“Letters of a World War II Airman” shares original letters to and from my uncle, Frank Ebner Gartz, from 1943-1945, tracing the course of WWII, life on the home front, and the evolution of a neighborhood kid into seasoned airman.
Many mothers during World War II had to send off multiple sons to war. My grandmother's deep concern for the safety of her youngest is palpable in all her letters, yet she was lucky in that her other two sons, in their late twenties, were not drafted. This letter tells us why.
Letter Chicago, ILL, 8-25-43 My Dear Ebner, I am glad your cold is better. Please take care of yourself. I will send you another $10, but please send a card right back and tell us only that you had received [...]
The young cadets in Miami Beach may have been serving their country, but that didn't exempt them from keeping their uniforms clean in the sweat-inducing, broiling Florida heat—at their own expense! Frank writes a soulful letter to his mother on his monetary woes, and making a good case in his need for CA$H.
A bratty kid can ruin any excursion. When Frank was stationed at Truax Field near Madison, Wisconsin, Vera, a friend of the family, took Frank on some local outings. So naturally when Vera and her son, Chuck, came to Chicago to visit, my grandparents want to show them a good time as a thank you for being kind Frank. They really outdid themselves, taking them to many of Chicagoland's treasures: Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Brookfield Zoo, and a kid's delight, Riverview, a famous amusement park from Chicago's past.
Frank writes to his Mom the same night he wrote to Will about how tough the training is in Miami Beach. He shares a very intimate thought with his mother, about his oldest brother that surprises me, but perhaps it [...]