New Guinea
August 22, ‘44
Dearest Mother, Dad, & Velma;
Well, here I am back in New Guinea for awhile. If you will notice my address you will see that I have joined the new squadron. I am way back down the line now and will probably be here for about two months. We are getting a bunch of new pilots from the States and we have to train them for combat. It will be a very dull & tiresome job and I hate to get started on it. We will have all new equipment and planes but I am in favor of letting the pilots learn mostly for themselves. That’s the way we did. Besides our planes are much better than they used to be.
Morrison is here with me & I think he is the only one you know from the old outfit. Capt. Dunham is the new C.O. He is a mighty fine fellow and I like him fine. I have known him since they organized the 348th. This new squadron will also be a part of our old group so we will still be around our friends.
The base where we are located has been the largest over here but since everything is now so far away not too much remains here. My new address is:
Lt. W.O. Carter Jr.
460 Ftr. Sqd.
APO 713 – Unit I
C/o P.M. San Frisco
I just heard today that the 340th has moved on up the line. It is about time because we haven’t seen a Nip for a very long time.
It will probably be a long time before I get any mail from you since everything is in such chaos. So please write to my new address as soon as you can. Be sure to tell the newspapers my new address and anyone else that’s interested.
The mosquitoes are terrific here and I believe the heat is more severe. I guess I will have to load up again on atabrine. I hate to take the stuff but if it keeps malaria down it is worth the discomforts.
I was glad to hear that L.A. Ritter got to go home. He surely deserved it and I know he was tickled to pieces.
Well, Mom, please don’t worry about me. At least, we won’t be bombed here. I will be instructing here for about two months. I will be pretty tough on the new fellows because most of them will be cocky. They should be that way to a certain extent but most of them over do it.
‘Bye for now, Mom, write soon and give my love to all my friends.
Love,
Son