“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.
I love these vintage, gloriously colored post cards from decades past. I'm posting two here, showing places where Frank hung out during his basic training as an air force cadet in Miami Beach, Florida. Only one is dated, written on 8/25/1943, to his mother. The other is addressed to his dad, but you can be sure both were shared avidly among the family.
What eighteen-year-old kid hasn't lost money? Wasted it, spent it, been careless with it, overdrew the checking account, and so on. And what parents haven't been ready to rip out their hair as they tried to explain to the kid to be more careful. So it was with my grandmother. Although she had little education, she was smart enough to hold off until later in her letter to give some gentle advice and admonitions to her son about taking better care of his money. She front-loaded her letter with appreciation for his latest letter, home-front updates, and a sincere desire to know more about his life in Miami Beach.
Frank Gartz is transferred in early August to Miami Beach, Florida, where he'll begin his official training as an Air Force Cadet. Like so many young men at the time, he's seeing parts of the country he never could have afforded to visit on his own. Unlike the men in infantry, Army Air Corps Cadets have a long period of training before being sent overseas. His first stop is warm and beautiful Miami.
Ebner and Cookie at Austin H.S. Prom, 1942 Frank Ebner's mom has received the birthday gift he sent her and tries to express her gratitude as best she can in English. Ebner's girlfriend, Cookie comes to visit with [...]
After weeks of stress, worried he wouldn't pass his physical and other tests required to become an aviation cadet, after encouraging words from home, Frank's perseverance has paid off. He's been accepted and will leave shortly for Miami to start over with basic training to prepare for war from the skies.