62) Wearing the Pi Phi pledge pin--Dec. 4th, 1944

From Betty (Louisville, KY)

Dec. 4, 1944
Monday

My darling,

Just got home from school. I spend all my time out there now. I just love it and I have more fun. There’s always something going on.

Saturday night we played Georgetown. It was really a close basketball game. We only won 99 – 27. I wish they could have gotten one more point.

I had to sell cokes and candy at the game. It wasn’t so bad. We sold everything we had.

Saturday afternoon I went in town and saw Alan Ladd and Loretta Young in “And Now Tomorrow.” 
 It was really good.

I left home about 8:30 Sat. morning and didn’t get back home ‘til 10:30 that night. Anne went out to school with me cause she wanted to see the house. I only had one class. There were several hockey games and we watched those awhile. We ate lunch and she went in town. I waited ‘til about 1:30 for a friend of mine who was playing hockey. Then we went in to the show. She had to go home, so I went out to the Service Club for awhile. Those boys out there just like to have somebody to talk to. A group from school goes down every Sat. afternoon from 3 to 6. I went from there out to the game.

I’ve got a terrible cold. I think it’s from tearing around from building to building in the rain and snow. It has been awfully cold here lately.

I studied yesterday. Believe it our not! I do study once in a while. Not often, though. I have too much fun. All I care about is to get a C average so I can be initiated next term. Who knows, maybe the next time I see you, I might be wearing a golden arrow with pearls. I hope so. Now, I’m wearing a pledge pin which is the head of an arrow. Pi Phi is the most wonderful sorority in the country. I really love it.

Can’t think of anymore news. You write the sweetest letters honey. Wish I could express in words the way I feel, but I guess you already know. I love you very much.

All my love,

Betty

R. I. L. Y.

NOTES:

1. And Now Tomorrow---1944 film based on a novel by Rachel Field.  Wiki Link to article about the film
2. Pi Phi Pledge Pin---
3. "The House"--- When Betty talks of her sister wanting to see "the house" she is referring to the Pi Phi House on the U of L campus.  Betty didn't live there, but it was a great place for her to hang out on campus, since she was a commuter student.
4. Louisville Service Club/USO--Located in the former Columbia Auditorium at 824 Fourth Street.  The building was purchased by the city of Louisville in 1940 to be used as a soldier's recreation center.  The city leased the auditorium to the recreation committee to operate.  At the time it opened in March 1941 it was the only one of its kind in the country and became a model for other clubs that began to open after the start of WWII.  This was a place for entertainment and provided a place for soldiers to stay on weekend leave.  Young local women volunteered to be hostesses at the regular Friday night dances and the girls were  carefully screened.  Each week 1000 girls would travel by bus to Ft. Knox dances, setting out from the service club and delivered back there in the evening.  The building is now the Spalding University Center. 

61) Tent all fixed up with a blue parachute--Dec. 15th, 1944

Tacloban, Cancaboto Bay, Leyte, Philippines
APO 72 Leyte, Philippines

Philippine Islands
10:30 PM, December 15 ’44
My darling,

I haven’t received one single letter since I wrote the other nite. I am really sweating it out. There should be a big bunch of letters come in tomorrow. (I keep telling myself) Guess I can’t have everything. I did get a package of nuts from you yesterday. Believe me they were sure good. We haven’t had any lately. Sure did appreciate them.

We have our tent all fixed up now with a blue parachute, the kind they drop supplies with, fixed on the inside. We have indirect lighting and everything.

We have a boy who works around the tent. He is a boy about 17 years old. He can speak & understand English fairly well. He cleans the tent & makes or beds and shakes our blankets and rakes up outside. Also keeps the water cans full. Sure is nice to come back to a clean, dry & comfortable tent in the evening.

Darling, I really am looking forward to the time when we can be with each other in something besides our thoughts. I really shouldn’t do it but when I don’t get letters from you for a while I read all your old letters. It only makes me feel bad though.

Please darling continue to be the same sweet patient and thoughtful girl that I have been so much in love with for all these long months. I will always feel the same about you.

Don’t you see that I really love you? Please don’t study too hard and have a good time in your sorority activities. Wish I could be with you right now.

Well that is just as good a place to end this as any.

Goodnight sweetheart.

Yours,
Jack

My love to Anne & your Mom

Notes from the 9th FS Unit History- December 1944

• December started unexcitedly with routine patrols the first few days. We were still encamped at the "temporary" area upon which descended October 24, and awaited orders to move to the "permanent" campsite a few miles nearer the airstrip. 
• Dec. 6th some of the personnel moved into the new camp area. There were a few air raids and several red alerts at night, and at 7 PM a blinding flash was observed in the direction of the strip. In the morning a Jap Sally bomber was found scattered over the east side of the strip. Several Jap bodies were around the area, a satisfactory, if slightly gruesome sight. It was learned later that this was an "honor mission" in which the purpose was to fly into the traffic pattern, crash land on the strip, and disperse the occupants of the plane in the vicinity of the landing. The Japs were equipped with mines, which adhered to the plane until detonated. Obviously a great deal of damage could have been wrought with such a surprise attack. Unfortunately for the Japs, our anti-aircraft defenses penetrated the deception and when the Sally came over the south end of the strip it was greeted by everything that could be thrown up, and it 'augured' in, as only the Japs seem to be able to do. Our technical intelligence lads were on the job early, much to the disgruntlement of souvenir hunters who were also on the scene as early and faithful as ever! At least 2 Samurai swords were in the wreckage, and subsequent checking showed all of the enemy were officers and all had civilian clothes beneath their uniforms except one who wore an American army uniform under his Jap one. 
• Dec. 7^th--The squadron moved to the new campsite without mishap.
• Dec. 10th (early)--, a blinding flash and one of the loudest explosions heard to date, awakened the camp. It was not a bombing but the destruction of approximately one hundred tons of TNT near Palo. Its cause was not determined although the electrical storm going on at the time might well have accounted for it.
• Dec. 12th---  a very proud day for the 9th Fighter Squadron, when General MacArthur personally decorated Major Bong with the highest honor a grateful nation could give, the Congressional Medal of Honor (Photo of Bong Receiving his medal). The ceremony was simple but impressive and made a lasting impression of the minds of on-lookers. At the time, Major Bong had 38 enemy planes to his credit and before leaving for the United States later in the month he found time to run his score to 40.
• Dec. 21st---the squadron was stunned to receive orders to move within a few days. It was thought originally that our stay at the "permanent" campsite would be a protracted one and nearly every tent had fine wooden flooring.  Morale was nil for a while.