! Well there isn't much to talk about around here. Yesterday afternoon I took 2 more shots & had 1 tooth filled. That makes about 6 times I've had my teeth examined since I've been here. And the shots were some more like I had at Alamogordo. So they are just boosting me up a guess (Ha) I have some more in a week. Am going out to fly again this afternoon. The weather is pretty cold around here and looks like more snow. Has it snowed any there as yet? I didn't get the mail last nite. I got the Xmas card from Helen Turner yesterday though. How's everyone around Cherry by now? Tell the neighbors hello. What's John Winn doing these days? Well there's Phillips our engineer and he's going check the mail for us. We have to go about 5 blocks to get our mail now. We used to get it over at the Squadron flight room where we had to go anyway every day to fly etc. I must say bye now and get ready for Briefing. Love to all Austin

P.S. I filled out Leave Papers yesterday for 28th Dec. So hope to be seeing you all soon.

OFFICERS' CLUB GREAT BEND ARMY AIR FIELD GREAT BEND, KANSAS Dec. 20, 1944 Wednesday Dear Mother, Well it isn't long until Christmas. Hope everything is going just dandy around home. Yesterday I took off from here around 9:30 A.M. and flew 15 hours without landing. I came directly over Memphis about 10 minutes till 9 P.M last nite. It sure was a nice flight but everyone was all tired out when we got in last nite. We are briefing at 1 PM again today. I just ate dinner & had a few minutes left to write a note. We went across 10 states and also over the ocean for about a 600 miles. This is all the time I have now so wishing you all a Merry Christmas. And love to all Austin

Army Air Field Great Bend, Kansas Dec 21st 1944 Dear Mother and All, Well what's cookin' now? I'm not cookin but am almost freezing. We had another snow last nite. I went on that long flight day before yesterday & came directly our Memphis about 9 P.M. I guess I've already written about that tho. I had bought a bond to give John Winn for Xmas just before going to Cuba intending to bring it when I came home but while I was gone the finance office got mixed up a bit and decided I wanted it mailed. So when you do get the bond its' for John Winn's Xmas. I just wrote Jack, Carl and another friend that's on the Philippines - I received several pretty Christmas Cards. Also a card & letter from you. I'm going to try to get home the 28th but may not make it until the 29th. Hope everyone enjoys Christmas. We are going to have some kind of get together (Our crew). We have a new man on it now - A Radar Operator. Well I'll have to be the Sack Now. We're flying tomorrow. Love to all Austin

War Department Pamphlet No: 21-1 29 July 1943 WHEN YOU ARE OVERSEAS THESE FACTS ARE VITAL Outbound.- First give your cable address; next the full name, street address, city and State of the person for whom the message is intended. Then the message, and finally sign your full name. AMTRAG (typical APO cable address) Mrs. John Smith 1616 Main St., Zenith Ohio. XXXXXXXX Message XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX John T. Smith Note that addresses and signatures do not include Army serial numbers or APO numbers, nor do they show your unit or organization designation. Inbound.-Cables and radiograms should be addressed to you giving your full name, Army serial number, and cable address but not your unit or organization. SILENCE MEANS COMMUNITY-If violation of protective measures is serious within written communications it is disastrous in conversations. Protect your conversation as you do your letters and be even more careful. A harmful letter can be nullified by censorship; loose talk is direct delivery to the enemy. If you come home during war your lips must be guided by self-imposed censorship. Have you got them or do you want your buddies and your country to pay the price for your showing off? You've faced the battle front; it's little enough to ask you to face this "home front." THINK! Where does the enemy get his information-information that can put you, and has put your comrades adrift on an open sea: information that puts you and your unit or organization in any manner whatsoever. Writing home Most enemy intelligence comes from prisoners. If captured, you are required to give only three facts: YOUR NAME, YOUR GRADE, YOUR ARMY SERIAL NUMBER. Don't talk; don't try to fake stories and use every effort to destroy all papers. When you are going into an area where capture is possible carry only essential papers and plan to destroy them prior to capture if possible. Do not carry personal letters on your person; they tell much about you, and the envelope has on it your unit and organization. Capture There are ten prohibited subjects: 1. Don't write military information of Army units-their location, strength, material or equipment. 2. Don't write of military installations. 3. Don't write of transportation facilities. 4. Don't write about convoys their routes ports (including ports of embarkation and disembarkation), time en route naval protection or war incidents occurring en route. 5. Don't disclose movements of ships, naval or merchant troops or aircraft. 6. Don't mention plans and forecasts or orders for future operations whether known or just your guess. 7. Don't write about the effects of enemy operations. 8. Don't tell of any casualty until released by proper authority (The Adjutant General) and then only by using the full name of the casualty. 9. Don't attempt to formulate or use a code system cipher or shorthand, or any other means to conceal the true meaning of your letter. Violations of this regulation will result in severe punishment. 10. Don't give your location in any way except as authorized by proper authority. Be sure nothing you write about discloses a more specific location than the one authorized. INCLUDERS IN LETTERS-Do not include anything in a letter that would violate any of the foregoing rules. PHOTOGRAPHS, FILMS-Special rules apply to the transmission of photographs and films. Do not send them until you have ascertained what regulations are in effect in your area. Be sensible; use your head Published for the information and guidance of all concerned. By order of the Secretary of War: G.C. MARSHALL Chief of Staff Official: J.A. ULIO Major General The Adjutant General

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