6) Christmas in Colorado --1942

Buckley Field, Colorado
Dec. 26, 1942, Sat. Nite, 5:30PM

Betty Dear,

I just received your letters of the 20th and 23rd and they sure were welcome.  I really do appreciate those letters.  It is so swell to receive a letter every day or every other day.  Keep on sending them please.

Well Xmas was swell to me.  I went in town Xmas Eve and stayed till Xmas Nite and then I went to school.  Xmas day I went to dinner with a friend of mine “Tom Curtis” he used to live here in Denver and he had some friends who‘s son is in England (Fighter Alert) and they had us come to dinner at their house.

Well I sure was glad to hear that Bob’s solo flight was a success.  I knew he would make it.  Tell him  (oh well never mind I will write him my self).

I was glad to hear you were over to the house.  “So you liked Buddy Mantler did you, well all the women do.”

You say am I sorry I couldn’t keep the date with Libby.  Well to tell the truth I am sorry really sorry, because I had to tell her a couple of three things or two.  And I don’t mean a discussion about the weather nor the war.

Well we have snow now and it came this morning at 1 o’clock AM.  Just 1 hour late to be “A White Christmas”.  It has snowed all day and there is about 8 or 9 inches on the ground and it looks like there will be more.

Well write as often as you can and write me every thing you do.  I will be thinking about you.

With love and kisses, etc.,

Yours,

Jack

Notes: 

1. “White Christmas”---The now familiar song was introduced in the 1942 film Holiday Inn (winning the Academy Award for Best Song), Crosby's "White Christmas" held first place on the Hit Parade countdown for a record ten consecutive weeks.
2. Libby Bazzell--- Jack’s girlfriend in Louisville, KY
3. Jack's Parent's House---When he mentions “you were over to the house” he is referring to his parents home on Bonner Ave. in St. Matthews.

Jack's Dog Tags at the end of the War.-  The number under his name is his Army Serial number- the first digit "1" indicates that he was a Volunteer in the Regular Army, the second digit "5" indicates that he is from Ohio, W. Virginia, Indiana, or Kentucky.  T 42  43 indicates the years of his tetanus immunization and the year of his tetanus toxoid injection.  The "O" after the number 43 indicates that he had Type O blood.  His mother Avery and her address are listed as next of kin.  The "P" after his mother's address indicated that he was a Protestant.

5) Graveyard Shift: mid-Dec. 1942

Buckley Field, Colorado
Thursday, Dec. 10th, 7PM, 1942

Dear Betty

Well at last a few lines to you to let you know that I am still alive and etc.

I don’t get much time off here and I work the Graveyard shift and that is sure living up to its name. We go to school at 10PM get “2” donuts & coffee at 2AM and 5 AM we go to mess then to the barracks then we have bed check at 7AM and we must be in bed then, at 3:15PM we get up and 4:15 we eat again “Oh! I forgot” 3:15 PM till 4:15 we have to go over the obstacle course which is called the Burma Road. 5:45 till 6:15 is a lecture period and 6:30 till 7:00 is inspection then we have “2” whole hours to our-self If they don’t think of something else. 9:00 we eat then school again at 10. Some day believe me.

The country out here is beautiful. We can see the snow capped mountains from our barracks windows.

Well I guess I had better sign off now as I have some other people to write to and not a great deal of time on my hands.

Tell Bob & Bill hello for me and tell Ann to keep away from K.M.I.

Love,
Jack

Notes:

1. Burma Road--- was built between 1937 and 1938 to transport war supplies to China for its war against Japan. The road served as a "back door" to China and avoided Japan's blockade of the Chinese coast. It wound about 700 miles across mountains and through thick jungle from Lashio, Burma, to Kunming, China. Japanese troops captured the Burmese part of the road and closed it in 1942.
2. K.M.I.---The Kentucky Military Institute, was located near Anchorage. It was a military high school for boys. “Ann” is Betty’s younger sister, Anne Geiger.

This photo of my mother, Betty Geiger, was probably taken at about the age (16) that she began to correspond with Jack.  In the Fall of 1942 she began her Junior year at Anchorage High School.