4/15/44 Italy #94
Hi Honey:
Yesterday was a big day in many ways. I received 4 letters from you, which I shall answer first.
I shall try again to explain the deal on the Bonds, savings accounts, etc. I realize that it may sound complicated, but I believe it is sensible after having talked it over with quite a few older men who should know.
First, keep the checking account at a $500 level. In other words, at the end of the month it should be $500 and high average at the start of the next month, when allotment comes in, to carry you over and still have $500 at the end of the second month, etc. The balance of our savings, including cash and war bonds we already have, should be split 3 ways. Bonds get 1/3, savings account at Ft. Sam 1/3 and savings account in one of the Chicago banks 1/3. For example:
Assume we have $2000 plus $450 invested already in bonds. Total is thus $2450 total.
- Put $500 in checking account.
- Put 1/3 of balance (1950) = $650 in savings at Ft. Sam.
- Put another 1/3=$650 in savings in Chicago.
- Buy $200 more in bonds bringing total bond investment to $650.
When next check comes in, take out what you need to keep checking account at $500 and split the rest three ways as above.
In other words, I want $500 in the checking account and the rest of our money split roughly evenly between 2 savings accounts and war bonds.
Thanks for the trunks. I hope they get here soon as it will be warm enough to go swimming pretty soon now.
As far as finishing missions is concerned, that is a lot of hooey. I could have been a mission hog when I had the squadron and been home six months ago. But it wouldn’t have worked. I wouldn’t be content to sit in the U.S.A. for long and the assignment I got might be worse than the one I have.
I get a kick out of your getting homesick for Okla. The only thing I’m homesick for is one 1940 Plymouth with the right girl sitting up in front with me. I don’t care where it is headed, but we’ve always had so much fun on trips and life has always been so uncertain with us that it seems to have been an endless string of looking eagerly forward to the experiences of our next station. With all the heartaches of being apart too much, it has some advantage in being always able to look forward to being together again. We have been lucky in many respects. Although I’ve missed the boat on promotion, I still have my sense of humor and of fairness.
I don’t know how long I can go on being a good soldier, but I shall probably last as long as the best of them.
I think staying by yourself for a few weeks is a good idea, but not for long.
Tom Norris is probably as disgusted with England as some of the men I know were. Perhaps the strain of years of war has brought out only the bad features of the country. Many of the individual Englishmen are fine. Yesterday I gave a couple of English nurses, “sisters” they call them, a lift in my airplane. The transport people won’t haul you unless you have a high priority and a lot of rank. So tactical people always make an effort to fill the airplane on any administrative flights. Otherwise people on leave would have to stay in their own backyards, which is no leave at all.
Honey, please don’t write any more about my coming home. As far as I can see, it just isn’t in the cards. I want it as much as you do, kitten, but I am not yellow, am healthy, and know so much army that even if I did get flack happy, I would be put on a staff job. There is a possibility of some leave in the USA, but not ‘til next fall.
Now for the good news. After much dickering, I have landed a job on the Air Force Staff. I shall be a #3 communications officer and hope to devote my time entirely to aircraft radio. After getting the job all lined up, I find it is a Lt. Col’s vacancy, so I may even do some good at that. Honey, it just sounds too good to be true. I shall in effect have about the same job as chief radio engineer of Pan-Am Airways. If it works out, it should be a damn good stepping stone back into civilian radio engineering. And that may be worth all of the HS I’ve put up with over here.
Had dinner with Cassidy, Doc Shaw, and Jack Stearn last night. Most of it was spent talking about a certain little brunette I married nearly 4 years ago!
Orders should be out on the new job in 3 or 4 days, and then I shall settle down to a mahogany desk, an apartment, and regular office hours. To ease your mind, I shall do mostly administrative flying. Just keep your fingers crossed so that nothing ties up on the deal.
Just between us girls, I love you.
Your Cy (Radio Engineer again)