Monday, Sept. 20[1]
Dear Lydia ,
I didn’t
realize there was much difference between the pictures I sent out. In a while
I’ll be able to send you some others that are more interesting. My co-pilot has
taken quite a few snaps & I’m having prints made of those I liked[2]. I
won’t really give them to you – some day in my post-war world I may want to
recollect those memos so until then I’ll leave such things in mamma’s or your
safe keeping – you show the most interest.
Isn’t it
strange how distant the casualties of war or some great catastrophe seem until
brought into focus by the loss of some-one you knew. Saturday one of those things
happened in the Tampa
area, a B-17 exploded in mid-air & I don’t suppose a single square foot of
anything in that plane will ever be found. The planes at R.T.O.[3]
bases are given such constant use that maintainance (sic) is sometimes
negligent & it’s common knowledge that the ships flown here are in worse
shape than in combat so what probably happened was a leakage of gasoline
vaporset off by lighting a cigarette or just a spark somewhere. [4] The point is that the navigator on that ship
was a good friend of mine: we had rooms across from each other at Hondo, our
birthdays were the same, and when we were at Plant Park Tampa
& since then hadn't seen each other. When he knew I couldn’t get to California on leave from Hondo, he asked me to his home
in Virginia
& if it weren’t for the fact he had an airline reservation, I wouldn’t have
him cancel, I’d have gone. Did you ever read “Bridge of San Luis Rey
I don’t
know where my money dribbles away – not that I need to economize, I still have
enough to last out the month. I’m just curious. Florida is notoriously expensive, but my
necessities are few. The explanation I suppose is that I’m wasting my substance
on riotous living. Even on an evening when I “just go out with the fellows” I
seem to spend more than in a month at college. There’s a restaurant here that
has the most delicious fillets & tenderloins, but at quite fantastic
–a-la-carte prices & an evening either starts with supper there or ends in
the wee small hours with supper there. In case you’re ever in Tampa ,
it’s the “Columbia ”
in Ybor city. Ybor city is the latin section of Tampa
– the latins here are Cubans or Spanish & you very seldom see the swarthy
Mexicans you associate with “latins” in California
or Texas .
I’m glad
you & I agree on the “X-Mas Problem”, not that my tendencies will be to
spend much over the prescribed maximum anyhow. I never did like the idea &
I always said so – and besides I always felt it was rather pointed since in
those days I couldn’t spend much over 50¢ per even if I wanted to. Besides if
we look for reciprocity in giving we’ll always be disappointed. If you have any
ideas of what mamma or any one else wants let me know – and what’s you
suppressed desire?
So
much for now
Love
Bob
[1]
Handwritten letter with no extant envelope. Written on stationery with
“OFFICER’S CLUB, Drew Field, Tampa
FLA Florida for combat
assignment, but the day and month are inconsistent with a 1944 calendar. Also, Plant Park
[2] I
believe these photos still exist and there might be several copies floating
around. In addition to the letters, I have several boxes of photos to organize.
If anyone has access to these photos, we can add them to this blog entry.
[3]
Replacement Training Operations.
[4] This can
still be an issue today, as the ignition of fuel vapor is the suspected demise
of TWA 800.
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