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1 Sep 45 - I wish you'd tell Truman to stop Hump operations. Don't send tea as India is one of the main teagrowing countries. 1/2 Sep 45 - No. 59--� to Liuchow--6:20--Pilot Aiken 4 Sep 45 - No. 60--� to Shanghai--10:10--Pilot Aiken 4 Sep 45 - No. 61--� to Kurmitola--6:30-Pilot Aiken Sept. 4, 1945 - Braddock, PA Dear "Bob", After a long period of eighteen days of no letters from you, Perry brought us one this morning written by you on Aug.15th. We were not alarmed, but were anxious to know where you were and what you were doing. First let me say that not all of the people got drunk on the 14th. Most of the people said a prayer of thanksgiving. The following Sunday the churches were well filled and there were many tears of joy seen among the people. President Truman has given the people a new hope of better things. He has my vote so far for a hard task well done. Roosevelt never had the confidence of the people as does Truman at this moment. I sincerely hope he does not spoil it by sticking to that Roosevelt's policies. I hope that you made your five hundred hours, not only that that gives you the D.F.C. but those five points may come in darned handy. Tell us if you made the 500 in time or not and if you got the D.F.C. I understand that as of yesterday all censor restrictions are off so that will permit you to tell us a lot more of your movements, etc. Surely there is no longer any need to fly the hump. At least night flying ought to be off the list. Bill Nicols blew in last week and he looks fine. He is not out of the army however. Donald Smith is home for eight days. I have not seen him yet but he phoned this morning. He came as a surprise to his people. Swish, Bartie and Gret blew in on Sunday evening and we had a good time together yesterday. Little Edna called Swish, Mr. Bartie. We certainly got a kick out of that. They brought some sweet corn along and I am sure that is the kind of korny stuff you would enjoy. Since gas is unrationed there are thousands more cars on the road. I think we killed over 300 people in auto accidents in our Labor Day celebration, I think the next nation that tries to whip us should try to furnish an auto to every individual in America plus a gallon of whiskey per week and then we will kill ourselves faster than an enemy could. Tires are still hard to get and likely will be for some time. Sugar is scarce but most of the other rationed things are plentiful. I hope you were able to listen in on MacArthur's party the other evening. He made a fine impression on the people here on the way he conducted the surrender. We also believe he is the most fit of the generals to govern Japan. There is a different feeling al around since peace is here again. Well, Son, this is the limit for the present. Let us know the full score as soon as you can. We are all well. Love, Dad P.S.-Mrs. Mateer just phoned and said she had a letter from you written at a rest camp in the mts. It was dated Aug. 21st. Bill is improving. [ *Note - Excerpts from Time magazine, Nov. 12, 1945, p.7, which explains the following trip to Shanghai: "The Big Lift Ever since the days of the Flying Tigers, it had seemed to the embattled Chinese that when a miracle had to be worked, U.S. aviators were the men to work it. At war's end, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek asked the Army Air Forces to work one more. To implement the policy of getting National Government troops to places where they were needed to take Jap surrenders, the A.A.F. took over a massive task: to fly several armies to the east and north. .....In the same period, the Air Transport Command, loading 80 Chinese into each of its larger C-54s, carried 26,000 men of the Ninety-fourth Army to Shanghai...The crowding was so great that they jampacked the floor in a sitting position, each man's back against another's bent knees. Because ground troops have a tendency to airsickness, an open barrel in the middle of the cabin was standard equipment." ] 6 Sep 45 - No. 62--� to Liuchow--7:00--Pilot Fred G. Nesper and Stokes(?) 8 Sep 45 - No. 63--� to Shanghai-10:00--Pilot Nesper 8 Sep 45 - No. 64--� to Kurmitola--6:35--Pilot Nesper 9 Sep 45 - [Airborne-rewritten 10 Sept] I'm going to tell you about yesterday and if it is cut out, I'll tell you the same thing in a couple months, I hope. Well, it is all on account of us hauling Chinese troops into Shanghai. On the fourth, I took a hop from Liuchow to Shanghai, being about the sixth U.S. plane to land there. We took some American Signal Corps boys so they could get things set up. The Japs were still in control, in fact they were guarding our planes. Some seemed to have buck teeth and horn-rimmed glasses exactly as you've seen them in the comic books. They didn't look happy but had a matter-of-fact attitude. We loafed around for an hour and then came back to Kurmitola. Yesterday, I did exactly the same thing only it was different. My camera was loaded with color film and our C-54 was loaded with odoriferous (from eating garlic) Chinese troops. We landed about eleven in the morning, and as we taxied down the ramp, thousands of Chinese waved, cheered, whistles, set off firecrackers and waved flags and banners. It was really a thrill, no kiddin'. As the first Chinese came off our plane, a band struck up Yankee Doodle and other U.S. patriotic numbers. After a couple minutes, I walked half-way down the ladder and sat down to take pictures. A guy hands me an autograph book and pen. I look behind me to see whom he wishes to sign and another person is not to be seen. So I figure he just has a crazy whim to get an American signature for his collection. So I jots down "Good Luck" and my Henry Morganthau, Jr. for him and hands it back. All at once there are ten more in my hand to sign and before long I am putting Sinatra himself to shame, signing name cards, flags, fans and blank checks. Finally after about ten minutes of this, some GI reminds me that I'm not a hero so I decide to bring things to a focus, as the pens are going dry anyway. Another ship comes in, so a couple thousand went over to greet it. Pretty soon there was no excuse to stick around which we would have done (there being steaks, ice cream sodas, street cars and beautiful White Russian gals in town) so we cleared our props of people and started the engines. As we taxied out, a couple thousand more waved goodbye and we took to the blue. Although we received a liberator's welcome, the people did not look starved or in rags. They were dressed well, healthy looking and they had cameras better than any I could afford. Cars were up to Ford '42. It was a day and scene I'll never forget, but it won't even compare with the welcome I expect at home. |
<----The Park Hotel in Shanghai where two of us GI's lived it up by having lunch. Unlike the Seventh Fleet swabbies who arrived in the city later, we did not paint the town as described in:
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View of crowd at Shanghai airfield on 'Liberation Day' |
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11 Sep 45 - Called at midnight but didn't fly. Handing in more equipment. 12 Sep 45 - No. 65--� to Liuchow--13:00-Pilot Danna 13 Sep 45 - We boys are fairly bitter right now and if they prolong this senseless flying too long, I expect a sitdown strike of a sort. It's just lucky that the weather is good or I think we would refuse to risk our necks anymore. Heard Jap surrender over radio. Didn't make DFC but got Air Medal Oak Leaf cluster for five more points--had 58 points on VJ Day. Yesterday we took a plane-load of chile con carne to the boys at Liuchow. We're still hauling Chinese troops to Shanghai. Worthwhile, ain't it? Please keep praying for our safety as this rockpile is still as high as ever. 15 Sep 45 - No. 66--� to Liuchow--6:40--Pilot Hollum 15 Sep 45 - No. 67--� to Kurmitola--6:06--Pilot Hollum 16 Sep 45 - (99 traveling days till Christmas)-Went to chapel--heard hit parade on headset extension from radio in adjoining tent. 17/18 Sep 45 - No. 68--� to Liuchow--13:20-Pilot Capt. Charles E. Eberhart 19 Sep 45 - During the war, they always said that Hump flying was an emergency measure. That's a laugh. My last flight carried a load of kerosene. Before that it was soap, shoes and overcoats. It doesn't get cold enough for overcoats in Liuchow. Other planes have carried mosquito nets and rat traps and of course gasoline all the time. Not only is it senseless but very, very expensive. In fact, the cost of one gallon of gas hauled over there is terrific! It's up in the weekly paycheck bracket, more money than you'll save. Also lives. I don't know what the local paper says, but I haven't taken one GI out of China yet. I is regusted!! 20 Sep 45 - No. 69--� to Luliang--9:30--Pilot Capt. Hartwell--Had SRO (Student radio operator) Cunningam of McKeesport, PA 24 Sep 45 - On DNIF with head cold. 25 Sep 45 - Off DNIF tomorrow. Speed has its good factors as do mountain streams, but Nature has seen fit to include undisturbed lakes in her makeup also. 25 Sep 45 - (evening letter) Tonight I will fly another senseless political flight to Shanghai or somewhere. I don't know what we're supposed to be doing and I care less. If Truman wants my vote on '48 he better get me on my merry way. 25/26 Sep 45 - No. 70--� to Liuchow and Shanghai--11:20--Pilot Barkley 28 Sep 45 - No. 71--� to Liuchow and Kurmitola--10:40--Pilot Barkley 29 Sep 45 - Last night I returned from a Shanghai trip. I had student operator Morgan with me and we went to town together. Since our finances were quite low, we contented ourselves by looking the city over and eating a good meal. It is quite the town. Its population is five million. Among the stew of people I noticed civilians of German, Russian, assorted European, English, Japanese and of course Chinese. The military included Indians, Chinese soldiers and sailors, Jap soldiers, British tommies and tars and American soldiers, sailors, Marines, WACs and nurses. We ate lunch on the 14th. floor of the Park Hotel. Pretty classy joint. We had pea soup, shrimp on rice, pork chop, Lyonaise potatoes, ice cream and coffee. It only cost $150,000.00 C.I.B., $950.00 C.N.C. or $1.50 U.S. Bought cigarette lighters, fans and stationery. [ Some time after returning home, the following article caught my eye: SHANGHAI LONG CENTER OF NAZI ACTIVITIES---Shanghai became the chief Nazi center of activities in Asia long before Pearl Harbor. Many Germans, expelled from the United States and Latin American countries, fled to Asia and found Shanghai an open city much to their liking. Shanghai's Park Hotel was practically taken over by the Nazis.] --Now I am sweating out a flight right this minute. We get about 18 hours between flights which doesn't even give us time to see a show or get our PX stuff. We are finished hauling Chinese into the Shanghai area today, so now they'll have us starting on another senseless project. Anything to hold these airways open till U.S. civilians can get here to take over. That's what it appears to be. We're stooging for Pan-Am or some other company. And more U.S. boys may die on the Hump in the meantime. If I had forgotten how to think, this stuff wouldn't bother me but all of us are still intelligent enough to know the score. And please don't think we are just homesick guys hollering to go home. This is a righteous gripe.-Weather cooling slightly. 30 Sep 45 - Last night I fell asleep finally about midnight. I was expecting to be called on flight any minute and that is not an ideal state of mind for dozing. Each time someone passes outside the tent you think it is the runner coming to you. It might be a type of nervousness but it is more like the feeling one had as a kid waiting for Santa Claus. Sounds funny, doesn't it? --went to a meeting where we were told of the new project which I expected. The one we just finished was called the Cannon Project -hauling Chinese to Shanghai. This new (senseless) one is the Gunpowder Project -hauling gas to Luhsien or somewhere between Kunming and Chengtu. - Payne fainted and is in hospital-- Saw VanDorn. |
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