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January 1945

Army Air Field Great Bend

Jan 10 1945 Hello Mother & all, How's everything around home? Got back here O.K., and as I predicted everyone else was gone - I'll be around a few days tho. We didn't have a very good connection on the phone did we? Capt Cook and most of the other fellows got back OK. 2 of our gunners weren't here yesterday but they are probably here now. They had some bad weather in the East, I've gotta go out to the flight line now & see what's going on. Capt. Cook is in charge og all the fellows in our Sqdn. now while we're here. How's John Winn? Bye now Love, Austin P.S. I got my check after I got back here so I just bought Bonds with it & mailed them home yesterday.

Great Bend Army Air Field Jan 11, 1945 Dear Mother & Sis, Well what's new? Good bit of cold weather around here. What's John Winn doing that isn't funny? We are all busy around here. I think see go where I told you for a little more flying. I got your letters yesterday. Am sending some papers home that you can keep so you will be well informed. I'll be writing to you again soon. I also sent the foot locker to you today. You can look through it & maybe you'll want to take some clothes out to hang up. Well I've gotta push off now. Tell all hello & Love, Austin

14 Jan. 1945 Dear Mother And Sis, Well what's going on around home now? Might be a few days before you're hearing from me again. Everything is just fine here though and I'm enjoying the warm sun. Some of the fellows are going swimming this afternoon. How's John Winn and grandpa getting along? Hope grandpa is able to keep up now. I mailed you the key to my locker from the base before leaving. Because of censorship regulations, I cannot write much about myself or what I'm doing at present so will say bye-bye - Love & all and tell the neighbors hello. Bye 'Austin

Jan. 15, 1945 Dear Sister Mother, How is everyone today? Pretty warm here but I like that fine. I'm getting up at 3:30 in the morning so can't tarry long on this letter. I wrote you a letter the other day from another base but guess you've already gotten that. Do not write me at this adddress. Use my old one. How is John Winn doing? Guess he is growing lots now. I passed over pretty close to home last Saturday. Did you get the foot locker & key yet? We're having a swell time what time we aren't busy flying. Really is a nice place for recreation. I guess I better get to sleep now & be ready to get up so early in the morning. When has Miss Josie heard from Jack? Also hope Waits & Billy have written lately. Hope this isn't too long reaching you. Bye Now. Love to all, Austin

Jan 21, 45 Hello Folks, Well I'm still here. The weather is so bad back at Great Bend that we can't fly in there. The snow is 8 in. day & still falling. This afternoon we are going to Miami Beach swimming so its kinda a vacation also. Only trouble is everyone is running out of clothes to wear again. (Ha). This is my third nite here at this field. On the way down we stopped at West Palm Beach for 2 nites & then to you know where. I was in Cuba again also for a little while I ate lunch at the officers Club there. We did intend to come to Memphis for one nite but the weather is bad there also & we don't have the proper clothes for that climate either. We have 20 men with us so Its much easier to stay in this warm climate. We've been drinking fruit juices of all kinds. Pineapple juice by the quart. In P.R. we had bananas & coconuts just out the door. You could stand on the barracks porch & pick bananas. I have a coconut I'm planning on sending home. I have several rolls of film to have developed also will send them to you as soon as possible. Well my dinner is here so I better stop this to eat. All of us are sitting at the table writing while waiting for our orders. Tell all hello Love, Austin 30 Jan 45 10 Palm Hello Folks, Just a note tonite. Have been busy all day. The letter I wrote you the other day! Well just dis-regard it now for I worked out another deal anyway. A fellow had to break his leg so I got to go anyway. I'm hoping to get back on Capt. Cook's crew agter we get over. I'm sending 2 more foot lockers home. Guess you'll have some fun looking through them. In the small one I have some little sea shell which I hope won't be smelling too bad. They are sure pretty & I thought maybe you could make a cute string of beads or bracelet from them. Get Charles or someone to pick the little snails out with a hair pin or the like. Well I've gotta go now. I'm sending the key along in this letter for one of the lockers. I wouldn't have sent them COD but the express office is never open so I just left them there marked etc. The big locker has some stuff some of the boys left behind. Maybe you can get some work or something for the shoes etc. Love to all, Austin