← All Letters

September 1945

1945 Sept 3rd Guam Dearest Folks, Received 2 nice letters from you today. You seemed to expect me to just start right off home as soon as the War was over. Well there still hasn't been any definite news about that. Yesterday V.J. day & Sunday & was back over Japan. We were up there about 500 strong in a display Air Power. We buzzed over Tokyo & vicinity for 3 hours while The Emperor & MacArthur were signing the Peace terms. We got a good look at the cities we had been bombing. They were really destroyed. Pictures will be in Life Magazine Soon. Try to get one. I suppose that will be my last mission to The Empire. Here's another picture by our crew. This time we got the Co-Pilot Smith into it. He is the first from the left standing. We have to fill out another questionnaire by the 25 of Sept. stating if we want to stay in the Army during the present emergency. I will answer "No". I will try to get out as soon as possible. Major Cook took my plane and went to California on a business trip for the Army. The whole crew was made up of Californians. They are staying "2 days". You you're able to read this scribbling. I'm in a big hurry so please excuse the writing. What's little Johnie doing now? I have a pair of ear rings & bought today & also another necklace & bracelet but they aren't as nice as the ones I sent. Must be going now. Tell grandpa hello. Hope he feels well. Love and kisses, Austin

Sept 5, 1945 Dear Mother and Sis, Raining again today. This makes about 7 days in a row without any sunlight. Everyone is getting restless & wanting to come home. Capt Handwerker is leaving today for home. He is getting out of the Army also I hear. He has enough points to be released. We intended to have a big parade & review today but the rain made them postpone it until tomorrow. Have you & sister been to any shows at all lately? Why don't you get out a little one in a while? What is Hughey Chester doing now? Is he working in Memphis or going to school! I suppose Jack is still having a good time isn't he! I wrapped up another necklace & bracelet to mail home. You may get it in a few days! Keep it on and get some little catches to hook it on with. Well I'll say bye-bye ya now. Love to all, Austin

Sept 8, 1945 Guam Dear Mother and Sister, Today I was lucky to get two letters from you. Also got a couple others. One from Jack. Things are about the same around here. Except it didn't rain much today. Only a shower late in the afternoon. We had a big Base Ball. Game here today! The players are all Major League Ball players that have been drafted into the Army. That's all they do now is play ball, I guess. They are all the way from Pvts. to one Major. There will be another game tomorrow. I never did see such a crowd as attended the game today. The whole field was surrounded with spectators - All the way around. We had a little bad news today. They had intended sending all crews with 31 missions or over home in a few days but it all fell thru today. Due to be tie-up in transportation facilities on Saipan. The fellows that left here 2 to 4 weeks ago to go home are still on Saipan waiting to be shipped out. So maybe it will the best anyway. Now we can wait here until the bottle neck is cleared and maybe get a straight trip from Guam instead of having to go via Saipan. Hope so anyway. Haven't received those pictures I was having developed. Slow process isn't it. However I am getting 9 rolls of film developed tomorrow nite by a fellow I know here Course they will only be negative but I can have prints made as soon as I get home. Jack says he wants to know if he gets our mail in time to start next years crop. Am glad they bought the Chapman farm. How are the Simpson's getting along? Oh! You asked about Lucas. He is fine & dandy. Back from the hospital and back on duty. My ankle is okey too. Say, you haven't gotten any letters lately from Dotty or any of the girls have you? Just wondering. Well it's time to say solong. Hope all are well - Tell Mr. Keaton hello for me - Love to All, Austin P.S. I'll send you some more negatives besides these. Any shots that I don't already have a picture of you can send the negative off have some prints made you have time.

September 9, 1945 Dear Mother & Sis, Today is another rainy day. This morning all the Pilots in the Wing got together for a talk by Colonel Stornie on Flying Safety etc. It seems our accident rate is higher now than before the war ended due to carelessness on the part of some individuals. Today Sunday, they are having a Funeral & Burial of one crew that was killed a couple days ago in a landing accident. And there have been 2 P-51s crashed this week also. Yesterday being a nice sunny day I went to the beach in the afternoon. Had a nice time & took up my last roll of film. While we were in swimming, the M.P.s came around blowing their whistles & made everyone get out as 2 sharks had gotten inside the reef where we were swimming. At the meeting this morning I saw 5 of my old classmates from Santa Ana & the other flying schools I've been through. They are flying off the same field but it's so big you can't get around to see many people other than your own group. We have four groups in the 314th Wing - 19th, 29th, 39th, 330th groups and each group has 4 squadrons in it. I got the Lauderdale County paper this morning. They don't come very regularly. I saw where Harold Evans & James Fitzhugh both Ripley pilots are stationed at Montgomery Alabama. That's a B-29 Transition School. The raining so much carried on big zinnias to fall over so we pulled one bed up & planted new flowers in the bed. Not Zinnias but lots of smaller varieties - Blue Bonnets, etc. The fellows in the hut are practicing on their saxophone, drums, and trumpet. So I'm sitting on the porch. It's time for the showers to come on now so I'll be stopping. We aren't doing anything much but eating & sleeping. Some are flying formation almost every day but as I have 33 missions I haven't had to fly any so far. We have lots of crews over here who didn't get any missions in & some who got only a few 1-10 etc. They are going to have to remain overseas for support for a good while. How are all the crops and livestock this year? Haven't got a radio in our hut now so seldom hear the news now a days. Tell all hello. Best wishes Love, Austin

Sept. 10, 1945 Guam Dear Mother & sis, How's everyone today? Things are about the same here. Still raining every day & muddy as the Miss. bottom gumbo. Did you receive the little boyxwith the necklace & bracelet in it? I mailed it Air Mail a few days ago. I got a lot of negatives back today and am trying to get a few prints made of them. I have our crew picture that was taken at Great Bend. Guess you recognize Bendner, Cook, Armstrong, & Phillips!! All standing. Did you get a crew picture like the one I gave Olette? If not, I still have the negative so we can have more made. No News of Coming Home at all- We'll just Wait and Wait. As soon as Transportation is available I'm sure They'll send us out tho'. The end of The War Came kinda unexpected to most o' them I suppose. Handwritten after a week ago to come home. I think he is stuck on Saipan tho. Let me know as soon as you see by the papers that he is here again. He is going to be discharged, he has lots of points as he has been in the Army a long time & has 2 children also. Keep send you more pictures of Negatives Soon. Be sure & keep all these things for me. How's John & his Squirrel hunting? Having any luck I do sure like to taste a squirrel leg again. All Stop for now. Tell all hello. Did Rebecca have lots to say? Love, Austin

September 12, 1945 Guam Dear Mother and Sis, Rain, rain, rain. Still raining every day and getting muddier all the time. Am sure glad this war is over so we'd see flying in all this rain. That makes landings & takeoffs dangerous. I have been put on a list of persons to be sent home so maybe before long!! I have some more films (negatives) I'm sending along. You can send them off to be developed if you like. Just be sure to keep the negatives from getting lost. How is everything around home? There are only 2 from my crew going home soon. Feigle & myself. He had 32 missions & I got 33. Guess John enjoys being able to tell the gas station to "Fill 'er up" again. Has it started getting cool there yet? I had to sleep under a blanket here last nite. Has any cotton started opening yet? What kind of crop does John expect this year? Is the Air Base at Halls still in operation? I heard something about them moving it seems! Well, this looks like all for now. Love to all, Austin

Sept. 15, 1945 Saturday Nite. Dear Mother & all, Just a few lines to say hello and that everything's OK over here. It stopped raining today. First sunshine we have had in quite a while. Hope the cotton is opening & Everybody's making a lot of bales this year. Still getting rumors that we'll be coming States-Side before too long. I'll call you when I get to Frisco. Whenever that is. Has Billy ever reached the States. Sure hope so. I'll glad when & get back there. How's Johnie Cake? Did you receive a letter from me with a check for $50.00 enclosed? I don't remember you saying if you did!! We didn't get any mail at all today. Maby we'll get a lot tomorrow. Does Jack think he'll get a Discharged soon? I'll get a 30 day leave when I get to the States. What kind of clothes are they wearing at home now? khaki or wool? Well Solong & Love to All, Austin

Monday nite September 17, 1945 Dear Mother and Sis, Only time for a few lines before bedtime tonite. Happened to get hold of a picture of our little garden beside the hut. You can see the tomatoes etc in the foreground. We had another patch besides this. We haven't done much today. I went down the island to the quartermaster to buy some khaki clothing. Also got about 3 more rolls of the film I was having developed from the developer. I'll probably keep these & bring them with me. I sent you 5 rolls of developed negatives a few days ago. Let me know when you get them. I am still hoping for a chance to leave here. Just seems like a slow process, but don't worry I'll get out of there some way soon. It's time for bed now. Some of the fellows are getting up at 5AM in the morning in the morning. How's everyone around home? Grandpa doing O.K.? Love to all and Nity. Austin

September 18, 1945 Guam Dear Folks, Another day on Guam is getting under way. This process of getting back to the State is complicated to say the least. I'm still trying tho I hope to have some success soon. We are having a barracks inspection this morning so everyone had to get up and clean the place ship shape. Are you still getting the Yank Magazine? I think we get a different edition of the Magazine. Ours is printed on Saipan. The boys are up flying formation this morning and another crew that is in this hut went on a weather mission to Japan yesterday. We hear they had two engines quit over the mainland so they made a force landing in Japan. They'll have some stories when they come back. What's going on in the way of farming or gathering crops? Its almost meal time now I'll wait until afternoon and complete this. Maybe I'll get a letter from you later at nite. Well no letter this morning but I did get one from you in tonite's mail. So grandpa has gone to Tipton. Hope he is feeling well enough to enjoy his visit. How does your oil still work. Hope you like it OK! Has Jack gone to Penn yet? Did John trade my truck for a car? OK by me whatever kind of car it is? How is Ruth & James Wilkerson making it? Do you know if Edgar G. is on Guam? Ask Mary when you see her again. Do you think you have room for another footlocker at home? (ha) I have one all packed up and ready to send home. I may ship it out tomorrow. Well its bedtime now so I'll say nity nite. Love Austin

Sept 21, 1945 Guam Dear Folks, A line before going to bed tonite. Have a few little things I wanted to mail home. There are some good rumors that I may start processing to go home early in the morning so I'll be seeing you soon I hope. The ribbon is the Asiatic-Pacific theatre ribbon &Iwill wear them with 2 battle stars on it. The Oak Leaf Cluster is the 3rd * The Air Medal. Well its 12:30 PM so I'll go now. Nity Nite Love Austin Sunday the 23rd 1945 Dear Folks, Well at last something has started in regards to coming home. I have left my old habitation & moved into a large warehouse awaiting transportation to the States. So if you don't hear from me for as much as a week you can figure I'm boarded the boat for home. Yipee! There's a chance I may return by air also. Don't know how long we'll be waiting here but I've already left the 19th Group & finished my processing. Was really surprised to hear about Jack & Evelyn. Had he already gone to Pennsylvania? Sure must have had a quick change of mind. I thought Catherine Marie was his best girl! Well it still raining almost continually around here. You remember the little gold knife you gave me for Christmas in 1943! I lost it in my moving around here yesterday. Sure did hate to lose it. Have always carried it in my pocket as a little fingernail knife etc. We have plenty of books to read around here at the lights are much better than in our old hut. Well I'll stop for this time. With love to all, Austin P.S. No need to write to me any more over here.

Tuesday nite September 25, 1945 Guam Dear Mother & Sis, Just reporting that I'm OK and still here on Guam. I have a good chance of getting a ride out of herer real soon by plane tho so here's hoping. I received your letter that said you were going to have your tonsils removed. Hope everything's okay by now & you're feeling well. Sure is warm here tonight. I'm reading a detective story to pass the time away. We have a car in a large warehouse where we all are living until we get transportation home. There isn't any news to write. Hope everyone is feeling fine around home. Now I'm glad you got the car when you did. Solong & nity nite Love, Austin (Typed letter in all caps)

GUAM THURSDAY SEPT. 27, 1945 DEAR FOLKS, CAN YOU IMAGINE THEM STILL KEEPING ME HERE ON GUAM ALL THIS LONG? I HAVE BEEN PUT ON ATC ORDERS THO SO THAT MEANS THAT I AM ALMOST SURE TO LEAVE HERE BY PLANE. THE SOONER THE BETTER. HOW IS EVERY ONE AT HOME GETTING ALONG? I RECEIVED MOTHERS LETTER TODAY AND AM GLAD TO HEAR THE OPERATION WAS A SUCCESS. DID GRANDPA STAY IN TIPTON LONG ENOUGH TO LET YOUR THROAT GET WELL? THE WEATHER IS REALLY SULTRY HERE TODAY. ITS A HARD MATTER TO KEEP ENOUGH CLEAN CLOTHES TO WEAR WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR A RIDE. WHAT IS BILLY S. DOING THESE DAYS? DID YOU SAY THAT HE IS A CIVILIAN AGAIN? AND HOW IS JACK AND EVELYN? THAT REALLY WAS A SURPRISE TO EVERYONE I CAN IMAGINE. ISN'T JACK GOING TO GET A DISCHARGE? YOU SAID YOU HADN'T HEARD WHERE HANDWERKER HAD GOTTEN HOME YET. WELL HE ISN'T. WE HEARD TODAY THAT HE IS STILL ON SAIPAN WAITING FOR A BOAT. SO MABY I'LL GET HOME FIRST AFTER ALL. I'D MUCH RATHER WAIT FOR A PLANE HERE ON GUAM THAN FOR A BOAT ON SAIPAN. THE TRIP BY BOAT WOULD BE A NEW EXPERIENCE I SUPPOSE BUT I DON'T THINK I WOULD LIKE IT IN THIS CASE. WE HAVE PLENTY OF RECREATION FACILITIES HERE IN OUR WAREHOUSE. OH! LAST NITE A FEW OF US GOT TOGETHER AND FROZE TWO GALLONS OF ICE CREAM. WE USED ICE CREAM POWDER AND WATER WITH ONE PINT OF CONDENSED MILK. IT WAS THE BEST CREAM I HAD EATER SINCE I'VE BEEN OVER HERE. I LICKED THE PADDLE AND IT REMINDED ME OF THE ICE CREAM SUPPERS THAT WE USED TO HAVE DOWN AT THE MACK CHURCH. LOOKS LIKE THIS IS IT FOR TONITE. SO I'LL BE SEEING YOU SOON. I'LL CALL YOU WHEN I GET TO SAN FRANCISCO. LOVE TO ALL, AUSTIN

September 30th, 1945 Dear Folks, I'm back in the good ole U.S.A. Came by plane from Guam. Sent you a telegram this morning instead of telephoning as it takes so long to make connections by phone. Well here's the dope. I reported to the Port of Embarkation (sp ?) at Hamilton Field, Calif. They will have our orders ready Oct. 4th sending me to some Redistribution Center in Western Ark. I don't remember the name even. So they said we didn't have anything to do until the 4th so we came into San Francisco for the Nite. I'll get a leave from this camp in ARK So I'll probably be around 10 days before I get home. Looks like I may have to stay in the Army a little while longer. Feeling fine. Hope you're the same! Tell all Hello Love, Austin