Uncle Jimmy's Letters

Dear Mother, Dad, and Jocie;

We’ve been working so hard out here but it is almost impossible to find time to write. We live in barracks now. All the other cadets say we are lucky-? c.x.!!, and I guess we are. I’ve made a lot of friends out here and they are very nice kids. Well, I shouldn’t say kids because two of them are 24 years of age. One of the fellows, Jack Holker by name, was manager of an insurance agency in Minneapolis. All of the fellows are very well mannered gentlemen. They really stress table manners out here.

We get up at 5:30 in the morning, dress, wash our faces and teeth. Then we form in front of the barracks for physical drill and roll call.

It really is hard out here to get classified as a pilot, bombardier, or navigator. We took psychological test for a day and a half straight. They were really stiff. We haven’t had time to take our flight physical yet we’ve been rushing so much.

If I ever make pilot I think I’ll faint dead away. I thought all you had to do was just hop into a plane and start off, but we have to go through nine weeks of ground school training. If you see an officer with wings on his tunic shake his hands and pat him on the back because he deserves it if anyone does.

We have some washouts in the barracks with us. Washouts are the fellows who couldn’t fly a plane well enough to suit Uncle Sam. When the instructor says to climb to 5000 feet, he doesn’t mean 5001 feet, he means 5000.

These fellows who can’t make the grade as a pilot are reclassified as a navigator or bombardier. I just hope I can pass this physical and mental we are going to take. All the old fellows told me it would be easy for me to make the grade but I just can’t help worrying. I guess I’m the worrying type. You know who I got that from don’t you mother?

Well, I really should tell you a little bit about this place. The camp hasn’t been completed yet so everything isn’t completed yet. This place in a few years will be the biggest of its kind in the world.

We march everywhere, to eat, to drill, to go to tests, everywhere!!

When we finally get to the mess room there isn’t a loud noise of clanking spoons as you’d expect. Everything is done by a command from our C.O. (Commanding officer). We stand behind our certain places at attention until given the command to sit down. Even then we can’t touch our plates or place our hands on the table, until another command is given. This sounds like it’s terribly strict but it’s good for us and especially some kids who haven’t had much training from their parents.

Well Mother and Dad it certainly was hard to leave you at the station and it would be twice as hard now. When I lay awake at night I think of how I disregarded your corrections but now I’m really glad you were persistent enough to correct all of my mistakes. As soon as I see a kid I can tell what kind of home environment he was brought up in.

Well darlings the C.O. is calling the men for mess so I’ll have to shorten my letter.

Please don’t worry about me.

Your loving son,

Jim.

PS

Give my love to Thelma.

Dear Mother, Dad and Jocie,

We just finished our daily physical workout-it was a honey. I chinned myself more times than anyone in the squadron. Our physical instructor took my name down and congratulated me. Every time your name is entered in their book that means you will get an excellent physical rating-which means a lot for a pilot.

I cleaned my rifle for almost 2 hours last night-I took everything apart including my barrel and bolt. Our CO is really strict as to the care of our rifles. It is so hard to keep the rifle clean out here because of the dust. That dust is on everything and everywhere. During our mile run each day I bet I swallow about a pound of that dust.

I saw Eric yesterday and had quite a talk with him. He’s getting along well, so he says and he gives you all his love. Seeing that we are in different squadrons we don’t get much chance to see each other. Our school schedules are always different. This week we have our classes during the day and Eric has his at night. So it’s pretty darn hard to get together. I am certainly glad I have made such fine friends as Don Parmelee and Pete. We three room together and we really make the best of this army life together.

Dad wrote and told me that he went through Alexandria Minnesota last week. That’s Bud Peterson’s hometown you know. Bud wanted to know if the next time he was down that way if he would look up his Dad, H. N. Peterson (superintendent of schools), he’s quite a man in Alexandria I guess. Anyway Bud would like them to see each other. Bud and I are the best of friends and maybe our dads could get together.

Well, darlings, we leave for classes in a few minutes so I will have to sign off.

Loads of love,

Jim

Dear Jocie,

Hello Jocie-how are you darling-just fine I hope. I am so sorry I haven’t had time to send many pictures home-but you will have to realize how busy I am out here. I have your picture, along with mother’s and dad’s in my billfold. I think of you a lot Jocie. I bet that when I see you again you’ll be quite a young lady. All of my boy friends wish you were a few years older so they could have a chance. They really are swell bunch of fellows.

I wish you, Thelma, mother, and dad could come up here to see me-but, that’s out of the question I guess.

You should see the funny haircuts everyone has out here. They call them the west point haircut. They shave your head way up on the sides and cut the hair short on top-you’d laugh yourself sick if you saw me.

We had another gas mask and drill yesterday. Gosh! They are really tough. We have to march an hour at a time without taking them off. At the end of an hour it feels pretty darn good to fill your lungs with fresh air. We have to put on our gas masks in three seconds flat. Boy, that’s really moving isn’t it.

We have just about finished all of our classes now so I think we will be moving off for primary training pretty soon. Gosh! I hope I can fly an airplane. You know, some fellows just can’t fly at all-if I washout I know you’ll still think I’m a pretty good brother (I hope). I really miss you Jocie-I didn’t realize how much you meant to me until I left home. I am so lucky-I have a swell girlfriend, lovely parents and the nicest little sister anyone could want. Well Jocie I am running out of paper so please write to me darling. Your big brother will really appreciate a letter from his sister.

Loads of love,

Jim

P.S. Work hard in school darling. Make mother and dad proud of you. I’m trying to make good for them! We are so lucky that we have such nice parents.

Hello darlings-

I hope you aren’t angry because of my slack in writing-I just didn’t have time last week due to our schedule. We have school in the daytime now so we can write it at night anyway.

We finished our math course yesterday and believe it or not I have an average grade of 92% in all my tests. That was third highest in her class. If I can do as well in physics as I have in math everything will be okay.

Tell Dad that a fellow cadet in my squadron was washed out because of stomach ulcers yesterday. Gosh-you can’t be sure of anything here. He was a swell kid too-they put us through a pretty tough grind and it’s survival of the fittest I guess. I’m worried so darn much about my math and then found out I have the third highest grade in the class. I don’t think worrying does anybody any good but, you know us Mother-if we haven’t something to worry about we aren’t happy. My code is coming along beautifully so far my average is very high. I can take down 10 words a minute now.

Some poor fellows just can’t get it through their heads. Take the cadet in our next room for instance-he’s worried sick thinking about washing out due to his code-he can’t get those dots and dashes through his. The instructor told us that it comes easy to some and hard for others.

We had mail calls a few minutes ago-we all rushed madly to the mail orderly’s tent. Thelma sent me some goodies and a letter-I also got a letter from you and Ed Schneider. Everybody is so swell about writing me.

Say, mother you said in your letter if I wanted anything to ask. Well, here I go, if you could find a little radio-the smaller the better-about 6 inches by 4 inches if possible. If you can find one I’d appreciate it very much. It’s very lonely without any companionship except cadets at all and I think a radio would help. Remember Mother if you can get a small one it’s a lot handier. They charge you 100 prices out here for a radio! You tell me how much they cost and I will send you the money as soon as we are paid.

I will write tomorrow

Your loving son, Jim

P.S. The pictures were cut out of a Los Angeles paper.

My darlings,

I received your carton of Philip Morris just in time. That was swell Mother and Jocie because a carton of cigarettes is always welcome here.

We have a new school schedule now-I don’t like it very much because we have classes at night. We are constantly on the move from 5:30 AM until 9:10 PM which makes it a very long day.

Our new subject is a very interesting one-Airplane Identification-it is called. We still have physics, math, and code along with it. Physics really has me worried-I’m trying my darndest to make good so if I don’t make the grade don’t think I’m lazy because I’m working and studying every minute we have. There are quite a few fellows in the same situation I am so I guess it isn’t any worse for me than it is for them.

Say Mother I can’t see Mrs. Thornquist because Long Beach is considered out of bounds for the cadets. Some cadets couldn’t act like gentlemen I guess so now none of us can go there.

Gene left for primary training I think-the lucky dog-so I won’t see much of him I suppose. His mother visited him quite a few times I guess. We have drill in a few minutes-if you think St. Thomas’s lines looked good-you should see our parades. A reviewing officer from West Point spoke very highly of our drilling after our last Sunday Parade. Everybody is here for a purpose-so everyone tries his darndest to do everything perfectly. I wish you could come up here for a vacation. I miss all of you very much-just to see you would pep me up 100%.

I wish we could get a leave for two or three weeks. I wish I could have seen Bob Bassamore in his summer whites.

This camp is pretty dead now here due to a large number of fellows leaving for Primary. We are considered the oldest men in the camp now. It’s just exactly 6 weeks we’ve been here. You should hear some of the questions the new men ask us.

Well, my darlings I will try to write as often as possible. I carry your pictures on me constantly wherever I go.

Your loving son,

Jim

Hello darlings,

I found a few spare moments to write for once. The general chatter floating around now really has everyone on edge. The fellows think they are moving to primary. I think it’s phony so I don’t worry about it. We’ve just completed about three weeks of school. So far my average in all of the classes has been very good. Some poor kids are flunking left and right. One friend of mine from Illinois is really in a bad way. He has to go to special study every night from 7 to 9 PM.

We have just started a new course in physics-it’s pretty hard for me so I study most of my evenings away. We have a test in every class every day. You know how I worry about tests-I’m just about a nervous wreck. Our schedule has been changed for this week and I think it’s for the good. We have classes all morning from 8 to 12pm. Then in the afternoon we have our drill and physical drill. Our physical drill has been getting harder each day. They give us 10 sets of exercises that are really tough! I chinned myself more than anyone else in the squadron yesterday. The fellows think I’m going to kid now. They make us run the 880 yard run every day. It almost killed me at first but, lately I can keep up with Pete (Bud Peterson) for a short distance anyway. He was a long-distance runner at the University of Minnesota. He’s really quite a kid.

My job as section marcher is really a pip-I do all the work and the other kids have it pretty soft. As a rule the commander has the soft job. Oh well, my commanding officer likes me anyway. I guess it’s because my flight leader made a mistake during the Sunday Parade and I gave the right command that put the whole flight in step with the band. I’m not bragging mother-I hope you don’t think that!

I took some snaps the other day-it was the first I’ve had a chance since we started school. We have to keep on the ball around here so we can go to primary. I’d really love to come back for a few weeks so I could see the town again. I really miss my lovely home. Have you kept my same pictures on the wall and the beds made, because someday I’ll be back (I hope with a pair of silver wings).

Love Jim.

I spilled Coke on this patch. Have you heard the new law passed? Anyone that has enlisted after July 15-42 won’t get a commission-if he gets his wings he is a flying warrant officer. I’m really glad I joined when I did now.

Hello darlings,

I have found out now that this Air Corps is no nonsense. School is really tough-especially physics. Most of the fellows have had college physics so it’s easy for them but, I have to study like mad.

We have a new post commander now-and he really is tough. He wants to cancel all weekend passes and have school seven days a week.

I don’t mind school but, I think everybody should have one day of rest don’t you? I have been studying my physics for three hours and I think I have it pretty well now.

We had inspection yesterday by the Wing Commander. I cleaned my rifle for at least two hours-it paid off too-my commanding officer complimented me on my clean rifle. Our squadron won first place in the Sunday parade last week. Our commanding officer was as happy as a kid. He’s really a regular guy-everybody likes him. Some fellows are always complaining about one thing or another-they’re starting to drive me nuts. I guess there are a few of them wherever you go.

This California climate is pretty nice, cool at night-and sunny during the day. Every native Californian is as tan as Thelma. The homes out here are very beautiful-they remind me of low Spanish villas. I still think Minneapolis has them all beat. You should hear the arguments going on between we Minnesotans and the Illinois boys. They are really a nice bunch of fellows.

Tell Jocie I enjoyed talking to her and I will write her soon. I’m having some pictures developed and will send them soon.

Love, Jim

Dear Mother,

We got our first weekend pass last weekend and Bud Peterson, Eric, Gene, and I had a pretty good time. People out here are very nice to us, especially we cadets rate I guess.

An elderly couple took Bud and I for a sightseeing tour through Balboa Beach. Dad would love to see the big boats tied up in the harbor-they are really beautiful Mother. The man told us that some of the boats cost as much as $200,000. Of course they were the big seagoing yachts. I know Dad would love to live out here amongst the boats and the sea. Bud and I had a swell time swimming in the ocean-as you can see we didn’t have such an exciting weekend but, we did have a grand time seeing all the new sights. Gosh-I wish Dad, you, Jocie and Thelma would come out here and then I really would have a good time.

Our school classes are getting much harder day by day but, I am still holding my own with the best of them. We started the new course in physics now. I never had it in high school but Bud, he’s had two years of college engineering said he’d help me when I needed it. The fellows are so nice out here-you can’t beat them Mother. The average run of them are college men but your son can carry on with any one of them-especially in code.

My tests marks averaged together gave me 99%-the second highest in my whole section. They’re  still washing kids out for physical defects. The flight surgeons watch each one of us daily, at physical drill especially. The rumor around here is-we are going to primary flight school but, I don’t believe we are ready for it yet. I have to cut it short Mother so goodbye and every minute I have I’ll try to write.

Love Jim

Dear Dad, Mother, and Jocie;

I am terribly sorry I didn’t write for a few days but, you understand the training we are going through. It has reached it’s peak now I guess. Schoolwork is getting a lot tougher day by day and requires quite a bit of study.

So far my marks have been very good and, I hope to continue throughout the training. I am sending you a sample of our test they give us every day and each class. They mean business out here–

Say you haven’t congratulated me for my position as a section leader. It really is a responsible job–remember when I used to shirk responsibilities mother? Well, I am taking all I can now so I can make something of myself someday. Lieut. Munday, our commanding officer said I am doing very well and congratulated me for my commanding ability. Can you beat that! One kid tried to skip classes yesterday so I turned his name in. He moaned for quite a while for me to fix him up but, I didn’t. I remember dad’s words of wisdom–every man is for himself in this world–if I hadn’t turned him in and I got caught, it would’ve been my neck instead of his.

Well, enough of that bragging. I received a splendid money belt from Thelma and a lovely box of nuts and cigarettes from Auntie Ida–aren’t I a lucky cuss to have such wonderful friends.

Say Dad I will send some snapshots as soon as possible. By the time school is out it is pretty dark so I will have to wait for Sundays to take pictures. I received your lovely snaps yesterday and already have them pasted on my foot locker. I can look at them every time I open my locker now. Jocie my darling, please write to me soon and take care of Thelma for me.

Loads of love.

Jim