Dec 9, 1944
Dear Sisters:
This morning we got awake to about 3 inches of snow and quite cold and [it] snowed until about 8 A.M and it was quite cold all day however the snow melted w[h]ere the sun hit it but they did not start to ply [plow?] until 1500 O’clock. We had a couple of ships and they had troubles we had to straighten out boy it was cold and your fingers got so cold and stiff you just had to take time out and go warm them.
Here’s a good one - they wanted to put some stuff on the hangar floor so that the oil could be cleaned up easily that drips off the engines yesterday the feather merchants cleaned the floor up this morning they put the stuff on and did not do a darn bit of work all day there are 27 of them and the salaries range from $1,550 to $3,000 a year now if that isn’t a waste of damn good American dollars then what the hell is. There foreman doesn’t like me and I don’t like him yesterday we had an engine and the darn starter wouldn’t work. Well it is a D.C. Circuit with a common ground I was hunting the trouble and worked it right down to the starter it was a brand new one and they are suppose[d] to be tested before installed so I figured it was in the installation so I got an ohm meter from an electrical and ran a couple of tests on it and sure enough I didn’t have a circuit that mean[t] only one thing the wrong gasket so the engineering officer told me to give him a full report when I went to tell him he called this feather merchant in and I showed him the wrong gasket and the guy tried to call me a liar that I never took that one off well I called in another fellow that was helping me and he said your dam[n] right that is the one well he was in the wrong and got a hell of a chewing out for it but I made up my mind every mistake I found of there’s I’d report today again my chance came I had a very bad oil leak at a connection I kind of figured what the trouble was so I ask[ed] the officer about it he took a look and said well if I tell that guy he won’t believe me so we’ll have him fix it boy was he burned up and it’s a terribly mess[y] job so I guess maybe he won’t like me any better.
We received your packages today from Kathryn and Irma and Mildred I opened the one you told me to gee was I ever tickled with that tube the radio plays like a charm now also for the film thanks a million for them also for the other things I put them away for the present but thanks a million for everything.
We are expecting to get an apartment 3 rooms right here w[h]ere we are the old guy has them on the first floor and one is getting empty we asked for it and he said we could have it. I’ll tell you more when I find out.
The fruit cake is swell we ate some of it for supper it surely is good.
The Bieks are doing fine for these sick members and like that.
So your
school board doesn’t think you should take any orders from the
They tell me the alarm clocks you buy aren’t worth a dam[n] so if you can get yours fixed you will be better off. I don’t see any out here.
I can get two packs of cigarettes a day at the P.X. however they are out of certain brands quite often but now the civilians on the field cannot buy them anymore.
The Wac’s surely are getting put around on the field guards at the gate, sheet metal workers, in supply rooms and offices and I hear the feather merchants don’t like it at all. Too bad if they must go back to chasing sheep around the desert and wastelands they won’t be living so damn good again.
We are fine and hope you are the same. Boy the radio is surely good with this new tube in and thanks a million for everything. Here’s some stamps for K. if she has them she can through these away
Thanks again for everything
So Long
Love
John