New Guinea
May 20, 1944
Dearest Mother & Dad,
Hello, and how are you folks today? I wonder if you are taking life as easily as I am today. I don’t have to fly until 1:30 p.m. so I decided to catch up on my correspondence.
Everything is still O.K. over here and we are still taking things from the Nips whenever we want to; however, I am surely glad I don’t have to fight on the ground. That business is really tough.
Don’t know what my new APO is as yet but as soon as I find out, I’ll let you know. We are still living out of a bag and it really is inconvenient, but it won’t last very much longer.
My new ship, “Sweetwater Swatter”, is really a dream ship. It is the best ship I have ever flown. I will send you some pictures of it as soon as they can be developed.
I got a V-mail from Thelma yesterday of which I was very glad to get. I haven’t heard from Kat in months. I will write her today and see if I can get an answer.
Two more men out of Group are going home this month so maybe at last they have started the chain. As for myself, don’t depend too much on me getting home before Xmas. I have started my 13th month overseas but I’ll probably get 18 before I get back. It seems they have quit going by rule of one year and 300 hours. Most of us have 400 & 500 hours combat time, which ain’t hay! Believe me, it gets to be work.
I do think it will be pretty hard for me to settle down when this war is over. I often wonder what I’ll do when I get back. The way I feel now, I don’t want to do anything for about 6 months. Just lay around and take life easy and eat and sleep.
I am surprised I have held up as will as I have over here. I don’t think I have malaria and I haven’t lost much weight. The weather over here is about like July and August at home. Very similar. The wet season has just passed and it is really dry here now. The roads are terribly dusty.
Well, Mom, not much more to write about so I had better stop. Don’t worry about me, for I am O.K. Please take good care of yourself and Dad and when I get home we’ll really celebrate.
Love,
Son
