July 12, 1944

Dear Emily and Bill,

Our fleece lined foxhole looks very inviting except when one might need one. I have quite a bit of time now to work on improvements for our little home. Usually we fighter pilots, on our day off, bum a ride up to the front lines and see if we can't find more excitement.

It's a very enjoyable life I lead. Really! No one nags me, plenty of sleep, sweet music on our P.A. system. England had some pretty views but the one we see from our shit house beats just about everything I've seen. It looks across a beautiful green valley into a small peaceful town beyond. It's simply out of this war torn world. It's refreshing to come back from a mission after blowing up and shooting up our targets and look out there and see the beauty of nature.

This flying in a war beats everything. I feel as if I'm doing more than if I had stayed in the infantry. We never see the mess the kids are that don't get back to the field with us. I hate to lose my pals but this is a lot better than if I had gone with my old gang. If you don't know the kids, you don't mind it so much. I'm not trying to be morbid or anything like that. We all say, "well, his number was up" and no more is said about it.

The "Stars and Stripes" came in and I stopped to read the latest. Our outfit got a big write up in it. I'll send you the clipping after everybody is through reading it. We have to pass them around. Colonel Holt is our Commanding Officer and he is mentioned in it.

Did you know that for every mission we fly, we get a package of gum, a bar of candy and two ounces of whiskey. They give this out twice a week, everything except the whiskey. They let that pile up and have a squadron party. My nerves don't need it anyway. I did collect five Hershey bars and five packages of gum tonight.

They had better clear the way when I get back home. It seems almost impossible that it's been three and a half years since I've been in the service and going on four years. A year before that, I was sort of under the weather with my feet. That's just about five years of my love I'm going to make up for.

If you ever see the ideal piece of land on a lake, a good sized one with very few cottages on it, where I can put up my abode called "Bachelor's Paradise", let me know and I'll buy it. Just think all the peace in the world, along with a speed boat and maybe a small sea plane to take the itch out of my feet when I get it. A big fireplace for the winter just for looks, not for heat. A load of good books to increase my worldly knowledge of which I have very little. Speaking of that, if you happen to see a first year French book around, I would appreciate it greatly of you would wrap it up and send it along. Why didn't I pay attention when the teacher told me to?

As Ever

Al