August 31, 1944
Dear Mom,
Just a few lines to let you know that all is well.
When and if we get a chance to go to Cuba and we can get a pass into the tour, I will do my best to get you some nylon. I don’t know what they charge for them, but if I have enough money, I will get you 1 for a piece at least. The idea then is to get them by the Customs agents. They inspect each ship before it starts back. There are places to hide things that are fairly good in those B-24’s.Our pilot said some of the other fellows have told him of some real good places. If I can get them back to the U.S., you can bet your life I won’t have any trouble sending them to you.
I am glad to hear you and dad enjoyed “Home in Indiana”. Marie said that dad wanted to stay and see it over again.
It is somewhere around 150 to 200 miles from here to Columbia, South Carolina, I think. I haven’t been able to find out for sure. That is just a guess I made myself… As far as me getting a three day pass and going to see them, that is impossible. We work seven days a week. The only time we really get is a little time to go anywhere is when we don’t fly at night. Then we can get a pass from 9:00 p.m. that night until 11:55 a.m. the next morning. That is approximately 16 hours. We never have a full day off.
We do have a Chapel on the post, right next to our area. Sometimes we will have the chance to go and other times we won’t.
Well last night I went to the Prat Theater and saw Phil Bake in “Take it or Leave it”. Oh, the story behind it. It is more or less a human interest picture about a sailor and his wife.
Today, we were supposed to fly in the morning from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. The pilot, co-pilot, engineers, and radioman flew, but we didn’t. It was for a co-pilot check. We were back at the barracks and in bed by 6:00 a.m. I didn’t get up again until 12:00 to eat dinner. This afternoon we are supposed to get paid. That is all for now. Give my love to Dad, Mom, and Bootsie.
Love,
“Joe”