10/14/44: German General Irwin Rommel commits suicide by poisoning to avoid a trial for his participation in the July assassination attempt on Hitler.
10/16/44 Italy*
Honey:
Maybe I’m crazy, but here’s the story.
Yesterday I spent half a day buying tile and putting same in my tent for a floor, thinking as I did that, such permanent arrangement would probably result in a move.
When I returned to the office, I found the boss in a dither. Rear headquarters had requested me for assistant operational engineering officer. He said I could have my choice. This morning I talked to Lt. Col. Davis, my new boss. I was originally offered a job in both his section and the commun[ications] section. Here is the story as I see it.
Communications
- Boss is screwball and will probably never do anything for me, although he likes me a lot.
- There is no position vacancy in this place, and I am rapidly getting disgusted.
- I live in a god damn tent.
Ops-engrg [Operations Engineering]
- Boss is probably going home in a few weeks leaving me boss.
- If “a” occurs, I hold a Colonel’s vacancy with a Col. as an assistant.
- I would live in a hotel with hot tub baths.
From a job standpoint, communications involves:
- Damn little engineering.
- A lot of juggling of how many channels to use for how many words of traffic per day, etc.
- Organization of Signal Corps units.
Ops Engineering controls:
- All modifications of existing airplanes.
- All new equipment related to aircraft
- All recommendations for changes in aircraft (like work Baldy and I used to do)
So, I think you can see why I have accepted the changed status. Damn it, I have lost part of six months by not doing it in the first place, but I have gained some valuable experience here. Among other things, I believe my position is stronger having been practically demanded as Davis’ replacement by the AF A-3.
Well, the grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence. But I don’t believe I have hurt my position any, and I stand a fair chance of bettering it. Honey, I’m lonesome for airplanes and their engineering problems. Maybe this time I’ve found my niche.
That’s about it for now. Last evening I had a glass of wine in this university town with a well-to-do family and they complimented me on my perfect Italian accent. As this place is equivalent in Italian to the Castilian Spanish, I shall have to give Vulcanos credit for doing a good job.
Neapolitans have a strong accent, but they don’t seem to have left me with any of it.
So you think Pupa is a sweater girl! No foolin’, she’s flat chested for this part of the world. You’re just a little girl by south Italy standards—incidentally about as nice a little girl as I’ve seen.
I wonder if Mary H. [Huntoon] ever got her ring—or if some light-fingered lad snatched the package. I’ve never head a word from her since about August.
It scares me when I think how big Chuck is. I really haven’t been around him since he was 8 years old, and that was a long time ago.
You are very sweet, very beautiful, and I hope understanding all of the things I do.
Maybe this is our first break in two years. All my love, Cy
P.S. Orders are not yet out, but hope they will be in a couple of days.
*Author’s note: I believe the HQ for the 12th Air Force where Cy would have been stationed in early October was in Foggia, Italy.
