Topeka Army Air Base
They Thought it was the Navy Practicing
October 6 and 10, 1944. Dad writes two letters home from Topeka Army Air Base, just having “got into Topeka 7:45” on the night of the 5th after a two week furlough. He writes that the furlough was “the best one of the three furloughs I had.” He fondly recalls “the wonderful time I had … Continue reading
A Darn Good Break
September 12, 1944: Dad writes one last letter home from Topeka before heading out on his furlough. As Dad tells it, his furlough “…will last for 15 days plus 4 or 5 days additional for travelling time. …I’ll be straggling home around the early part of Saturday morning or at any rate it will be on Saturday. … Continue reading
We Could Teach Him a Lesson
August 23 and 27, 1944: Dad writes two relatively short letters home from Topeka Army Air Base where he is serving with the HQ Squadron of the 270th AAF Base Unit. He is catching up on correspondence as “it’s kind of slow in the office.” He is looking forward to his upcoming furlough, mentioning that … Continue reading
Another Kansan Special
August 10, 17 and 20, 1944: Dad writes a few relatively short handwritten letters home, noting that he is “very short of words.” Summer is starting to wane at Topeka Army Air Base as “The days around here are warm and the cool evenings are a wonderful relief.” As he is writing the letter on … Continue reading
I Can Imagine Being Home
August 5 and 7, 1944. Dad writes two letters home from Topeka. He mentions that he had the day before off and went golfing in the morning, getting back to camp before the temperature hit a high of 102 for the day. As he is writing the letter, it is late in the evening (“around … Continue reading
They Played a Joke on Him
July 29 and August 2, 1944: Dad writes two letters home from Topeka Army Air Base. The big news is that his boss got a promotion. As Dad tells it, “…I now work for Major James Lawrence Chenault. They played a joke on him. Capt. Chenault and Lt. Col. Cotter, his boss who got a … Continue reading
Believe it or Not!
July 20, 23 & 24, 1944: Dad writes a few letters home from Topeka. In his keeping up with current events it is clear looking back that he was certainly living in historic times. Late July, 1944 is no exception. He has been listening to the Democratic convention from Chicago where Roosevelt was nominated for … Continue reading
Neither Married Nor Engaged
July 1 and 4, 1944, two letters from Dad to the folks back home. Dad is still in Topeka with the 270th AAF Base Unit. As it is the first of the month and a Saturday, “The place is empty since payday was yesterday.” Being that it is a weekend he has a lot of … Continue reading
Around Town
June 13, 17 and 20, 1944: Three letters home from Dad while he is stationed at Topeka Army Air Base with the 270th AAF Base Unit. He apologizes for not writing sooner as he has been “around town and all over the place.” His last letter was four long days ago. He writes that “the … Continue reading
War Marriages
June 4 and 9, 1944: two letters from Dad at Topeka Army Air Base to the family back home. He continues to be on the hunt for film for his sister, who is having difficulty finding the film she needs for her camera in Albany. Dad also shares some news about an old boss of … Continue reading